Ang Lee Named Filmmaker of the Year

Ang Lee named Filmmaker of the Year by the Director's Guild of America

Ang Lee was named filmmaker of the year, adding the Director's Guild of America's Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for "Brokeback Mountain" to his awards treasure trove.

The DGA's Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film puts Lee in a prime position to win the best director Oscar, as this particular award has traditionally served as a near-perfect barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director.

Only six times since the DGA Award's inception in 1949 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director. In 2000, Lee won the guild prize in 2000 for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," but Stephen Soderbergh took home the best director Oscar for "Traffic."

This year, Lee was honored by his peers over fellow guild nominees Steven Spielberg ("Munich"), Paul Haggis ("Crash"), Bennett Miller ("Capote") and George Clooney ("Good Night, and Good Luck").

Based on a short story by E. Annie Proulx, "Brokeback" stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as roughneck sheepherding pals who conceal their homosexual relationship from their families.

The DGA awards, presented at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel, honored directorial achievements in 10 categories. Veteran director Clint Eastwood was presented with the guild's lifetime achievement award.