News

Directing Actors 25^th Anniversary Edition—the first complete updating and revision to Judith’s bestselling book—is here!

Awards season! Early festival season too. A number of directors who have studied with me have been receiving honors and nominations—so I gotta brag on them! Here are ones I know about. Have I missed any???? It’s entirely possible! Congratulations (and big hugs) to these incredible artists I am so proud to have worked with!

⭐️ Alma Har’el, writer-director of HONEY BOY:

    Honey Boy got four Independent Spirit Award nominations: Alma was nominated for Best Director. Two of her actors (Shia Labeouf and Noah Jupe) were nominated in Best Supporting Male Actor category and her cinematographer (Natasha Braier) was also nominated.

    Honey Boy actor Noah Jupe was nominated for a Critics Choice Award in the category Best Young Actor.

⭐️ Taika Waititi, witer-director of JOJO RABBIT:

    Jojo Rabbit received seven Critics Choice nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Comedy, Best Supporting Actress (Scarlet Johansson), Best Young Actor (Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, and Archie Yates)

    It was honored at 2019 AFI Awards, which focus on American movies that are deemed culturally significant.

    Golden Globes nominations for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy (Roman Griffin Davis). 

    SAG nominations for Cast in a Motion Picture and Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Scarlet Johansson).

⭐️ Ava DuVernay, writer-director of WHEN THEY SEE US (HBO):

    When They See Us received six Critics Choice nominations, including Best Limited Series, Best Actor in a Movie Made for TV or Limited Series (Jharrel Jerome), Best Supporting Actor in a Movie Made for TV or Limited Series (Asante Blackk and John Leguizamo), Best Supporting Actress in a Movie Made for TV or Limited Series (Niecy Nash and Marsha Stephanie Black). 

    When They See Us was honored at 2019 AFI Awards, which focus on American films and television that are deemed culturally significant.

    At the Gotham awards, When They See Us won in the breakthrough series longform category, and Ava was presented with a Gotham Tribute Award.

    Jharrel Jerome was nominated for a SAG award in the category Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series.

⭐️ Scott Z. Burns, writer-director of THE [TORTURE] REPORT. His lead actress, Annette Bening, was nominated by the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

⭐️ Noah Harpster, as co-writer of A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, nominated by Critics Choice Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay.

⭐️ Shana Feste, writer-director of RUN SWEETHEART RUN, which will premiere at Sundance 2020 in the Midnight Madness.

⭐️ Patricia Cardoso, director of REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, which was selected this year for the National Film Registry. https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-19-116/women-rule-2019-national-film-registry/2019-12-11/

⭐️ Adam Egypt Mortimer, writer-director of DANIEL ISN’T REAL. Daniel Isn’t Real has been playing in theaters across the country, and appearing on numerous lists of Best Horror Films of 2019. Adam’s now in production for ARCHENEMY.

This very weekend there are three films in theatrical release written and directed by students of mine!
These writer-directors who consulted with me as they prepared to direct these films:
⭐️Alma Har'el - Honey Boy
⭐️Scott Z. Burns - The Report
Plus former students:
⭐️Taika Waititi - Jojo Rabbit
And...
⭐️Caitriona Balfe, who plays the female lead in Ford v Ferrari
I’ve seen these movies - they are WONDERFUL and I am so proud. Congratulations and love! ❤️
Let’s go to the movies – in a movie theater! --

Congratulations to the students of mine whose films were chosen by their country and accepted for submission as Best International Feature Film for the upcoming Academy Awards! I am so proud to have taught and consulted with so many talented international filmmakers. Love and hugs to you all!
⭐️Denmark: May el-Toukhy, "Queen of Hearts"
⭐️Estonia: Tanel Toom, “Truth and Justice”
⭐️Kosovo: Antoneta Kastrati, “Zana”
⭐️Lebanon: Oualid Mouaness, “1982”
⭐️Netherlands: Halina Reijn, “Instinct”

Today’s the day! The debut of Directing Actors Audiobook! Available at these outlets!

