Director Paul Thomas Anderson named Best Director by the Directors Guild of America.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson won the Best Director award at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, solidifying his film One Battle After Another as a top contender for the Oscars.

A Film About the Past and Redemption

Anderson’s feature film follows an ex-revolutionary striving to protect his teenage daughter as his past returns to haunt him. The film was also awarded the Best Fiction Film accolade, a prize regarded as a major indicator of trends to watch for during the Oscars, the pinnacle of Hollywood’s awards season.

Upon receiving his award in Beverly Hills, Anderson stated:
“It is a tremendous honor for me to receive this award.”
He added, “We will accept it with all the love it was given to us, thanking all our colleagues present in this room.”

Leonardo DiCaprio Stars

The film features Leonardo DiCaprio and portrays an America in an uncertain time, where white supremacists conspire in the shadows, immigration raids impact the population, and revolutionary groups take up arms.

One Battle After Another had already garnered acclaim at the Critics’ Choice Awards in January and won the majority of awards at the Golden Globes.

Oscars and Nomination Statistics

The film heads into the Oscars with the second-highest number of nominations, totaling 13, behind Sinners by Ryan Coogler, which holds a record with 16 nominations. Coogler was also nominated for Best Fiction Film by the DGA and received his award from Sean Baker, last year’s winner for Anora, which subsequently won the Oscar.

Historically, 20 of the 22 DGA award winners have gone on to win the Oscar for Best Director.

Best Documentary Award

At the same ceremony, Ukrainian director and journalist Mestislav Tchernov, an Oscar winner, took home the award for Best Documentary for 2000 Meters to Andriivka, which follows a Ukrainian unit attempting to liberate a village occupied by Russians, providing a poignant glimpse into the war.

Tchernov stated during the awards ceremony, hosted by comedian Kamille Nanjani:
“It is terrifying to live in a world where, instead of holding a camera, you must carry a weapon to defend your country and beliefs.”
He added, “I want to thank all the soldiers, civilians, and filmmakers who chose to put down their cameras to take up arms, giving someone like me a chance to live.”