Director Edward Burns discusses his new film, Millers in Marriage, with fellow Director Doug Atchison in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he works as a Director while being one of the central Actors to the film, how he artfully utilizes locations and resources to work effectively on small budgets, and collaborating with his Actors to discover more authentic arcs from his characters.

The film follows the Miller siblings, a former musician, a writer and an artist, who all contend with challenging shifts in their marriages. As their lives change, their relationships are put to the test, bringing them closer to their partners or pushing them further apart.

Director James Mangold discusses his new film, A Complete Unknown, with fellow Director Guillermo del Toro in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he intended on making the songs integral scenes instead of separating the drama from the action, how he sought to bring out the impact of Dylan through the figures around him, and the musical and acting performances of his ensemble Cast.

The film follows a young Bob Dylan as he arrives in New York City, performing and forging relationships with his folk contemporaries of Greenwich Village. As he begins his meteoric rise, he strives to break free of his folk identity, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.

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https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/ACompleteUnknown_QnA_1224

Director William Goldenberg discusses his new film, Unstoppable, with fellow Director Ben Affleck in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses coming into directing a feature for the first time after working as an editor, seeking to make the wrestling scenes as authentic as he could, and having the real Anthony Robles advise and even wrestle in some scenes of the film.

The film tells the inspiring true story of competitive athlete Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg. With the unwavering support of his mother, the encouragement of his coaches, and his own indomitable spirit, Anthony fights through adversity and defies the odds to become an NCAA division 1 champion wrestler.

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https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Unstoppable_QnA_1224

Director Pablo Larraín discusses his new film, Maria, with fellow Director Mike Mills in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his process of finding the little details in his film worlds, the importance of architecture in the cinematography of his films, and how he worked with Actor Angelina Jolie to establish the presence of the titular character.

The film follows the famed soprano as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. With time to settle and reflect, she reckons with both her legacy and her identity.

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https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Maria_QnA_1224

Director Marielle Heller discusses her new film, Nightbitch, with fellow Director Ritesh Batra in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, she discusses her unique approach to casting the child Actors in search of a more authentic onscreen relationship with their parents, finding filming locations that say a lot about her characters without delving into their backgrounds within the film’s story, and how she sought to achieve a deliberate level of ambiguity through her deconstruction of the traditional motherhood myth.

Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, the film tells the story of a woman who has paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom for her new baby. As she becomes increasingly overburdened with the stress of her new responsibilities, her maternal instincts begin to manifest in canine form.

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https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Nightbitch_QnA_1124

Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods discusses their new film, Heretic, with fellow Director Michael Mohan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss working with Actor Hugh Grant to establish the look, presence and psychology of the antagonist, making every shot intentional in order to mimic the theme of control in the film, and using sound and atmosphere to craft a horror movie that prioritizes dread over jump scares.

The film follows two young women ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive.

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https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/Heretic_QnA_1124

Director Christine Swanson discusses her new film, Albany Road, with fellow Director Shaz Bennett in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses favoring snowy locations for a setting not typical for the story she wanted to tell, progressively adding color to the film’s palette to indicate the growth of the two leads, and how she aimed to tell a story featuring unsung character types she’s known in her life.

The film tells the story of Celeste Simmons, a New York executive on her way to the most important meeting of her career. Forced to share a rental car with her ex-fiancé’s mother, she discovers that the mother is hiding a major secret about her ex.

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https://dga.org/Events/2025/January2025/AlbanyRoad_QnA_1124

Director Jack Huston discusses his new film, Day of the Fight, with fellow Director Gus Van Sant in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he aimed to turn a typical fight story on its head, how he worked with his Cinematographer to capture the black and white look of the film, and finding an Actor that could convey the range of pathos between fighting and interpersonal melodrama that the role demanded.

The film shows a day in the life of Mikey “Irish Mike” Flanigan, a champion boxer getting ready for his first fight since leaving prison. As he prepares for the most important fight of his life, he reconnects with the people he was closest to and tries to make things right.

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https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/DayOfTheFight_QnA_1124

Director Luca Guadagnino discusses his new film, Queer, with fellow Director Daniel Scheinert in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he and Actor Daniel Craig worked together to discover the lead character, the importance of choreography in this and all of his projects, and how he worked with Composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to create a soundtrack with layers of meaning.

Based on the novella by William S. Burroughs, the film follows William Lee, who recounts his life in 1950s Mexico City among American expatriate college students and bar owners. After he becomes infatuated with a younger man, they both set out to find a hallucinogenic drug in the amazon that will bring them closer together.

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https://dga.org/en/Events/2024/Dec2024/Queer_QnA_1124

Director Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger discusses his new film, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, with fellow Director Laurie Collyer in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses taking influence from 80s and 90s backwoods films such as Homeward Bound and Stand By Me, emphasizing a use of practical effects and real locations for a tactile experience, and the process of casting the young lead with wilderness experience.

The film tells the inspiring true story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who becomes trapped on a treacherous mountain when a fast-moving storm separates him from his family. With no food or proper clothing, he begins a desperate fight for survival in the unforgiving wilderness of northern Maine.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/LostOnAMountainInMaine_QnA_1124