Directors Guild Honors Ben Affleck, 'Argo'

HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 3 (UPI) — Ben Affleck won the best director award for his film “Argo” at the Directors Guild of America Awards ceremony in Hollywood.

“I don’t think this makes me a real director, but I think it means I’m on my way,” Affleck said of his second directing project Saturday evening.

Only six times has a DGA best director winner not also won the Academy Award for the same category, The Hollywood Reporter said. This year, that number increases to seven because Affleck was not nominated for a best director Oscar.

The film has so far won two Golden Globes, two Critics Choice Awards, the Producers Guild of America award and the Screen Actors Guild ensemble award. It has been nominated for seven Academy Awards.

Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty;” Tom Hooper, “Les Miserables;” Ang Lee, “Life of Pie;” and Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln,” were also nominated for the DGA best director award.

The award for best documentary work went to Malik Bendjelloul for “Searching for Sugar Man,” and Lena Dunham took home an award for her pilot for “Girls.”