Chloé Zhao’s at it again. The trailblazing “Nomadland” filmmaker just made history again, becoming the second woman to ever win best director at the DGA Awards. “The DGA has largely been a perfect bellwether in regards to who wins Best Director at the Oscars, veering only eight times in its 73-year history,” Deadline writes. In other words, don’t be surprised if Zhao follows in Kathryn Bigelow’s footsteps and becomes the second woman to take home directing honors at the April 25 Academy Awards.
The DGA Awards took place Saturday, and Sunday brought another major win. Zhao was named Best Director at the BAFTA Film Awards, becoming the second woman to ever do so.
Written by Zhao and based on Jessica Bruder’s non-fiction book of the same name, “Nomadland” is set in the aftermath of the Great Recession and sees a 60-something woman (Frances McDormand) from a former mining town moving into her camper van and traveling across the U.S., picking up jobs along the way.
“Nomadland” took home the prize for Best Film at the BAFTAs, and McDormand snagged the award for Leading Actress.
A woman-directed film also scored the BAFTA award for Outstanding British Film: Emerald Fennell’s revenge thriller “Promising Young Woman.” Fennell landed the honor for Original Screenplay as well. The Documentary prize went to Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed’s “My Octopus Teacher,” a tribute to the friendship between a man and an octopus.
The DGA Awards also recognize work on the small screen. Winners included Lesli Linka Glatter and Susanna Fogel. The former won Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for “Homeland” episode “Prisoners of War” and the latter Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for “The Flight Attendant” episode “In Case of Emergency.”
Head over to Deadline to check out all of the BAFTA winners and DGA winners.