Alfonso Cuarón May Be a DGA Favorite, but 'Philomena' Is Rising Fast LOS ANGELES - The Directors Guild Awards, to be held here on Saturday, are usually a reliable barometer of which way the wind is blowing, best picture-wise. Even last year, when the guild saw fit to give its top prize to Ben Affleck, who had been famously snubbed in the directing category by the Academy, it was an indication of how much love there was for his movie "Argo," which went on to win best picture. This year, though, may be another story. There has been a split in two of the top industry prognosticating prizes - the Screen Actors Guild gave its best ensemble award to "American Hustle," while the Producers Guild vote ended in a tie, honoring both "12 Years a Slave" and "Gravity." So, perhaps, a three-way race is in the works. Oscarologists expect Alfonso Cuarón to prevail at the Directors Guild: his "Gravity" contained feats of filmmaking that spellbound many of his fellow filmmakers. If that happens, "then it's a dogfight" among the three frontrunners at the Oscars, one veteran observer said. But if the directors choose instead to reward "American Hustle" and David O. Russell - who has been nominated twice before but always gone home empty-handed - it will give oomph to that film's campaign; ditto "12 Years a Slave" and Steve McQueen. The other nominees are Paul Greengrass for "Captain Phillips" and Martin Scorsese for "The Wolf of Wall Street." And that's not even counting another rising awards contender, "Philomena." Its director, Stephen Frears, was not nominated by the Directors Guild or the Academy, but the film did earn major kudos there, including best screenplay, best actress (Judi Dench) and of course, best picture nominations. And it has a heavyweight in its corner: Harvey Weinstein, whose company distributed the film, which is now that outfit's only shot at best picture. As Scott Feinberg writes in The Hollywood Reporter, Majordomo Weinstein may sense a best picture split - the equivalent of blood in the water for this winningest of Oscar plotters - and work hard to exploit it. "Philomena" is the underdog, which is, perversely, exactly where Harvey wants to be.