LOS ANGELES, Jan 31, (AP): Kathryn Bigelow and “The Hurt Locker” became official awards-season front-runners Saturday after Bigelow won the top prize from the Directors Guild of America.
The 58-year-old filmmaker is the first woman to win the guild’s top honor, which positions her and the film as shoo-ins for the Academy Awards. The DGA boasts that its winner has gone on to win the Oscar all but six times since 1948.
“This is the most incredible moment of my life,” Bigelow said backstage. She downplayed her gender, saying, “I suppose I like to think of myself as a filmmaker.”
Bigelow was up against Quentin Tarantino for “Inglourious Basterds,” Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air,” Lee Daniels for “Precious” and her ex-husband James Cameron for “Avatar.”
“Hurt Locker” star Jeremy Renner called Bigelow “a warrior, my champion and the most fortunate actor’s director.”
Bigelow said just being nominated for the Directors Guild honor is “kind of the pinnacle for the already wild ride ‘The Hurt Locker’ has put me on.”
The six-hour affair at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel drew a spate of celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Jodie Foster, Jon Cryer, Cheryl Hines and Jason Bateman. All but Jolie served as presenters during Saturday’s ceremony.
Carl Reiner hosted the event recognizing achievements in directing, as he has for 22 years.
“Modern Family” won the top honor for television comedy for its pilot, directed by Jason Winer.
The drama prize went to “Mad Men” and director Lesli Linka Glatter. Ross Katz was honored for the HBO movie “Taking Chance.” Louie Psihoyos’ film “The Cove” won the documentary award.
“The film plays like a prequel to ‘Avatar,’ only it’s real and set in the present,” Psihoyos said.
Cher presented Norman Jewison with the guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his career in film.
Roger Goodman was presented the guild’s lifetime achievement award in news direction. Disney chief Robert Iger and Warner Bros. chief Barry Meyer were granted honorary life memberships in the guild.
Among other guild winners:
n Reality programming: Craig Borders, “Hong Kong Bridge.”
n Children’s programs: Allison Liddi-Brown, “Princess Protection Program.”
n Daytime serials: Christopher Goutman, “As the World Turns: Once Upon a Time.”
n Commercials: Tom Kuntz.
Among Hollywood’s many honors leading up to the Academy Awards, the Directors Guild prizes have one of the best track records for predicting eventual Oscar winners.
Academy Award nominations will be announced Tuesday.