Action is a key genre in the industry that Asian filmmakers have especially been a driving force at reimagining and revolutionizing. On May 7, the Asian American Committee celebrated the achievements of Directors and Directorial Team members in this perpetually popular form of cinematic art during the two-part event, Filming the Impossible: A Celebration of Asian Action Filmmakers.
In this clip from the second panel of the day, Director Karen Gaviola details her process from script to screen when assembling an action scene for The Boys.
Watch the full event now on our website and YouTube channel, available through the link in our bio!
#WomensDay2026 #DGA
Action is a key genre in the industry that Asian filmmakers have especially been a driving force at reimagining and revolutionizing. On May 7, the Asian American Committee celebrated the achievements of Directors and Directorial Team members in this perpetually popular form of cinematic art during the two-part event, Filming the Impossible: A Celebration of Asian Action Filmmakers.
Click the link in our bio to see more on this event and others!
#DGA #FilmingtheImpossible
Negotiations with the AMPTP begin today and are scheduled to proceed through June 5.
As always, our goal is to achieve the best deal possible for our members during a time of tremendous change in the film and television landscape.
Thank you to the Guild’s 70-person negotiating committee — under the leadership of Chair Jon Avnet, Co-Chair Karen Gaviola, and Chief Negotiator Russ Hollander — for their work on this critically important process.
The Guild will keep members updated directly as we have news to share.
During this time, the DGA will observe a mutually agreed media blackout.
In this teaser for our new series, Television Directors Discuss, we aim to provide a program that demystifies the processes behind creating specific genres of TV from the Director’s chair. We interviewed seasoned Directors of these genres to better understand their approach, techniques and understanding of the material, and learn how they try to capture the best vision of a show they imagined.
For our pilot episode, we took aim at the Political Thriller genre with Directors Alex Graves (The Diplomat), Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing), Chris Grismer (Designated Survivor), Eric Stoltz (Madame Secretary), and Lesli Linka Glatter (Zero Day). Stay tuned for the full episode, coming soon to our YouTube channel!
On April 11, the DGA Women's Steering Committee hosted the 2026 Women's Day, Trailblazing Through Vision: How Creative Leaders Drive Change. During their sixth event, the Committee honored DGA Past President Lesli Linka Glatter and Board Alternate Patricia Riggen, two women whose groundbreaking work has expanded opportunity, representation, and artistic excellence in television and film.
In this clip from the event, Riggen recalls how she sold her first film and how she didn’t compromise on a deal that would have marginalized her work.
Watch the full event now on our website and YouTube channel, available through the link in our bio!
#WomensDay2026 #DGA
Yesterday, the WGAE and allies traveled to Albany to rally legislators to pass the NY FAIR News Act (S.8451/A.8962-A) — a bill with bipartisan support that establishes real protections for journalists and media professionals against the unchecked use of AI in newsrooms, and ensures public trust in the news.
Joined by journalists and union leaders from @sagaftra , @nyguild , @directorsguild , @cwadistrict1 and @nysaflcio , our coalition made the case to legislators that AI in journalism must come with transparency, human oversight, and safeguards for the people who do the work.
Thank you to Senator Pat Fahy (@patfahy46 ) and Assemblymember Nily Rozic (@nihlyrozic ) for sponsoring this bill, and to everyone who spoke: Assemblymember Emily Gallagher (@emilyassembly ), WGAE member Mary Harris, SAG-AFTRA Chief Labor Policy Officer and Executive Director of the New York Local Rebecca Damon, NewsGuild of New York member Jason Cohen, DGA member Scott Berger, WGAE Executive Director Sam Wheeler and WGAE AI Task Force Co-Chair Larry Cohen.
There’s just a few weeks left in this legislative session and we’re working hard to get this crucial piece of legislation passed. Pass the #NYFAIRNewsAct ✊
On April 11, the DGA Women's Steering Committee hosted the 2026 Women's Day, Trailblazing Through Vision: How Creative Leaders Drive Change. During their sixth event, the Committee honored DGA Past President Lesli Linka Glatter and Board Alternate Patricia Riggen, two women whose groundbreaking work has expanded opportunity, representation, and artistic excellence in television and film.
In this clip from the event, Glatter reflects on her first directing jobs and the point of view she brings to her craft.
Watch the full event now on our website and YouTube channel, available through the link in our bio!
#WomensDay #DGA
Our last month of Q&As featured films including a woman brought back from the dead seeking revenge on her killer, a popstar and her costume designer unpacking supernatural trauma, a proud man denying help from his family when faced with financial hardship and much more! Check out the episodes of The Director’s Cut that released in April.
Featured:
The Bride! with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Greta Gerwig (Ep. 607)
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett and Jorma Taccone (Ep. 608)
Mother Mary with David Lowery and Antonio Campos (Ep. 609)
Shame and Money with Visar Morina and Valerie Weiss (Ep. 610)
The DGA applauds SAG-AFTRA on achieving a tentative agreement with the AMPTP that reflects the significance of its members’ work and helps support stable, enduring careers.
We look forward to learning more as additional details are shared.
Hot off the press this month for DGA Members, the May 2026 edition of the DGA Monthly!
Featured in this issue:
• An interview with Director Patty Jenkins reflecting on her 2017 feature Wonder Woman
• The PAC Leadership Council meets with Congresswomen Judy Chu and Linda Sánchez
• A summary of events, conversations and screenings in the Guild theater space
• And more!
Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America (DGA) President Christopher Nolan today announced that the DGA has extended National Executive Director Russell Hollander’s contract through the end of 2029.
“For nearly a decade as our National Executive Director, Russ has been a steward for the Guild and its members, seeing us through a period of tremendous upheaval in our industry.” said Nolan. “From the pandemic to the strikes and the global contraction in production, Russ has always prioritized and protected the interests of our members, working closely with me, past Guild Presidents, and our National Board. We are grateful for his continued service to our community.”
Hollander has served as the DGA’s National Executive Director since 2017 and oversees the Guild’s work protecting and extending the economic and creative rights of its more than 19,500 members. He also acts as the Guild’s chief negotiator, is responsible for setting the Guild’s priorities, policies, and strategic agenda, and works with the elected President and Board of Directors. Hollander served as the Guild’s chief negotiator in the 2020 and 2023 negotiations with the major studios and led the industry’s return to work negotiations with the studios following COVID-19 work stoppages. He is Chair and a Trustee for the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans.
“I’m honored by the Board’s continued confidence in my service to the membership, especially during times of incredible change.” said Hollander. “The beauty of our Guild is our defining, singular mission to advance the creative and economic rights of our members – and the secret to our longstanding success is the strong partnership between our elected leaders and our professional staff to fulfill that purpose. At a time when the rights of workers need strong champions, it is a privilege to dedicate myself to that purpose and to the members we serve.”