(And don't forget libraries!):

Audible
Kobo
Walmart
hoopla
Midwest Tape
Spotify
Google Play
Apple
Recorded Books
Follett
Bibliotheca
EBSCO
Mackin
Playster
OverDrive
Scribd
Nook
Gardners
Audiobooks.com
Book Beat
Audiobooksnow.com
Downpour.com
Baker & Taylor
Ingram
Micromarketing
Simply Audio
Playaway

I wish I was in Toronto! I could not make plans to go to TIFF this year because I was submerged in preparing the audiobook. But - my students are representing at the Toronto International Film Festival!!!!!!
First - these directors who consulted with me as they prepared to direct these films:
⭐️Alma Har'el - Honey Boy
⭐️Scott Z. Burns - The Report
⭐️Alice Winocour - Proxima
⭐️Antoneta Kastrati - Zana
⭐️Jessica Woodworth - Barefoot Emperor
Plus - former students with new films showing at TIFF:
⭐️Taika Waititi - Jojo Rabbit
⭐️Semi Chellas - American Woman
⭐️Halina Reijn - Instinct
⭐️Gabe Polsky - Red Penguins
⭐️Barbara Kopple - Desert One
I am so thrilled and so proud! Congratulations and love!
And to everyone who's attending TIFF - see these movies - and lots more - and have a wonderful time! ❤️

Just finished first day of recording audiobook edition of Directing Actors! Thumbs up!

So excited to announce that "Directing Actors" is once again available in a Spanish language edition! Here are links for purchasing “Dirigir Actores” (the Spanish language edition of Directing Actors, published by C.U.E.C.):

• Librerías El Sótano
• Librería Gandhi
• Pendulo.com

A boatload of clients of mine are in the Sundance 2018 line-up! I loved working on these projects and I'm so thrilled and proud for these film artists who are screening their films in U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION:

⭐️ NANCY, writer-director Christina Choe 

⭐️ THE TALE, writer-director Jennifer Fox 

⭐️ SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, witer-director Boots Riley 

 Also - in PREMIERES:

⭐️ "OPHELIA," writer Semi Chellas, director Claire McCarthy

And - 

⭐️ "THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, with actor Forrest Goodluck

Love and congratulations to Christina, Jennifer, Boots, Forrest, Semi, and Claire! And to all the storytellers who are going to the Dance.

Among the new crop of invitees to the Academy are directors who have studied with me:

⭐️Deniz Gamze Ergüven

⭐️Shana Feste

⭐️Patricia Riggen

⭐️Taika Waititi

Plus a writer:

⭐️Alice Winocour

and a documentary filmmaker:

⭐️Jessica Sanders

Wow! I am so proud!!! Congratulations and love to Deniz, Shana, Patricia, Taika, Alice, and Jessica!

Congratulations to everyone in this new exciting group of artists!

Congratulations to the Academy for taking this important move forward.

Among the new crop of invitees to the Academy are four directors who have studied with me (Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Shana Feste, Patricia Riggen, and Taika Waititi)! Plus a writer (Alice Winocour) and a documentary filmmaker (Jessica Sanders)! Wow! I am so proud!!! Congratulations and love to Deniz, Shana, Patricia, Taika, Alice, and Jessica! Congratulations to everyone in this new exciting group of artists! Congratulations to the Academy for taking this important move forward.

Sundance Film Festival starts tonight! Among the Sundance Premieres: "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," written and directed by my student Taika Waititi ("Flight of the Conchords," "Boy," "What We Do in the Shadows"). In USA Documentary Competition: "The Bad Kids," co-directed by my student Lou Pepe. In the Midnight section: my student Bobby Naderi in a lead role in "Under the Shadow." And my student Jessie Kahnweiler, in the new webseries section with "The Skinny," which she wrote, directed, and stars in. Love and congratulations, Bobby, Taika, Lou, and Jessie! Hey everyone - see these movies and lots of others and have a wonderful time in Park City!

Okay. I got up at 5:30 for the announcement but I'm still struggling to take this in. This morning. "The Revenant," directed by my student Alejandro Iñárritu, nominated for 12 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. "Mustang," directed by my student Deniz Gamze Ergüven, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. This is the third year in a row that films directed by students of mine have received Oscar Best Picture nominations. Last year, "Birdman" (which won), directed by Alejandro, and "Selma," directed by my student Ava DuVernay. The year before, "12 Years A Slave" (which won), directed by my student Steve McQueen. These are all beautiful, kind people that I know and cherish and always believed in. I've been lucky that their lives have touched mine. But it's more than pride in the achievement of this handful. I'm proud of all my students. And I'm super proud that my students have practically single-handedly represented the pathetically meager amount of inclusion and diversity in the Oscar nominations of this and the past two years.

Love to my wonderful Alejandro, winning last night at the Golden Globes for Best Director, Best Motion Picture Drama, and his actor Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor Drama. For their deeply moving and beautiful film The Revenant. I'm so proud.

Two of my students/clients nominated for PGA Awards: Alejandro Iñárritu for "The Revenant" (Theatrical Motion Picture); and Andrew Jarecki for "The Jinx" (Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television). Yay!!! Congratulations and love to Alejandro and Andrew!

