LOS ANGELES - SLUMDOG Millionaire continued its rags-to-riches march through Hollywood's awards season as its film-maker, British director Danny Boyle, won the top honour last Saturday from the Directors Guild of America.

The win puts him on the inside track for the same prize at the Academy Awards on Feb 22. Only six times in the guild awards' 60-year history has the winner failed to get the directing Oscar.

The guild honour also puts a positive end to a week of controversy for the film. Its makers came under fire in a British newspaper report claiming they had not properly cared for or paid the children who play slum-dwellers, but Boyle and producer Christian Colson said that report was inaccurate.

Slumdog Millionaire was to be released by Warner Independent, but its fate went into limbo after Warner Bros closed down that arthouse banner. It found a theatrical home with Fox Searchlight.

Accepting the trophy last Saturday, Boyle said: 'I should start by curiously thanking Warner Bros. for actually having the grace to do the right thing, when I think it would have been a lot easier to do the wrong thing, and pass the film on to Fox Searchlight, who are an extraordinary bunch of people.' He also talked of achieving dreams and said to other film and television workers: 'If I can get here, you can. Dream kind and dream hard.'

The Office won the top honour for television comedy, The Wire took the award for TV drama and Recount won for TV movie.

Associated Press, Reuters