LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted made the following statement on the passing of legendary director and DGA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Robert Altman:
"Bob embodied the directors' ideal, a fiercely independent voice that was always challenging convention. In doing so, he created a body of work of breathtaking diversity. His distinctive style and passion inspired filmmakers and audiences worldwide. He's a particular hero of mine, one of the great American directors and a wonderful, generous man. The DGA is saddened by his passing but we are forever grateful for his contributions to the craft and community of directors. Our members, throughout the world, expressed their appreciation for his cinematic excellence by giving him our highest honor, the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award."
Robert Altman received the following awards and honors from the Guild:
DGA Lifetime Achievement Award - 1994 DGA Honor - New York, 2003 2004 Nomination: DGA Award for Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television for "Tanner on Tanner" (Parts I-IV) 1992 Nomination: DGA Award for Directorial Achievement In Motion Pictures for "The Player" 1975 Nomination: DGA Award for Directorial Achievement In Motion Pictures for "Nashville" 1970 Nomination: DGA Award for Directorial Achievement In Motion Pictures for "M*A*S*H"
The DGA Interview with Robert Altman, conducted in 2005, is available on the homepage of the DGA website, www.dga.org.
About The Directors Guild of America (DGA)
The Directors Guild of America was founded in 1936 to protect the economic and creative rights of directors. Over the years its membership has expanded to include the directorial team - Unit Production Managers, Assistant Directors, Technical Coordinators, Associate Directors, Stage Managers and Production Associates. Today, through the collective voice of more than 13,000 members, the Guild seeks to protect the rights of directorial teams, to contend for their creative freedom and strengthen their ability to develop meaningful and lifelong careers in film, tape and digital media. The DGA is headquartered in Los Angeles and has regional offices in New York and Chicago.