Hollywood directors have called screenwriters' demands for more creative control "unacceptable" as their dispute continues.

The Writers' Guild of America stopped negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers on 1 March over wage disagreements.

Writers want higher repeat fees - residuals - for video and DVD sales and better royalties for sales of TV programmes.

The Writers Guild of America also wants the resolution of other creative issues, such as limiting the use of directors' "a film by..." possessory credits.

But in a letter to his members, Directors Guild of America president Jack Shea said: "The WGA possessory credit proposals are unacceptable.

"The Directors Guild will not accept any provision... that affects what credit a director may take."

WGA president John Wells has proposed directors who already get the credit should keep it, while only a small percentage of newcomers would be eligible in the future.

Screenwriters want the posesssory credit eliminated because they feel it relegates their work to a lower status.

Jack Shea's letter is the DGA's first response to the issue since the talks broke down.

The writers' current contract expires on 1 May, and they have threatened to strike if a settlement is not reached by then.

The Screen Actors Guild is also negotiating a new contract, and an actors' walkout is also a possibility, threatening chaos to TV and film production.