‘Citizenfour,’ ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ among DGA documentary nominees
The Directors Guild of America announced its nominations Wednesday for outstanding directorial achievement in documentaries: Dan Krauss for “The Kill Team,” John Maloof and Charlie Siskel for “Finding Vivian Maier,” Jesse Moss for “The Overnighters,” Laura Poitras for “Citizenfour,” and Orlando von Einsiedel for “Virunga.”
All six filmmakers are first-time DGA nominees. Their five films are also among the 15 contenders on the Academy Awards’ shortlist for feature documentaries, which will be narrowed to five finalists Thursday morning.
Krauss’ film is an account of the rogue platoon of U.S. soldiers who, in 2010, were involved in the “sport” killings of three random Afghan civilians. Maloof and Siskel’s movie delves into the secret life of a Chicago nanny whose undiscovered trove of striking street photography earned her posthumous acclaim.
Moss’ documentary is about an influx of migrant laborers in a tiny oil-patch town in North Dakota; Poitras’ centers on NSA document leaker Edward Snowden, and Von Einsiedel’s follows the wardens of Africa’s oldest national park.
Among the notable films not making the cut were “Life Itself,” “Keep On Keepin’ On” and “The Case Against 8.”
The DGA Awards will be handed out at a ceremony hosted by Jane Lynch on Feb. 7 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
Follow @ogettell for movie news
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
