The documentary Porcelain War, nominated for the 2025 Academy Awards, has won the 77th Annual DGA Awards.
The DGA website announced that directors Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev received the award for Best Documentary Director.
Porcelain War tells the story of three Ukrainian artists—Slava Leontyev, his wife Anya Stasenko, and their friend Andriy Stefanov—who remained in Kharkiv from the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion despite the constant danger. Kharkiv has been one of the primary targets of Russian missile attacks.
The three artists seek to bring hope to the war-torn city by decorating its damaged buildings.
The film was screened in Ukraine in May last year.
In the Best Theatrical Feature Film Director category, the award went to Sean Baker for Anora, a film about a romance between a Russian oligarch’s son and a stripper, the daughter of immigrants. The film features Russian actor Yuri Borisov, who supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has appeared in propaganda films.
2025 Directors Guild of America Award Winners:
- Best Theatrical Feature Film Director – Sean Baker, Anora
- Best First-Time Theatrical Feature Director – RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
- Best Dramatic Series Director – Frederick Toye, Shōgun
- Best Comedy Series Director – Lucia Aniello, Hacks
- Best Movie or Limited Series Director – Steven Zaillian, Ripley
- Best Documentary Director – Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev, Porcelain War
Notably, Porcelain War is also nominated for the 2025 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
In January 2024, the film won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. In October, it received two nominations at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. In November, it won Best Documentary Feature and the Audience Award at the inaugural Women and the World International Film Festival in London. The film was produced by filmmakers from the U.S., Ukraine, and Australia.
