The DGA Set Dates for the 2010, 2011 Season

The DGA sends out ballots on November 30. What names do you think might pop up there? At some point in the next several weeks, there will be a solid five emerging. Maybe only four will emerge strong and a fifth will be a surprise. What is always amazing to me is how it all solidifies fairly quickly. With ten Best Picture nominees, the attention shifts somewhat to the director category. We know that it is almost impossible for a film to win Best Picture without a director nod. It seems like it could happen more easily with ten, although the director usually drives the Best Picture race. Nonetheless, a split vote does seem more likely (although not last year). At any rate, the names that float around in my head right now include:

The Strongest on Paper:
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David Fincher, The Social Network
The Coens, True Grit
Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan (tough sell, but one never knows)
Terrence Malick, Tree of Life (up in the air)
Clint Eastwood, Hereafter
James L. Brooks, Everything You’ve Got

The ifs and maybes:
Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
Ben Affleck, The Town
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine
Doug Liman, Fair Game
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
Paul Haggis, Next Three Days
Sofia Coppola, Somewhere
David O’Russell, The Fighter
Love and Other Drugs, Ed Zwickz
Oliver Stone, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

And the timeline:

FEATURE FILM AWARD

Mail Feature Film Nomination Ballots – Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Deadline for Returning all Feature Film Nomination Ballots – Friday, January 7, 2011
Announce Five Feature Film Nominees – Monday, January 10, 2011
Mail Feature Film Final Ballots – Monday, January 10, 2011
Membership Screenings of Five Nominated Feature Films – Mon-Fri, January 17-21, 2011
Deadline for Returning all Feature Film Final Ballots – Friday, January 28, 2011