Demme Wins Top Directors Guild Award

Jonathan Demme, who directed the thriller “Silence of the Lambs,” won the Directors Guild of America’s top honor Saturday.

“If ever there was a group of people you can’t (fool), this is it,” Demme said in accepting the award at the group’s 44th annual awards dinner in New York City. A separate ceremony was held in Beverly Hills.

The other nominees were Ridley Scott for “Thelma and Louise,” Barry Levinson for “Bugsy,” Barbra Streisand for “The Prince of Tides,” and Oliver Stone for “JFK.”

Demme noted that he was “the 44th white male to receive this award, which I have confused feelings about.” Streisand, who was snubbed by the Academy Awards, was the third woman ever nominated for the guild award.

Other directing awards included:

* Peter Bonerz, comedy series, for a segment of the CBS series “Murphy Brown.”

* Walter C. Miller, musical-variety show, for the 1991 Tony Awards.

* Eric Laneuville, nighttime dramatic series, for a segment of the NBC series “I’ll Fly Away.”

* Roy Campanella II, dramatic daytime show, for an episode of “Wonderworks” on PBS.

* Michael Stich, daytime serial, for a segment of “The Bold and the Beautiful” on CBS.

* Barbara Kopple, best documentary, “American Dream.”

* Joseph Pytka, best commercial, “The Bo Show” Nike commercial and “Hallmark Dance Card.”

* Stephen Gyllenhaal, dramatic special, for the movie “Paris Trout” on Showtime.