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Ben Affleck & 'Searching for Sugar Man' Win Directors Guild Awards

by Alex Billington
February 3, 2013
Source: DGA.org

So history was made. Last night the Directors Guild Awards were held in Los Angeles, announcing the winner of their 65th Annual Awards. The DGA chose from nominees including Bigelow, Hooper, Lee and Spielberg (but not Tarantino or Zeitlin) to give the top honor to Ben Affleck, director of Argo. Damn! In addition to Affleck, they also chose Malik Bendjelloul's Searching for Sugar Man as Best Documentary, Jay Roach's Game Change as Best TV Movie, and Looper director Rian Johnson for his "Breaking Bad" episode. Affleck admitted: "I don't think this makes me a real director. But I think it means I'm on my way."

The other nominees for the 2013 Directors Guild Awards include: Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Tom Hooper for Les Misérables, Ang Lee for Life of Pi plus Steven Spielberg for Lincoln (all pictured).

Directors Guild Awards - 2012 Nominees

The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2012 were announced on Saturday, February 2nd, during the 65th Annual DGA Awards Dinner held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Ben Affleck won the DGA's Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Argo. In addition to Affleck, filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul and his doc Searching for Sugar Man won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary. You can see the full list of DGA winners (for television and commercials, too) on DGA.org.

From here, it's pretty much history for Argo. At least that's the way it seems. Last year's big winner at the Directors Guild Awards was, indeed, Michel Hazanavicius of The Artist, which went on to win big at the Oscars. If only Ben Affleck had actually been nominated for the Best Director Oscar... Now that's the weird part. How did a committee of his most esteemed peers just give the most coveted win they could to an actor-turned-director, yet his peers couldn't even get him a nomination at the 85th Academy Awards? Seems odd. But that's the way it is. At least he's winning the rest of the awards. Bravo, Mr. Affleck. What do you think?

Filed under Awards, Discuss, Movie News

From around the web:

Isildur_of_Numenor

Fucking awesome! I can't praise this guy enough. After all the bullshit and the hate he's gone through in his acting career I'm happy to see him making a name for himself as a director and making a comeback as an actor. Congratulations!
David Banner

Calm down Benny-boy, you got all the other statues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FvlIwuQBO8
http://www.facebook.com/benjamin.cartwright Ben Bonanza Cartwright

So the director that is cleaning up his competition at every awards event so far is the one not nominated for a directing Oscar? Regardless of anyone's personal feelings on Affleck and his work, this is clearly a misstep by the Academy by not at least giving him a nomination.
rocky728

Wow I get a feeling that the pity vote is heavy at work here. Just my opinion but being snubbed by the Academy I think has helped him. Bigelow is the opposite I think in liberal Hollywood. I still think Spielberg and Lincoln deserve all the top honors. But he's won enough so I don't think they mind bypassing him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7YGEVuJ4mM Carpola

Sugarman was amazing. Not sure when I'll get round to watching Argo.
Ricardo_PT

That breaking Bad eps directed by Ryan Johnson was awesome, better than Looper if I may say so.
Greg dinskisk

Gah... I think Ben Affleck is getting all this acclaim right now, award-wise, because he was 'snubbed' by the Academy... Although I essentially know it at this point, I REALLY hope Argo doesn't win Best Pic...
Cody W

Ugh, Argo was just a giant finger in the vagina of hollywood, basically every scene with Arkin went over there G spot its ridiculous. It was a great movie but does not deserve ANY award it has gotten.
KB

Great news about Malik and Sugarman! I just showed the film to my cousins and I think they liked it as much as I do. Hope it does as well on the 24th.