Director of 20 Days in Mariupol Mstislav Chernov received the Director's Guild Award, which is called a rehearsal for the Oscars

Ukrainian documentary filmmaker Mstislav Chernov has won the Director's Guild Award for his film 20 Days in Mariupol. The 76th DGA Awards ceremony took place on the night of February 11 in Los Angeles, bringing together the most prominent filmmakers in the industry.

The Ukrainian was recognized for "outstanding directorial achievements in documentary filmmaking," according to the Guild's official website. While receiving the award, Chernov delivered a powerful speech, recalling the tragedy in Kharkiv that occurred on February 9.

"Today my hometown was attacked. Seven people were killed, including three children," he said. The director also emphasized the power of cinema: "When these children, these people are running away from the bombs that are falling on them, they are sitting in basements and watching movies to cope with their fear."

Historically, the ceremony has been considered a dress rehearsal for the Oscars: according to available data, all directors who have won the DGA award have also won the coveted Academy Award. Over the past 75 years, there have been only 8 exceptions when the results of the DGA and the Oscars did not coincide.

In January, it became known that 20 Days in Mariupol would represent Ukraine at the Oscars in 2024. Mstislav Chernov's film was nominated in the Best Feature Documentary category.

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