The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Director Cristian Mungiu discusses his new film, Fjord, with fellow Director Ira Sachs in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses drawing inspiration for the plot from real-world events, casting Actors Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan, and deliberately not seeking to take a side in the narrative. Screened as part of the DGA’s Global Cinema Series, the film tells the story of the Gheorghiu family, who have recently relocated to Norway from Romania. Still adjusting to their new home, their life soon unravels when their young daughter shows up to school one day covered in bruises. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/events/2026/nov2026/gcs_fjord_1026

Director Lance Oppenheim discusses his new film, Primetime, with fellow Director Molly Gordon in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses how he slowly enticed Actor Robert Pattinson to get involved and play the lead role, how he studied past episodes of To Catch a Predator to capture the surreal horror in the show’s set for his own production design, and how he gained insight into Hansen’s person through numerous tv appearances and his Cameo recordings. Inspired by true events, the film dramatizes the production of “Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator” and follows its host, journalist Chris Hansen, as his quest for continued ratings success and making television history straddles the line between righteous and ethical. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/events/2026/nov2026/primetime_qna_1026

Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu discusses his new film, Digger, with fellow Director Denis Villeneuve in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses using theater as a meta layer to reflect the truth of reality in another light, utilizing miniatures and old theater tricks in his production design, and working with Actor Tom Cruise to capture the bravado he was aiming for in the title character. The film tells the story of Digger Rockwell, a rich oil tycoon and the most powerful man in the world. After his company’s drilling in Greenland dislodges a giant ice shelf, he embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the catastrophic tsunami he caused hits Europe. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/events/2026/nov2026/digger_qna_0926

Director Don Scardino discusses his new film, A Break in the Rain, with fellow Director Laura Belsey in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses working with Actor Elizabeth Davis when writing the songs of the film, casting Actor Michael O’Keefe in the leading role, and recording the score of the movie himself with a guitar. The film tells the story of Jake, a widower who returns home when his son passes from cancer. Intending to help support his daughter-in-law, he takes a job driving for a limo service and meets a country singer who ultimately changes his life during a musical road trip. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/events/2026/nov2026/abreakintherain_qna_0926

Director Chris Rock discusses his new film, Misty Green, with fellow Director Spike Lee in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses how lead Actor Rosalind Eleazar was selected for the part, finding which scenes worked and what didn’t through his rehearsal process, and approaching the edit of the film like he would a standup special. The film tells the story of Misty, a talented actress years after her Hollywood breakthrough. Finding her career stalled, she fights for a second chance at returning to the spotlight. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/events/2026/nov2026/mistygreen_qna_0926

Director Alex Stapleton discusses her new film, The Brittney Griner Story, with fellow Director Laura Belsey in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, she discusses her process of shooting master interviews first to find a foundation for her story, interviewing former President Joe Biden, and how she obtained footage of Russian prisons. Screened as part of the DGA’s Documentary Series, the film follows WNBA star Brittney Griner, who, while playing abroad in Russia, was seized and placed into detention. Fighting for freedom, she is finally released and makes it her mission to help other wrongfully detained Americans seek justice. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/events/2026/nov2026/docseries_brittneygrinerstory-0926

Director Michael Russell Gunn discusses his new film, The Brink of War, with fellow Director Rawson Marshall Thurber in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses using transcripts from the real event as reference for the film, utilizing the authentic locations and furniture that were used by the figures depicted in the film, and casting Actor Jeff Daniels as the lead from their past working on The Newsroom together. The film follows U.S. President Ronald Reagan as he races against time to salvage a deal with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that could dismantle nuclear arsenals. With pressure mounting on all sides, every word spoken brings the world closer to peace or to the brink of destruction. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/Events/2026/Oct2026/BrinkOfWar_QnA_0926

Alice Gu, a filmmaker who explores nonfiction storytelling, joins Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, the documentary directors behind Boys State and Girls State. They discuss shaping 500 hours of VHS into Teenage Wasteland, tracing a 1990s student investigation, rebuilding a classroom as a memory portal, blending archival footage with cinematic images, and finding the balance between humor, nostalgia, mystery, and civic courage.

Director Dave Green discuss his new film, Coyote vs. Acme, with fellow Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the story behind the film’s distribution, his on-set tactics for shooting a mixed live action/animation film, and working with animators from a variety of backgrounds to capture the energy of the Looney Tunes series. The film tells the story of Wile E. Coyote, who, after decades of enduring catastrophic product failures at the hands of ACME Inc., decides to finally fight back. Teaming up with a billboard accident lawyer, he takes on the company and their slick corporate counsel, exposing a cover-up that’s been blowing him up in the name of profit. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/events/2026/oct2026/coyotevacme_qna_0826

Adam Shankman, film director and choreographer behind Hairspray and What Men Want, joins Nzingha Stewart for a lively Q&A. They trace comedic influences like Airplane!, reveal clever on-set workarounds for physical comedy, and explain rule-setting for characters, tight 19-day scheduling, and joyful filmmaking choices amid political pressures.