“ABACUS” DIRECTOR STEVE JAMES NOMINATED FOR A DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARD!

"Abacus: Small Enough to Jail" director Steve James at CAAMFest 2017
The nomination comes on the heels of being shortlisted for an Oscar.

Congratulations to Abacus: Small Enough to Jail director Steve James for a Directors Guild of America (DGA) nomination. The film received funding from CAAM with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through our Documentary Fund Open Call awards. Abacus screened at CAAMFest last March, where director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) was in attendance. Read our exclusive Q&A with Steve James here.

“Acclaimed filmmaker Steve James explores the evocative story of the Sung family-owned Abacus Federal Savings Bank, the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. James documents the family’s trial by judge and their own Chinatown community.” (CAAMFest)

The film is about the family-owned Abacus Federal Savings Bank, the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges after the 2008 financial crisis. The film premiered on PBS’ Frontline series this past fall and garnered a Critics’ Choice Award and has been shortlisted for Best Documentary for the Academy Awards. James won a DGA for best documentary in 1994 for Hoop Dreams and was nominated for At the Death House Door in 2008 and The Interrupters in 2011.

The awards will be handed out Feb. 3. See the full list of nominees here.