‘Nomadland’ Director Chloé Zhao And ‘Promising Young Woman’ Director Emerald Fennell Make History With 2021 DGA Film Nominations
Chloé Zhaohas just added another nomination under her belt onNomadland’s road to the Oscars. And in her latest nod, she’s just made Directors Guild of America history alongsidePromising Young WomandirectorEmerald Fennell. The pair are the first two women to have been nominated in the same year for best director of a feature film in the 73-year history of the DGA Awards. Overall, they’re only the ninth and 10th women to ever be nominated for the category.
The Directors Guild of America unveiled their 2021 DGA film nominations for theatrical feature film and first-time feature on Tuesday. Chloé Zhao, Emerald Fennell,David Fincher(Mank),Aaron Sorkin(The Trial of the Chicago 7), andLee Isaac Chung(Minari) all scored a nod for best director of a feature film, whileRegina King(One Night in Miami),Radha Blank(The Forty-Year-Old Version),Florian Zeller(The Father),Darius Marder(Sound of Metal), andFernando Fríasde la Parra (I’m No Longer Here) were nominated best first-time feature director.
But as has been the case for this awards season, Spike Lee remains unacknowledged for his work onDa 5 Bloods, with Netflix appearing to be choosing to throw its weigh behind Fincher’sMankand Sorkin’sTrial of the Chicago 7, despite the acclaim for the frequently snubbedDa 5 Bloodsand George C. Wolfe’sMa Rainey’s Black Bottom. At the rate this awards season is going, it’s seems more likely thatDa 5 Bloodswill be shut out of the Oscars entirely this year.
The DGA was the last of the four major Hollywood guilds to announce its nominations, following the Screen Actors Guild, the Writers Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America. In the past, four out of five DGA nominees have gone on to be nominated for the Best Director Oscar, perThe Wrap, which appears to clinch Zhao’s standing as the frontrunner this awards season.
See the nominees for the 73rd annual DGA Awards below.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM FOR 2020Lee Isaac ChungMinari(A24)
Unit Production Manager: Dylan Brodie
First Assistant Director: Jeff Dubray
Second Assistant Director: Ann Laudick
Second Second Assistant Director: Stephen J. Hanan
Emerald FennellPromising Young Woman(Focus Features)
Unit Production Manager: Reena Magsarili Raasch
First Assistant Director: Michael T. Meador
Second Assistant Director: Alexander Armero
Second Second Assistant Director: Anthony Manzo
David FincherMank(Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: Allen Kupetsky
First Assistant Director: Richard Goodwin
Second Assistant Director: Samantha McGrady
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt McKinnon
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Jeff Goodell, John Stern, George Williams III
Aaron SorkinThe Trial of the Chicago 7(Netflix; DreamWorks Pictures)
Unit Production Managers: Charles Miller, Stuart M. Besser, Jonathan Shoemaker
First Assistant Director: Joseph P. Reidy
Second Assistant Director: Rachel Jaros
Second Second Assistant Director: Justin Bischoff
Location Managers: Dennis Voskov, Nick Rafferty (Chicago Unit)
Chloé ZhaoNomadland(Searchlight Pictures)
Unit Production Manager: Mary Kerrigan
First Assistant Director: Mary Kerrigan
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF AFIRST-TIMEFEATURE FILM DIRECTOR FOR 2020Radha BlankThe Forty-Year-Old Version(Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: James Price
First Assistant Director: Michael L. Walker
Second Assistant Director: Kenyon Noble
Second Second Assistant Director: Jonathan Santos
Location Managers: Katarina Dedicova, Tim Stacker
Fernando Frías de la ParraI’m No Longer Here(Netflix)
Production Managers: Martín Pérez Valle, Assia Fratz (New York Unit)
First Assistant Director: Carlos Suazo
Second Assistant Directors: Alí Santiago, Alex Burstein (New York Unit)
Second Second Assistant Directors: Karen Alcázar, Anthony James Faure (New York Unit)
