Howard, Nolan and Van Sant Among DGA Nominees

Variety reports that the Directors Guild nominees for top feature film of 2008 were announced this morning.

Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight"), Gus Van Sant ("Milk"), David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon") are the group picked this year.

Taylor Hackford, DGA Third VP, made the announcement at the guild headquarters this morning.

"A film is a collaboration, but it is the director's energy and vision that brings the elements of script, performance and production into a satisfying totality. Today's nominees demonstrate how vision, combined with skill and talent, creates magic on the screen," said Hackford. "What makes this award truly meaningful to directors is the knowledge that only this award is decided solely by their peers - the men and women who live the passion, sweat and fear that goes into creating feature films."

The winner will be named at the 61st Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 31 2009, at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Photo of Ron Howard by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.