LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2005. The winner will be announced at the 58th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
"It takes great skill to tell a compelling story in under sixty seconds," said DGA President Michael Apted. "These five directors have mastered the format, using their talent, craft and imagination to provide us with some of the most innovative filmmaking out there today. My congratulations to them all."
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2005 are (in alphabetical order): CRAIG GILLESPIE MJZ Surprise Dinner, Ameriquest DDB Direct LA Mini-Mart, Ameriquest Unit Production Manager: Deborah Tietjen First Assistant Director: Ken Gilbert Second Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet People of Pain, Altoids Leo Burnett, Chicago Fable of the Fruit Bat, Altoids Unit Production Manager: Deborah Tietjen First Assistant Director: Steven Fernandez Second Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet This is Mr. Gillespie's third DGA nomination in this category. He was previously nominated in 2001 and 2002. ---------- SPIKE JONZE MJZ Hello Tomorrow, Adidas TBWA Chiat Day Penguin, Miller Beer Young & Rubicam Unit Production Manager: Vince Landay First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith Second Assistant Director: Greg Smith Pardon Our Dust, Gap Crispin Porter Unit Production Manager: Vince Landay & Bogusky First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith Second Assistant Directors: Greg Smith, Erv Gentry This is Mr. Jonze's first DGA nomination in the Commercial category. He was previously nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award for Being John Malkovich in 1999. ---------- ROCKY MORTON MJZ Kung Fu Clowns, Bell South West Wayne Dance Fight Plumbers, Bell South First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch Second Assistant Director: Ryan Lippert Second Second Assistant Director: Robert Torres Office, Cheese Nips JWT First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch Second Assistant Director: Ryan Lippert Take Me Home, CSI The Martin Agency First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch Second Assistant Director: Robert Torres This is Mr. Morton's third DGA nomination in this category. He was previously nominated in 1998 and 1999. ---------- NOAM MURRO BISCUIT FILMWORKS Monsters, Hummer H3 Modernista First Assistant Director: Mike Dignum Second Assistant Director: Michael Saffie Black Out, Orange Mother, London First Assistant Director: Robert Jackson Second Assistant Director: C. Duncan Sutherland Second Second Assistant Directors: Doug Webster Watari Nishida, Gary Rake Run Barefoot, Nike Wieden & Kennedy First Assistant Director: James Giovannetti, Jr. Second Assistant Director: Trey Batchelor This is Mr. Murro's fourth DGA nomination in this category. He was nominated in 2002 and 2003 and won the award in 2004. ---------- RUPERT SANDERS OMAHA PICTURES Made to Perfection, Adidas TBWA Chiat Day First Assistant Director: Gary Marcus Second Assistant Director: Peter Hollocker MJZ Joy, Xbox McCann Erickson SF First Assistant Director: Haze Bergeron III This is Mr. Sanders' first nomination.
For a complete list of nominations in other categories, please visit the Awards Section of the DGA Website at www.dga.org.