Will Martin Scorsese go home empty-handed yet again from the Oscars ceremony on February 27th? History is not on his side, given that the Directors Guild of America (DGA) gave Clint Eastwood their award for outstanding director of 2004 for Million Dollar Baby, shutting out fellow nominees Alexander Payne (Sideways), Taylor Hackford (Ray), Marc Forster (Finding Neverland) and Scorsese (The Aviator).

"I'm pleased as punch," Eastwood declared when Steven Spielberg presented him with the award in Beverly Hills last Saturday night. The DGA winner has gone on to win the best director Oscar in 50 of the past 56 years. Michael Moore, who had been the hot favourite to take the DGA documentary director award last weekend for Fahrenheit 9/11, lost out to Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni for The Story of the Weeping Camel.