Oscar odds shorten for 'The Artist'

Michel Hazanavicius has won the top film honour at the Directors Guild of America Awards for his silent movie 'The Artist', giving him the inside track for the best-director prize at the Academy Awards.

French filmmaker Hazanavicius, whose credits include the OSS 117 spy spoofs, had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood until 'The Artist', his black-and-white throwback to early cinema that has been a favourite at earlier film honours.