Eastwood named best director

Clint Eastwood has won the prestigious Directors Guild of America (DGA) award for his female boxing drama Million Dollar Baby.

14:53 30 January 2005

Clint Eastwood has won the prestigious Directors Guild of America (DGA) award for his female boxing drama Million Dollar Baby.

The celebrated actor and film-maker beat off stiff competition from Martin Scorsese, who was nominated for his biographical film The Aviator, which charts the life of billionaire Howard Hughes.

The renowned DGA award is seen as an important indicator for Oscar success. Fifty of the last 56 winners have gone on to receive an Academy Award.

"This is a surprise. ... I got to say this is a real pleasure. I am as pleased as punch," said Eastwood on receiving his award from fellow director Steven Spielberg.

Earlier in the evening, Scorsese had received a standing ovation from the black tie audience, leading some to believe he was the favourite to scoop the award, which he has been nominated for six times during his film career.

Scorsese was also given a lifetime achievement award from the Guild in 2003.

Eastwood, 74, previously won a DGA award for his 1992 western Unforgiven, which also won an Oscar.

Marc Forster's Finding Neverland, which covers the life of Peter Pan creator J M Barrie, was also nominated for the award this year, as was Taylor Hackford's film Ray and Alexander Payne's movie Sideways.

Last week, the Producers Guild awarded The Aviator best picture, making it likely that Scorsese's and Eastwood's pictures will be battling it out in the top categories at the Oscars, which will be announced on February 27th.