In the days leading up to the 85th Academy Awards, FilmBuffOnline will be offering profiles on all the nominees in the major categories. Some may be well know, others might be new to you, but if you need a refresher on these talented nominees, here it is.
Michael Haneke
Nominated for: Directing the tale of a elderly couple dealing with a debilitating disease in Amour.
Other honors for directing this film:
Nominated, Best Director, 2013 BAFTA Awards.
Won, Best Direction, Bavarian Film Awards.
Won, Best Director, European Film Awards.
Nominated, Director of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.
Won, Best Actress, National Board of Review
Won, Best Director, National Society of Film Critics Awards.
Where you might know him from:
Haneke is a prominent director in Europe and many of his films have made a splash over in America, including Caché (Hidden), Funny Games, and The White Ribbon.
History with Oscar:
This is Michel Hazanavicius’ first Oscar nomination, although he is also nominated this year for Best Writing, Original Screenplay.
Benh Zeitlin
Nominated for: Directing the fairy-tale like story of a poor family living in a remote bayou community in Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Other honors for directing this film:
Nominated, Best Director, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Independent Spirit Awards,
Won, Best Director, Seattle International Film Festival.
Where you might know him from:
Outside of shorts, Zeitlin has not directed any feature films.
History with Oscar:
As this is Benh Zeitlin’s first film, it is also his first Oscar nomination. But he is also nominated this year for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published for the same film.
Ang Lee
Nominated for: Directing the story of a young man stranded at sea with a tiger in Life of Pi.
Other honors for directing this film:
Nominated, Best Director, Australian Film Institute
Nominated, Best Director, 2013 BAFTA Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.
Nominated, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, Director’s Guild of America.
Nominated, Best Director-Motion Picture, The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Won, Best Director, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards.
Won, Best Director, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards.
Nominated, Director of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.
Where you might know him from:
Lee is a director with and eclectic resume, doing films ranging from Hulk to Sense and Sensibility, from The Wedding Banquet to The Ice Storm,
History with Oscar:
Ang Lee has been nominated for an Oscar three times in the past, winning once, and is nominated for another award this year–with Gil Netter and David Womark for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Life of Pi.
2001: Best Director, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Lost to Steven Soderbergh, Traffic).
2001: Best Picture, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (With William Kong and Li-kong Hsu; Lost to Gladiator).
2006: Best Achievement in Directing, Brokeback Mountain (Won).
Steven Spielberg
Nominated for: Directing a look at a certain era of our 16th President’s life in Lincoln.
Other honors for directing this film:
Nominated, Best Director, Australian Film Institute
Nominated, Best Director, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, 2013 Critics’ Choice Awards.
2nd Place, Best Director, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.
Nominated, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, Director’s Guild of America.
Nominated, Best Director-Motion Picture, The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association.
Where you might know him from:
Steven Spielberg has had a long and productive career behind the cameras. Notable films include Jaws, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Catch Me If You Can.
History with Oscar:
Steven Spielberg has been nominated for an Oscar an impressive thirteen times in the past, winning three times, and is nominated for another award this year–with Kathleen Kennedy for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Lincoln.
1978: Best Director, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Lost to Woody Allen, Annie Hall).
1982: Best Director, Raiders of the Lost Ark (Lost to Warren Beatty, Reds).
1983: Best Director, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Lost to Richard Attenborough, Gandhi).
1983: Best Picture, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (with Kathleen Kennedy. Lost to Gandhi).
1986: Best Picture The Color Purple (with Quincy Jones, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. Lost to Out of Africa).
1994: Best Director, Schindler’s List (Won).
1994: Best Picture, Schindler’s List (with Gerald R. Molen & Branko Lustig, Won).
1999: Best Director, Saving Private Ryan (Won).
1999: Best Picture, Saving Private Ryan (with Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, and Gary Levinsohn. Lost to Shakespeare in Love).
2006: Best Achievement in Directing, Munich (Lost to Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain).
2006: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Munich (with Kathleen Kennedy and Barry Mandel. Lost to Crash).
2007: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Letters from Iwo Jima (with Clint Eastwood and Robert Lorenz. Lost to The Departed).
2012: Best Motion Picture of the Year, War Horse (with Kathleen Kennedy. Lost to The Artist).
David O. Russell
Nominated for: Directing the story of two damages people who come together over ballroom dancing and the Philadelphia Eagles in The Silver Linings Playbook.
Other honors for directing this film:
Nominated, Best Direction, Australian Film Institute
Nominated, Best Director, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.
Won, Director of the Year, Hollywood Film Festival.
Nominated, Best Director, Independent Spirit Awards.
Nominated, Best Director, San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.
Won, Best Director, Satellite Awards.
Where you might know him from:
Russell has directed films such as Spanking the Monkey, Three Kings, and I Heart Huckabees.
History with Oscar:
David O. Russell has been nominated for one Oscar but is also nominated this year for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.
2011: Best Achievement in Directing, The Fighter (Lost to Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech).
