Clint Eastwood has become the odds-on favourite to claim the Best Director Oscar next month after beating rival Martin Scorcese again at the Directors Guild Awards (DGA) on Saturday.

Eastwood claimed the Best Picture prize over Scorsese, Taylor Hackford, Marc Forster and Alexander Payne for his acclaimed boxing movie Million Dollar Baby.

Only six DGA winners in the past 57 years have failed to go on to win Oscar gold.

Other directors who were recognised by the Guild jury at this year's awards ceremony were Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni, whose gripping Story of the Weeping Camel earned them the Documentary prize; Walter Hill, who claimed the honour of Best Dramatic Series for TV western
series Deadwood; and Tim Van Patten, who was honoured in the Best Comedy Series category for Sex and the City.

Meanwhile, longtime Oscars producer Gil Cates, a former DGA president, became only the third recipient of the DGA Presidents Award at the Beverly Hilton hotel gala.