John and I are headed to the Toronto International Film Festival this week! And - the following fifteen (15!) students/clients of mine are screening films there! I’m terribly excited. Congratulations to everyone! The first four are films that I consulted on:

Deniz Gamze Erguven (Mustang)
Alice Winocour (Disorder)
Maris Curran (Five Nights in Maine)
Mathew Cullen (London Fields)
Leanna Pooley (25 April)
Mai Masri (3000 Nights)
Lorenzo Vigas (Desde Alla)
Cristina Martins (Dogs Don’t Breed Cats)
Alexandra-Therese Keining (Girls Lost)
Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones)
Morgan Neville (The Music of Strangers; Keith Richards)
Simon Fitzmaurice (My Name Is Emily)
Christian Zubert (One Breath)
Joost Van Ginkel (The Paradise Suite)
David Ross (Theodolitique)

Andrew Jarecki, director of The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst, nominated for Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series, plus 5 other categories, including Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming.

Semi Chellas, nominated for Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series, as co-writer of Lost Horizons episode of Mad Men. She is co-executive producer of Mad Men, which received a total of 11 nominations.

Will Forte, nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (The Last Man on Earth).

Keven McAlester, nominated for Outstanding Writing For Nonfiction Programming (Last Days in Vietnam).

And Transparent nominated for Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series; my former student Noah Harpster is on the writing staff.

So proud of you all! Bravo to all nominees. (And to all the wonderful work currently on television that did not happen to get recognized in the nominations...)

Many of you have taken classes with me at the beautiful space I have run in Los Angeles for the past 14 years. We closed this space this weekend. Instead of running a studio I'll be coaching and consulting one-on-one, and sometimes leading seminars at other venues. I'm so grateful to the people who made this beautiful studio possible. THANK YOU first to those who helped us do the big job of clearing it out. THANK YOU to those who were there at the beginning and along the way to build out the space and make it work - designing and building risers, getting on ladders to staple in acoustic material, the incredibly generous donations of professional lighting equipment and its installation, building sets and flats and painting them over and over (until I settled on that red that stayed forever...), finding us ingenious props and the bar that became our centerpiece, and so many more creative and loving details that made the space vibrant and useful and gave it its heartbeat. And finally - principally - essentially - THANK YOU to the people who came, who took classes and workshops, and attended shows and screenings and parties and Q&As (and the wonderful people who gave the Q&As!!!!) - you who came, you were the studio, you made it a good place to be. I'm still here if you need me, I'll keep coaching and writing and posting (stay tuned!) but you were the ones who gave it life, who made it a studio.

Last night, we screened an awesome slate of 16 very short films by our Studio actors and directors. Followed by a seriously rocking party. A last party at the Motor Ave space. I love this photo taken from the balcony 'cause it looks like a heart. But it may have been taken kinda late 'cause it doesn't really reflect how massive the crowd was most of the evening... Thank you guys for coming out!!! It meant the world to me.

March Forth - I mean March Fourth - is the anniversary of my first day of teaching, 30 years ago today. So it seems like a fitting day to announce that effective May 1st I am letting go the lease on my splendid studio at 3402 Motor, where I've been teaching for 14 years. The studios I leased before 3402 Motor were also wonderful - across the street at 3447 Motor from 1993-2001, Lincoln Blvd 1990-93, the Burbage Theater from 1985-90. But 3402 Motor felt like home. I am not stopping teaching, I am healthy and flourishing, I am just stopping running a studio, shifting to one-on-one coaching and consulting. Letting go of my identity as the shepherd of a studio is a big deal, as that identity has driven me and energized and fed me for 30 years. Workshops that I created and loved and became known for are ending. Now and then I may guest teach or give workshops at some other venue. But my focus will be one-on-one coaching and consulting with directors, actors and writer-directors. And writing that third book. Continuing "Monday tips for filmmakers" on my facebook page. More videos. An audio version of "Directing Actors." Maybe a couple other projects I have in mind. I'm excited. And John is happy. I've always been touched by the way my students notice and appreciate how central and fundamental John is to running the studio. He's my rock. So. We're making a change. But I'm not going away. Stay tuned!

At the Oscars last night, "Birdman" was named Best Picture! Alejandro Best Director! "Selma" took the award for Best Song, "Glory." "Birdman" also taking Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography. I couldn't sleep last night, I'm so thrilled and proud.

I've been teaching for 30 years and one of the best parts is the euphoria over my students' every accomplishment, small and large. And then this morning, the Oscar announcement, "Birdman" directed by Alejandro Iñárritu, and "Selma" directed by Ava DuVernay, nominated for Best Picture. Both Alejandro and Ava have been my students, and stayed in touch, I've worked with them both frequently. I treasure Ava and Alejandro, their artistry and friendship, as I treasure all my students, clients and readers. But man, this is something.