Directors Affleck, Dunham do it again

London - Ben Affleck didn't feel "entitled" to win an Oscar for Best Director this year.

The 'Argo' director and star missed out on an Academy Award nomination despite winning a string of accolades over the past few weeks for his Iranian hostage drama but insists he is over the snub.

The 40-year-old star told reporters in the press room after picking up the top prize Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Motion Picture at the Director's Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday night (02.02.13): "You're not entitled to win anything. You're not entitled to anything in life. I'm really happy - I'm thrilled and honoured - that the Academy nominated me as a producer for the movie... It's okay. I'm really lucky. I'm in a great place."

Ben - who is married to actress Jennifer Garner and has three children, Violet, seven, Seraphina, four, and Samuel, 11 months, - admitted during his acceptance speech that he decided to become a director because he was so confused about his acting career.

He said: "I got to a point in my life where I was really down, really confused, really felt beset on all sides by life, didn't know what was going to happen. [So] I thought, 'I should be a director!'

"I worked really, really hard to become the best director I could be, by putting in as [many] hours as I [could], and banging my head against a wall, berating myself, lying to myself about whether it was going to work. And I don't think this [award] makes me a real director - but I think it means I'm on my way."

Other big winners at the ceremony included 'Girls' creator and star Lena Dunham, who won Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy series.

The Directors Guild Awards can be one of the most-accurate forecasts for who will take home the big prize Best Picture at the Oscars on February 24.

Full list of Directors Guild of America Award winners:

FILM

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures

Ben Affleck - 'Argo'

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary

Malik Bendjelloul - 'Searching for Sugar Man'

TELEVISION

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series

Jay Roach - 'Game Change'

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series