The film went on to earn 11 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
Billy Elliot's other nominations include best new musical and best director for Stephen Daldry.
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But shot by shot, scene by scene, Mann may be the best director in Hollywood.
And I think it also wins the Best Director race for David O.
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The director, 58, won his first best director Oscar in 2006, for cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain.
But Argo director Ben Affleck was a surprise omission from the Academy Awards' best director shortlist.
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In the biggest surprise of the night, Tom Hopper won Best Director the the film.
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"Slumdog Millionaire" is nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Boyle.
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It took 82 years for a woman to win an Oscar for best director.
This means the odds heavily favor the five movies that received Best Director nominations.
Japanese director Takeshi Kitano won best director for Zatoichi, about a blind swordsman in 19th Century Japan.
The Academy gives the Best Picture statue to the winner of Best Director three-fourths of the time.
"Cabaret" won eight Academy Awards, including best director (Fosse), best actress (Minnelli) and best supporting actor (Grey).
The film is nominated for 8 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Writing.
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The guild award is often a good indicator of the best director category at the Academy Awards.
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Beasts of the Southern Wild is nominated for several awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.
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Best Director nods went to: Michael Haneke for Amour, Ang Lee for The Life of Pi, David O.
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Lincoln is likely to win Best Director, Best Actor and possibly Best Supporting Actor for Tommy Lee Jones.
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The biggest debate going into the 85th Academy Awards ceremony is how Affleck was snubbed for Best Director.
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The veteran film-maker, 68, won the best director prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 for Chihwaseon.
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Only six times in the DGA's history has the winner failed to take the Oscar for best director.
Paul Thomas Anderson picked up the best director award for The Master, his film about a Scientology-like group.
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Historical epics were still favoured by the Academy, Mel Gibson's Braveheart won best film and best director in 1996.
The movie won awards for best picture, best director, and best actor (Turturro) at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Scorsese, if shortlisted, will face strong competition in the Oscars best director category.
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Without question, this was a competitive year in the Best Director category, but Affleck absolutely should have been nominated.
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Best director is contentious as best picture losers generally get a nod here.
Political thriller Argo has received seven nominations with Ben Affleck in the running for best director and best actor.
Iranian director Babak Payami won best director for the Iranian-Italian production Secret Ballots.
Looking to best director, many are forecasting Martin Scorsese's first ever Oscar win.
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