Film directors make it tougher for Netflix to win top awards

LOS ANGELES: It may be mostly symbolic, but the guild that represents Hollywood directors like Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan has drawn a line in the sand for streaming companies that want to compete for the industry’s most-prestigious awards.

The Directors Guild of America, whose top award each year can signal who wins the Oscar for best picture, has changed its rules to favor films released in theaters. As a result, a movie that opens simultaneously in theaters and online can’t vie for the guild’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement honor, according to a statement Wednesday.