News is just in that Danny Boyle has been awarded the Director’s Guild Award for best director for a feature film. His film, Slumdog Millionaire, originally intended for either a DVD release or else a very limited arthouse cinema release, garnered enough critical praise and audience delight that it has slowly been sweeping the box office over the past few weeks. Beating out Chris Nolan, Gus Van Sant, David Fincher, and Ron Howard, Boyle will almost certainly get a directing Oscar, and Slumdog Millionaire looks likely to be this year’s Best Film.

The other notable award was for Ari Folman, as best director for a documentary, the film being the exceptional animated Waltz with Bashir.

Roger Ebert received a Lifetime Achievement Award.