Directors celebrate 2015 achievements, continue conversation of diversity in Hollywood

(7 Feb 2016) ++CLIENTS NOTE: VIDEO ONLY - SHOTLIST AND STORYLINE TO FOLLOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE++ SHOTLIST(including transcript):- AP Entertainment Los Angeles, 6 February 2016 1. Wide exterior Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel 2. Sign: "The Century Plaza" 3. Sign: "68th Annual DGA Awards" 4. Wide arrivals line 5. Close-up shot of logo backdrop 6. Director Steven Spielberg poses for photographers 7. Actress Rachel McAdams poses for photographers 8. Director Ridley Scott poses for photographers 9. Director Adam McKay speaks to reporter 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Adam McKay/Director, on how his Oscar-nominated film, "The Big Short," and director Tom McCarthy's "Spotlight" play into the conversation of diversity and this year's Academy Awards: "You know, it's funny. There's two levels to the conversation. First of, I think the diversity conversation is really important. And I love that Hollywood is treating it very seriously and The Academy made changes. But there's another level to it, which is how the movie ("The Big Short") plays out in America. And I think what you're seeing, now that 'The Big Short' is about the screen for Congress and that they're going to show 'Spotlight' at the Vatican, is you're seeing that these movies have a life outside of (award season). And the diversity issue is really important. I mean, our movie is about white men wrecking Wall Street. And 'Spotlight' is about a Catholic church that is dominated by certain types of people. They're both movies that kind of call out lack of diversity." 11. Director Dee Rees speaks to reporter 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dee Rees/Director, "Bessie": "Well, I think the discussion, I think the thing that gets overlooked, is excellence. And when an excellent film by a black director gets overlooked, I think it just exposes the mediocrity in the films that are nominated. Like people think diversity is a lowering of the bar. But, actually, it's an evening of the standards. It's a maintaining of the standards. I think, currently, there's a double standard in how films are talked about, how they're marketed, how they're celebrated. And see if excellent films by black and brown directors that don't get the attention that they deserve, because of who made them. And so I think if it were really about excellence, there wouldn't be a problem with diversity, because these excellent people would be breaking through and getting the attention they deserve." (Reporter: "So do you feel that that's why 'Straight Outta Compton' didn't get an Oscar nomination?") Rees: "I think someone from The Academy said they didn't even watch it. So, it makes you feel like these voting bodies aren't even watching all the films. Because if they'd watch it, they'd clearly see the film was excellent, and (actor) Jason Mitchell particularly gave a standout performance, and there is no reason he shouldn't be on the red carpet." 13. Director Jill Soloway and actress Trace Lysette speak to reporter 14. SOUNDBITE (English) Jill Soloway/Director, "Transparent": 15. Director-actor Nate Parker speaks to reporter 16. SOUNDBITE (English) Nate Parker/Director-Star, "The Birth of a Nation," on his film, about the roots of American racism, debuting at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival right as the ongoing conversation about diversity in Hollywood reached its peak volume, shortly after last month's Academy Award nominations: 17. Director-actress Angela Bassett speaks to reporter 18. SOUNDBITE (English) Angela Bassett/Director, "Whitney": 19. Directors George Miller and Alejandro G. Inarritu pose for photographers DIRECTORS ADD TO HOLLYWOOD-DIVERSITY CONVERSATION Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...