Jane Campion wins at DGA Awards

Jane Campion won the biggest prize at the DGA Awards on Saturday (12.03.22).

The 'Power of the Dog' filmmaker's win for the Theatrical Feature Film prize at the event will now put her in the frame as frontrunner for the Best Director accolade at the Academy Awards later this month as there have been only seven times since the award was first handed out that the winner has differed from the eventual Oscar winner for directing.

Each nominee for the prestigious award - which also included Sir Kenneth Branagh ('Belfast'), Paul Thomas Anderson ('Licorice Pizza'), Steven Spielberg ('West Side Story'), and Denis Villeneuve ('Dune') - was presented with a medallion and gave a speech at the podium at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, though the 'Death on the Nile' filmmaker offered a taped address as he wasn't in attendance for the ceremony.

In her speech, Jane reflected on how much progress has been made for female filmmakers.

She said: “We often hear this time of year about ‘first this’ and ‘second that’ — glass ceilings that are left shattered left and right in this industry.

“The road here has been long. I remember being the only woman in the room. I remember that outsider feeling as I fought to get my stories told, to bring dynamic stories from underserved perspectives to light.

"I think it’s perhaps a time to claim a sense of victory on that front. We’ve come so far and what’s more, we’re never going backwards. That sense of the eternal horizon, that spectrum of possibility invigorates me. I hope it invigorates you as well.”

Elsewhere at the ceremony, which was hosted by Judd Apatow, Maggie Gyllenhall was recognised with the First Time Feature Film award for Netflix's 'The Lost Daughter', while Stanley Nelson picked up the Documentary prize for 'Attica'.

The TV Movie or Limited Series accolade went to Barry Jenkins for 'The Underground Railroad', while Lucia Aniello earned the Comedy Series award for an episode of 'Hacks'.

Mark Mylod campaigned for a British equivalent of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) when he accepted the Dramatic Series prize for the 'All the Bells Say' episode of 'Succession', one of the show's five nominations in the category alongside a single episode of 'The White Lotus'.

He said: "When I first came here [to America], things were quite low in my personal life.

"Coming to work here and joining the DGA literally did change my life. So thank you to all of you and thank you to that institution. I wish Britain could have something as strong, and I hope it will one day."

Spike Lee was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction, and he dedicated the accolade to his grandfather's sister's son, Maceo A. Walker, who he found through making 'Miracle at St. Anna'.

He said: “He was in Company 1, 3rd Battalion, 366 infantry regiment, 92nd infantry division, one of the Buffalo Soldiers, private 1st class,” Lee said. “He was killed in action on February 10th, 1945. He was only 20 years old. Here’s another example of how African Americans have fought and died for this country. We love a country that always hasn’t loved us. So this award goes to Pvt 1st Class Maceo A. Walker.”

Joseph Reidy and Garry Hood received Special DGA Awards for their contributions to the guild.

74th DGA Awards selected list of winners:

Theatrical Feature Film:

Jane Campion - 'The Power of the Dog'

Dramatic Series:

Mark Mylod - 'Succession' (Episode: 'All the Bells Say')

Movies for Television and Limited Series:

Barry Jenkins - 'The Underground Railroad'

Comedy Series:

Lucia Aniello - 'Hacks' (Epsiode: 'There is No Line')

First-Time Feature Film Director:

Maggie Gyllenhaal - 'The Lost Daughter'