Episodes
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Director Shira Piven discusses her new film, The Performance, with fellow Director Jade Jenise Dixon in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses working with her brother as the lead Actor to capture authentic tap dancing performances, making a period piece movie on an independent film budget and mixing 8mm film and real footage from the era to capture a 1930s Berlin time period.
The film tells the story of Harold, an accomplished tap dancer touring Europe with his troupe in the late 1930s. When they are scouted by a Nazi attache for an exclusive performance, he realizes they donât know about his Jewish identity and is faced with the dangerous dilemma of performing in secret or staying true to himself.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/ThePerformance_QnA_1224
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Director Barry Jenkins discusses his new film, Mufasa: The Lion King, with fellow Director Ben Affleck in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses employing the VFX team from the Avatar films to create the world, working with both the Actors and Animators to realize his characters while filming in real time, and reaching out to artists and conservationists from various African countries for real references to the locations in the film.
The film tells the story of Mufasa, an orphaned cub who befriends a lion destined as heir to a royal bloodline. The two become allies on a journey of adventure and self discovery as they seek to start a kingdom of their own.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/Mufasa_QnA_1224
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Director Tyler Perry discusses his new film, The Six Triple Eight, with fellow Director J.C. Chandor in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the serendipitous moment when casting Actor Kerry Washington, enlisting Debbie Allen to help choreograph the marching scenes, and shooting at his own film studio which was formerly a military base.
Inspired by the real-life story, the film recounts how the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-woman unit, joined the war to fix a three-year backlog of undelivered mail for U.S. service members. Aiming to sort more than 17 million pieces of mail to their rightful servicemen, they work tirelessly in the face of discrimination and a country devastated by war.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/SixTripleEight_QnA_1224
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Director Robert Eggers discusses his new film, Nosferatu, with fellow Director Chris Columbus in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses shooting in the real-world castle from the original story as well as channeling his Production Design team to create meticulous replicas of its interior, working with a Romanian folklore expert to bring out specific details that would authenticate the creature, and how he and Actor Bill SkarsgÄrd worked together to find the exact presence that would bring the title creature to life.
A remake of the 1922 classic, the film follows Ellen and Thomas Hutter, a young couple in 1860s Germany who contend with Ellenâs continuing nightmares of a ghoulish being. As Ellen is haunted by these dreams, Thomas sets out to Romania on business with a mysterious client- the enigmatic Count Orlok.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/Nosferatu_QnA_1224
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Director Rachel Morrison discusses her new film, The Fire Inside, with fellow Director Elizabeth Banks in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses working with her lead to make the fights look authentic on camera, balancing pace and visual variety in the boxing matches to make each encounter entertaining, and crafting a fight film with an atypical structure that puts the focus on a previously unseen conflict.
The film tells the story of Claressa Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan, who pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win the Olympic gold in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reconcile with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and her real fight has only just begun.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/TheFireInside_QnA_1224
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Director Paul Schrader discusses his new film, Oh, Canada, with fellow Director Alex Ross Perry in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses casting multiple Actors in roles across timelines and how he played with this element visually, how as both the Writer and Director, he works to include nothing that will make it to the cutting room floor so he can shoot economically, and how he chose to film in a variety of colors and aspect ratios to portray a story taking place over a long timespan.
The film follows the Miller siblings, a former musician, a writer and an artist, who all contend with challenging shifts in their marriages. As their lives change, their relationships are put to the test, bringing them closer to their partners or pushing them further apart.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/Oh_Canada_QnA_1224
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Director Halina Reijn discusses her new film, Babygirl, with fellow Director Spike Jonze in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses finding a tone for what she describes as âa comedy of mannersâ, working with her Composer to create a soundtrack that follows the seduction over the drama, and finding Actors that could inhabit seductive roles with comedic turns.
The film follows a high powered businesswoman who begins a taboo relationship with a much younger intern at her company. As the secret affair deepens, she puts her career and family on the line.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/February2025/Babygirl_QnA_1224
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Director Edward Burns discusses his new film, Millers in Marriage, with fellow Director Doug Atchison in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he works as a Director while being one of the central Actors to the film, how he artfully utilizes locations and resources to work effectively on small budgets, and collaborating with his Actors to discover more authentic arcs from his characters.
The film follows the Miller siblings, a former musician, a writer and an artist, who all contend with challenging shifts in their marriages. As their lives change, their relationships are put to the test, bringing them closer to their partners or pushing them further apart.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/MillersInMarriage_QnA_1224
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Director James Mangold discusses his new film, A Complete Unknown, with fellow Director Guillermo del Toro in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he intended on making the songs integral scenes instead of separating the drama from the action, how he sought to bring out the impact of Dylan through the figures around him, and the musical and acting performances of his ensemble Cast.
The film follows a young Bob Dylan as he arrives in New York City, performing and forging relationships with his folk contemporaries of Greenwich Village. As he begins his meteoric rise, he strives to break free of his folk identity, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/ACompleteUnknown_QnA_1224
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Director William Goldenberg discusses his new film, Unstoppable, with fellow Director Ben Affleck in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses coming into directing a feature for the first time after working as an editor, seeking to make the wrestling scenes as authentic as he could, and having the real Anthony Robles advise and even wrestle in some scenes of the film.
