The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Director Paul Schrader discusses his film with fellow director John Patrick Shanley. The film tells the story of Reverend Ernst Toller, a former military chaplain who is now the parish pastor of a small dutch reform church in upstate New York. Stuggling with the death of his son who he encouraged to enlist in the armed forces, he finds his faith further challenged after a pregnant parishoner asks...

Director Lynn Shelton discusses her film with fellow director Ava DuVernay. The film follows Chris, a 38-year-old ex-con who is finally granted parole after twenty years behind bars, largely due to the tireless advocacy and support of his high-school teacher, Carol. After the two are reunited, Carol begins to realize Chris' feelings for her have turned romantic, a situation complicated by the fact...

Director John Krasinski discusses his film with fellow director Doug Liman. Set in a very near future when most of Earth's population has been eradicated, the film follows a family survivors forced to live in silence as they hide from savage extraterrestrial creatures that hunt exclusively by sound.

Director Jason Reitman discusses his film with fellow director Karyn Kusama. The film stars Charlize Theron as a New York suburban mom whose life is slowly being drained away by the challenges of raising two kids and a newborn. When she is sent help in the form of a gifted night nanny named Tully, she is at first hesitant to accept the assistance but comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful...

Director Randal Kleiser discusses his film Grease along with several others including The Blue Lagoon, White Fang, and Big Top Pee-Wee with moderator Jeremy Kagan. After a special 4k restoration screening of Grease at the DGA theater, Kleiser and speaks in-depth about the film and his career as a director.

Director Susan Walter discusses her film with fellow director Maria Burton. The film tells the story of Senna, a clothing designer whose life seems to be spiraling out of control until she unexpectedly meets Adam, her perfect match, at her 46th birthday party. Expecting never to meet again, the two serendipitously reunite at her 47th birthday party and Senna's life begins to flourish.

Director Sean McNamara discusses his film with fellow director Helen Hunt. Based on a true story, the film follows a high school volleyball team and their coach, who overcome their grief after the sudden death of their star player and band together in hopes of winning the state championship.

Director Lynne Ramsay discusses her film with fellow director Maggie Greenwald. The film tells the story of a traumatized veteran who tracks down missing girls for a living. When he takes the case of finding the daughter of a rising politician who's running for the Senate, he uncovers a conspiracy that may lead to his awakening or his death.

David McCoy Barrett moderates the Under Cover: An Evening with the Directing Team from The Americans featuring Actor/Directors Noah Emmerich, Director/Executive Producer Christopher Long, UPM/Executive Producer Mary Rae Thewlis, UPM/Co-Producer Tyson Bidner, and 1st AD Charlie Foster The discussion covers a variety of topics including working with "the J's" (aka Showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel F...

Director James Keach discusses his film with fellow director Lynne Littman. The film tells the inspirational story of Augie Nieto, a fitness industry luminary, who is diagnosed with ALS in 2005. Today, he takes on ALS with his wife Lynne, leading the race to a cure in the fight to save his own life and the lives of millions.

Director Trudie Styler discusses her debut film with fellow director Ira Sachs. The film tells the story of Billy Bloom, a confident and flamboyant teen newly relocated to an ultra-conservative high school in the deep South. After suffering persecution and bullying, he decides to wear his inner freak with pride and run for homecoming queen.

Mike Robe moderates the Meet the Nominees: Movies for Television and Mini-Series Symposium featuring Kyra Segwick and Jean-Marc Vallee. Nominees Scott Frank, the director of Godless, Barry Levinson, the director of Wizard of Lies, and George C. Wolfe the director of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks were not available to participate. The discussion covers a variety of topics including Vallee's...

Jeremy Kagan moderates the 27th Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Feature Film Symposium featuring Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig, Martin McDonagh, Christopher Nolan, and Jordan Peele on their nominated films. Topics for part three include the nominees discussing how the nominees deal with unexpected and their best and worst days of directing.

Jeremy Kagan moderates the 27th Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Feature Film Symposium featuring Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig, Martin McDonagh, Christopher Nolan, and Jordan Peele on their nominated films. Topics for part two include the nominees discussing casting and the rehearsal process.

Jeremy Kagan moderates the 27th Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Feature Film Symposium featuring Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig, Martin McDonagh, Christopher Nolan, and Jordan Peele on their nominated films. Topics for part one include the nominees' thoughts on how writing and directing intersect and how each of them approached the opening scene of their films.

Director Scott Cooper discusses his new film, Hostiles, with fellow Director Peter Landesman. Set in 1892, the film stars Christian Bale as a U.S. Cavalry officer who reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief and his family on a harrowing journey through dangerous Comanche territory to their tribal lands in Montana.

Director Ridley Scott discusses his new film, All the Money in the World, with fellow Director Michael Mann. The film tells the true story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his mother Gail Harris to convince his billionaire grandfather J. Paul Getty to pay the ransom.

Director Rob Reiner discusses his new film, LBJ, with DGA President Thomas Schlamme. The films charts the life of Lyndon B. Johnson from his young days in West Texas to becoming Senator John F. Kennedy's running mate after losing the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination. Sidelined after the election, the once powerful Senate Majority Leader finds himself and the world changed after Kennedy is a...

Director Craig Gillespie discusses his new film, I, Tonya, with fellow Director Tom McCarthy. Based on unbelievable, but true events, the film follows figure skater Tonya Harding as she goes from being the first American woman to complete a triple axel in competition to criminal suspect and pariah.

Director Steven Spielberg discusses his new film, The Post, with fellow Director Patty Jenkins. The film tells the true story of Katherine Graham, the first female publisher of the Washington Post, and editor Ben Bradlee who risked their careers and their freedom when they decided to report on the classified Pentagon Papers, a collection of documents released by Daniel Ellsberg revealing governmen...

Director Rian Johnson discusses his new film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with fellow Director Spike Jonze. As the eight installment of the blockbuster franchise, the film continues the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as Rey develops her Force abilities with a reluctant Luke Skywalker while Finn, General Leia Organa and the resistance continue their battle against Kylo Ren and the First Orde...

Director James Franco discusses his new film, The Disaster Artist, with fellow Director Paul Haggis. The film dramatizes the making of writer/director Tommy Wiseau's The Room -- one of the most infamous films in Hollywood history that is often referred to as "the Citizen Kane of bad movies."

Director Guillermo del Toro discusses his new film, The Shape of Water, with fellow Director Baz Luhrmann. Set against the backdrop of Cold War-era America, the film tells the story of Elisa, a mute, isolated woman who works as a janitor in a high-security government laboratory. When she discovers the lab's classified secret -- an intelligent scaled being from South America that lives in a water t...

Director Paul Thomas Anderson discusses his new film, Phantom Thread, with fellow Director Rian Johnson. The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock, a tailor whose distinctive style makes him the center of British fashion in 1950s post-war London . His status as a confirmed bachelor is upended when he meets Alma, a young, strong-willed woman who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his...

Director Alexander Payne discusses his new film, Downsizing, with fellow Director Taylor Hackford. The film follows Paul and his wife Audrey, who make the life-altering decision to shrink themselves to five inches tall, using a newly-discovered process created as a solution to overpopulation. After Paul undergoes the procedure, he finds that there's more to existence when there's less of him.