Christopher Nolan elected to lead Directors Guild of America

Christopher Nolan has been elected to lead the Directors Guild of America, the union representing about 19,500 film and television directors in the United States and abroad. In a statement, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Oppenheimer called the honor “one of the greatest honors of my career.”

The DGA said Nolan will take the helm as the guild negotiates its next basic agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The group also highlighted Nolan’s long involvement with the DGA and his track record of championing the theatrical experience and traditional film stock. Nolan’s latest project, the starry adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, is set to open in theaters on July 17.

Industry context surrounding the leadership change includes the ongoing industry-wide shifts in distribution, exhibition and technology. The box office success of Oppenheimer, which was shot entirely on large-format film using 70mm and IMAX cameras, has framed renewed discussions about the relevance and audience appeal of film stock. The film has grossed over $976 million worldwide and has helped galvanize support for traditional formats in a digital era. Earlier this decade, Kodak faced bankruptcy as the industry pivoted toward digital capture; filmmakers including Nolan and Martin Scorsese were cited as advocates for preserving film stock. Earlier this year, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was noted as another significant moment reinforcing that traditional formats still have strong audience pull.

Nolan will succeed outgoing president Lesli Linka Glatter, who led the guild for four years through the Hollywood strikes of 2023. Nolan said he looked forward to collaborating with Glatter and the board “to achieve important creative and economic protections for our members.”

The DGA’s current three-year basic agreement with AMPTP, which bargains on behalf of studios and streamers about rates and benefits, expires next year. The AMPTP congratulated Nolan in a statement and wrote that they “look forward to partnering with President Nolan to address the issues most important to DGA members while ensuring our member companies remain competitive in a rapidly changing industry.”

Popular figures elected to serve alongside Nolan include Ron Howard, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Laura Belsey and former president Paris Barclay. Board members include Steven Spielberg and Phil Lord. Since its founding in 1936, when it was known as the Screen Directors Guild, the DGA has counted presidents such as Frank Capra, George Stevens, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Robert Wise, Michael Apted and Martha Coolidge among its leaders. Nolan has been a DGA member since 2001 and has served on the National Board and Western Directors Council since 2015, in addition to chairing the guild’s theatrical creative rights and artificial intelligence committees. He has won the guild’s top prize, the DGA Award, in 2024 for Oppenheimer, and was previously nominated for Dunkirk, Inception, The Dark Knight and Memento.

The leadership change underscores the ongoing convergence of film craftsmanship, guild protections and the evolving economics of a changing entertainment landscape, as Nolan’s presidency ushers in a new chapter for the Directors Guild of America in Culture & Entertainment coverage.