Christopher Nolan Elected President of Directors Guild of America

Christopher Nolan, the acclaimed filmmaker behind blockbusters such as Oppenheimer, Inception, and The Dark Knight Trilogy, has been elected president of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). Nolan takes over from Lesli Linka Glatter, who served two terms after being first elected in 2021.

The announcement came as 167 delegates representing more than 19,500 guild members gathered for the DGA’s biennial national convention. Nolan, who has been an active member of the guild and currently serves on its national board of directors, now assumes a key leadership role at a pivotal time for the industry.

Nolan’s Statement on His Election

“To be elected President of the Directors Guild of America is one of the greatest honors of my career,” Nolan said. “Our industry is experiencing tremendous change, and I thank the Guild’s membership for entrusting me with this responsibility. I also want to thank President Glatter for her leadership over the past four years. I look forward to collaborating with her and the newly elected Board to achieve important creative and economic protections for our members.”

Key Priorities for the DGA

Over the past four years, the DGA has prioritized:

• Set safety: Supporting a pilot program mandating safety supervisors on productions under the California film and TV tax incentive.
• Tax credit expansion: Lobbying to broaden California’s film tax credit to include more types of productions.
• Streaming residuals: Pushing for stronger foreign streaming residuals in contract negotiations.

Traditionally, the DGA begins talks with the Alliance for Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) early in the bargaining cycle. In the last round of negotiations in 2023, the DGA was the only one of the major Hollywood unions to secure a deal without a work stoppage. The current DGA contract runs through June 30, 2026.

Nolan’s election is a rare case of an A-list filmmaker leading the DGA at the height of their career. Fresh off two Oscars for Oppenheimer (2023), Nolan continues to be one of the industry’s most bankable and versatile directors, with a résumé spanning psychological thrillers (Memento), superhero epics (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), and large-scale dramas (Dunkirk, Oppenheimer).

His next major project, The Odyssey, an epic adventure film produced by Universal Pictures, is set for release in July.

Newly Elected DGA Leadership

Alongside Nolan’s election, several other leadership positions were filled:

• Laura Belsey – Re-elected National Vice President
• Paris Barclay – Re-elected Secretary-Treasurer
• Todd Holland – First Vice-President
• Ron Howard – Second Vice-President
• Gina Prince-Bythewood – Third Vice-President
• Seith Mann – Fourth Vice-President
• Millicent Shelton – Fifth Vice-President
• Lily Olszewski – Sixth Vice-President
• Joyce Thomas – Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

Nolan’s leadership is expected to shape the guild’s direction as Hollywood navigates the evolving landscape of streaming, theatrical releases, and labor negotiations.