LOS ANGELES, CA, Jan. 6, 2004: Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2003.

Mr. Apted followed up the announcement by stating, "I offer my hearty congratulations to all the nominees for their outstanding achievements. A director has the responsibilities of shaping a story, creating a visual language, and bringing all elements of the filmmaking process together.

These five individuals and their films clearly demonstrate how a director's skill, when combined with vision, can create excellence in filmmaking. I look forward to raising a glass in their honor on February 7th."

The winner will be named at the 56th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, February 7, 2004, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

THE NOMINEES ARE:

SOFIA COPPOLA ("Lost in Translation") - Ms. Coppola's Directorial Team includes First Assistant Director Takahide Kawakami, Chief Assistant Director Hiroya Igawa, Second Assistant Director Taiichi Sugiyama, and Second Second Assistant Directors Motonobu Kato and Shu Fujimoto. This is Ms. Coppola's first DGA nomination.

CLINT EASTWOOD ("Mystic River") - Mr. Eastwood's Directorial Team includes Unit Production Manager Timothy Alan Moore, First Assistant Director Robert Lorenz, Second Assistant Director Melissa Cummins Lorenz, and Second Second Assistant Director Katie Carroll. This is Mr. Eastwood's second nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for "Unforgiven" (1992).

PETER JACKSON - (WINNER - Updated 2/9/04) ("The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King") - Mr. Jackson's Directorial Team includes Unit Production Managers Nikolas Korda and Zane Weiner, First Assistant Director Carolynne Cunningham, and Key Second Assistant Directors Guy Campbell and Marc Ashton. This is Mr. Jackson's third nomination. Mr. Jackson has received two previous nominations for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002).

GARY ROSS ("Seabiscuit") - Mr. Ross's Directorial Team includes Unit Production Manager Patricia Churchill, First Assistant Director Adam Somner, Second Assistant Director Basil Grillo, and Second Second Assistant Directors Jeff Bilger, Kristina Peterson, and Robert Skidmore. This is Mr. Ross's first nomination.

PETER WEIR ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World") - Mr. Weir's Directorial Team includes Unit Production Manager Todd Arnow, First Assistant Director Alan B. Curtiss, Second Assistant Director David Bernstein, and Second Second Assistant Directors Steven F. Beaupre, Tyler T. Romary, and Susan Ransom. This is Mr. Weir's fourth nomination. He has received previous nominations for "Witness" (1985), "Dead Poets Society" (1989) and "The Truman Show" (1998).

The DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally been one of the industry's most accurate barometers for who will win the Best Director Academy Award. Only six times since 1949 has the winner of the DGA Award not gone on to win the Best Director Oscar.