The film tells the inspiring true story of competitive athlete Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg. With the unwavering support of his mother, the encouragement of his coaches, and his own indomitable spirit, Anthony fights through adversity and defies the odds to become an NCAA division 1 champion wrestler.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Unstoppable_QnA_1224
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Director Pablo LarraĂn discusses his new film, Maria, with fellow Director Mike Mills in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his process of finding the little details in his film worlds, the importance of architecture in the cinematography of his films, and how he worked with Actor Angelina Jolie to establish the presence of the titular character.
The film follows the famed soprano as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. With time to settle and reflect, she reckons with both her legacy and her identity.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Maria_QnA_1224
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Director Marielle Heller discusses her new film, Nightbitch, with fellow Director Ritesh Batra in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, she discusses her unique approach to casting the child Actors in search of a more authentic onscreen relationship with their parents, finding filming locations that say a lot about her characters without delving into their backgrounds within the filmâs story, and how she sought to achieve a deliberate level of ambiguity through her deconstruction of the traditional motherhood myth.
Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, the film tells the story of a woman who has paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom for her new baby. As she becomes increasingly overburdened with the stress of her new responsibilities, her maternal instincts begin to manifest in canine form.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Nightbitch_QnA_1124
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Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods discusses their new film, Heretic, with fellow Director Michael Mohan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss working with Actor Hugh Grant to establish the look, presence and psychology of the antagonist, making every shot intentional in order to mimic the theme of control in the film, and using sound and atmosphere to craft a horror movie that prioritizes dread over jump scares.
The film follows two young women ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Heretic_QnA_1124
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Director Christine Swanson discusses her new film, Albany Road, with fellow Director Shaz Bennett in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses favoring snowy locations for a setting not typical for the story she wanted to tell, progressively adding color to the filmâs palette to indicate the growth of the two leads, and how she aimed to tell a story featuring unsung character types sheâs known in her life.
The film tells the story of Celeste Simmons, a New York executive on her way to the most important meeting of her career. Forced to share a rental car with her ex-fiancĂ©âs mother, she discovers that the mother is hiding a major secret about her ex.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/AlbanyRoad_QnA_1124
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Director Jack Huston discusses his new film, Day of the Fight, with fellow Director Gus Van Sant in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he aimed to turn a typical fight story on its head, how he worked with his Cinematographer to capture the black and white look of the film, and finding an Actor that could convey the range of pathos between fighting and interpersonal melodrama that the role demanded.
The film shows a day in the life of Mikey âIrish Mikeâ Flanigan, a champion boxer getting ready for his first fight since leaving prison. As he prepares for the most important fight of his life, he reconnects with the people he was closest to and tries to make things right.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/DayOfTheFight_QnA_1124
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Director Luca Guadagnino discusses his new film, Queer, with fellow Director Daniel Scheinert in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he and Actor Daniel Craig worked together to discover the lead character, the importance of choreography in this and all of his projects, and how he worked with Composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to create a soundtrack with layers of meaning.
Based on the novella by William S. Burroughs, the film follows William Lee, who recounts his life in 1950s Mexico City among American expatriate college students and bar owners. After he becomes infatuated with a younger man, they both set out to find a hallucinogenic drug in the amazon that will bring them closer together.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2024/Dec2024/Queer_QnA_1124
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Director Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger discusses his new film, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, with fellow Director Laurie Collyer in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses taking influence from 80s and 90s backwoods films such as Homeward Bound and Stand By Me, emphasizing a use of practical effects and real locations for a tactile experience, and the process of casting the young lead with wilderness experience.
The film tells the inspiring true story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who becomes trapped on a treacherous mountain when a fast-moving storm separates him from his family. With no food or proper clothing, he begins a desperate fight for survival in the unforgiving wilderness of northern Maine.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/LostOnAMountainInMaine_QnA_1124
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Director Edward Berger discusses his new film, Conclave, with fellow Director Jay Roach in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses casting his Actors in roles playing in extremes from one another, how he collaborated with his Cinematographer to closely convey the protagonistâs point of view, and working with his Costume Designer to craft authentic and eye-catching designs reflective of their real-world influence.
The film follows Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with leading one of the worldâs most ancient events: the selection of a new Pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/Conclave_QnA_1124
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Director Malcolm Washington discusses his new film, The Piano Lesson, with fellow Director David E. Talbert in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his process of expanding on a traditional play adaptation beyond the original text, searching for a âpunchlineâ in the pacing of his editing, and shooting the film in sequence to allow his production to evolve in conjunction with the story.
Based on the acclaimed play by August Wilson, the film navigates the lives and legacies of the Charles family. In the aftermath of the great depression, a brewing battle lurks over what to do with the family heirloom - a piano documenting the family history with carvings made by an enslaved ancestor.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/PianoLesson_QnA_1124
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Director Levan Akin discusses his new film, Crossing, with fellow Director Victoria Hochberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how immersing himself in the community lead to him wanting to make this film, his control over the camera allowing the audience to feel as if theyâre exploring the city on their own, and his thought process behind how he chose to handle the reveal at the end of the film.
Screened as part of the DGAâs Global Cinema Series, the film tells the story of Lia, a retired teacher, who has promised to find her missing niece. Her search takes her to Istanbul, where she meets a lawyer fighting for trans rights, and gets closer than ever to finding her missing family.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2024/Dec2024/GCS_Crossing_1124
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