Lesli Linka Glatter: Last News

DGA leaders have informed their members of their rights and responsibilities in the event of a writers strike against the studios.

Former Directors Guild presidents Paris Barclay and Thomas Schlamme have been named co-chairs of the DGA Outreach Team in advance of what the guild predicts will be “difficult” negotiations for a new film and TV contract, which are set to start May 10.

Elizabeth Olsen is hitting the red carpet at a screening of her new HBO Max series.

Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter, speaking tonight at the 75th Annual DGA Awards, vowed that the guild will “fight like hell” later this spring to win a fair film and TV contract – and not just for current members, but for generations to come.

Karen M. Peterson The Directors Guild of America celebrates its 75th year, the org will rename an award for one of its own. The first-time feature award is getting a new name. “I am very excited because we are doing something that we haven’t done before, a special presentation and renaming one of our awards in honor of former DGA president Michael Apted,” says DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. At the February ceremony, the DGA will formally change the name. The director of “Coal Min- er’s Daughter” and “Gorillas in the Mist” had a long history with the guild. In 1998, he led the formation of the Independent Directors Committee to foster the careers and rights of indie filmmakers. He served as DGA president from 2003-09, and created the first-time feature award that will now bear his name.

Mark Hansson and Valdez Flagg will be honored at the 75th Annual DGA Awards for their career achievements and “extraordinary service” to the guild. Hansson, a veteran first assistant director, will receive the Frank Capra Achievement Award, and Flagg, a longtime stage manager, will receive the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.

The DGA today announced the winners of its 28th annual DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino & Women directors. The awards were created in 1995 “to address the severe underrepresentation of directors of color and women in feature filmmaking by honoring, encouraging and bringing attention to exceptional diverse directors in film schools and universities across the country.”

The DGA and IATSE are praising Congress for passing the Respect for Marriage Act, which ensures federal recognition of same-sex and interracial unions.

Beth McCarthy-Miller will once again serve as Awards Chair for the 75th Annual DGA Awards, which will be held February 18, 2023 at the Beverly Hilton. She served in the same position last year.

As dozens of states have banned or restricted abortions in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning , the DGA Pension and Health Plans has taken steps to ensure that its participants and their dependent children can still have access to abortions no matter where they live or work. The DGA-Producer Pension & Health Plans is the first industry benefit plan to respond to the court’s ruling, which allows states to decide whether abortions are legal.

Weeks after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion threatened to roll back Roe v. Wade, a final decision this morning did just that with a majority of justices casting votes to return authority over abortion rights to individual states.

DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter today joined the chorus of Hollywood union leaders condemning the Supreme Court’s draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and let states decide whether or not to ban abortions.

Despite a precipitous 36% decline in the number of scripted television episodes produced during the worst days of the Covid pandemic, the percentage of women and people of color who directed them reached record highs in the 2020-21 season.

DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter has appointed a new safety committee “to ensure that safety concerns remain at the forefront of our guild.”

The DGA is gearing up for next year’s negotiations for a network TV contract, naming Lily Olszewski, the guild’s 6th vice president, to chair its negotiating committee, and director Brett Holey and DGA assistant secretary-treasurer Joyce Thomas as co-chairs. The current contact with ABC, CBS and NBC, which expires June 30, 2023, covers DGA directors and their teams working in news, sports, operations and at local stations.

Andrew Barker Senior Features WriterWhen the Directors Guild of America’s annual awards gets underway March 12, there will be a number of changes from years previous. Most obviously, the ceremony will finally be held in person at the Beverly Hilton, after two straight years of virtual celebrations.

Filmmakers from USC again dominated the DGA’s annual Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and women directors, which are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional diverse directors in film schools and universities across the country.

Judd Apatow is returning to host the 74th Annual DGA Awards and Beth McCarthy-Miller has been named chair of the event, which will be held March 12 at the Beverly Hilton.

Joseph Reidy will receive the DGA’s Frank Capra Achievement Award and Garry Hood will receive the guild’s Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award at the 74th annual DGA Awards on Jan. 27 in recognition of their “extraordinary contributions” to the guild.

Elizabeth Olsen is no stranger to starring in a TV series. But it’s safe to say that none of her previous TV work compares to the reception she got for her most recent outing, “WandaVision,” which became a cultural phenomenon earlier this year.

Back in February, one of our very first guests on the Hollywood News podcast was director Lesli Linka Glatter (the episode can be found here). She was such a delight, that it only made sense to invite her back as one of our returning champions! Plus, not only has her show Homeland come to an end (with her helming the finale), even while the industry has been shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Glatter has been busy trying to plan for its reopening. She is on the Directors Guild of America COVID-19 Task Force set up by Steven Soderbergh, making her an essential voice in Hollywood.