Spielberg Wins Director’s Guild Award for ‘Ryan’

Steven Spielberg, who directed the grueling tribute to the soldiers of World War II, “Saving Private Ryan,” won the Director’s Guild of America award for best director of a feature film Saturday night.

“This is for Arnold, Arnold Spielberg, my father to whom I dedicate this award because it was my father who inspired me with his stories about World War II,” Spielberg said.

It was his third DGA award. He has also been nominated for an Oscar for best director and for best film for “Saving Private Ryan.”

Spielberg paid special tribute to fellow best director nominees Terrence Malick (“The Thin Red Line”), who made a rare public appearance at the ceremony at the Century Plaza, and the irrepressible Roberto Benigni, whom he described backstage as an “Italian Furby.”

“I want to take him home to live with me. . . . I want him to be a part of my family,” Spielberg said of Benigni, who directed “Life Is Beautiful.”

Paris Barclay, who directed Jimmy Smits’ final episode of “NYPD Blue,” won the outstanding achievement award for directing a dramatic series on television at the 51st annual awards ceremony.

Among the other winners Saturday were James N. Sayegh for daytime television serials; Kinka Usha for commercials; and Jerry Blumenthal, Peter Gilbert and Gordon Quinn for the documentary “Vietnam: Long Time Coming.”

The award for directing a television comedy series went to Thomas Schlamme for the pilot episode of “Sports Night.”