ETHAN COEN - COEN BROTHERS WIN DIRECTORS GUILD PRIZE

Filmmakers JOEL and ETHAN COEN have been hotly tipped to win the Best Director Oscar at next months' Academy Awards - after their movie NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN scooped the same prize from the Directors Guild of America on Saturday (26Jan08). The winner selected by the Directors Guild frequently goes on to win the Best Director honour at the Academy Awards - as with Martin Scorsese, who as the winner of last year's prize presented the award to the Coens at the Los Angeles ceremony After the win, Joel Coen told reporters, "Oh, we get two of them (award statues). Ethan and I have a bookshelf in our office where we keep various plaques and such that we've gotten over the years that we call our ego corner." And when brother Ethan is feeling low, he uses silver polish and "spit shines his medals for an hour or two. It makes him feel better. This is a really big one, in every respect. It's going to keep him busy." But the fate of the glittering event is dependent on the ongoing Hollywood writers strike. Organisers are currently making plans as usual for the ceremony, which is due to take place on Sunday 24 February (08) at the legendary Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The Coen brothers-directed thriller is nominated for a stack of Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem.