February 11, 1999
Feature film director and former DGA President Arthur Hiller will be the recipient of the Directors Guild of America's 1999 Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award, DGA President Jack Shea and Awards Committee Chairperson Howard Storm announced today. The Aldrich Award, named after another former DGA President who was active in Guild affairs for more than 40 years, is given for extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership. The Award will be presented to Hiller at the 51st Annual DGA Awards Dinner on March 6, 1999, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
"Arthur Hiller's many years of service to the Directors Guild should be an inspiration to all DGA members," said DGA President Shea. "He has worked tirelessly on countless Guild projects for nearly three decades. His selfless dedication on behalf of issues important to all directors make him an ideal recipient of the Guild's highest service award."
Hiller has served on the DGA's National Board in various capacities for 18 years
beginning in 1971, including two terms as DGA President from 1989-1993. He was the Guild's 5th Vice President from 1987-1989, and its 3rd Vice President from 1985-1987. Hiller has been a member of the Guild's President's Committee since its inception in 1986, and is the DGA's representative to the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. He has been and still is a strong fighter for both minority rights and creative rights.
Hiller's directing career includes the films The Babe, Outrageous Fortune,
Making Love, The In-laws, Silver Streak, The Man in the Glass Booth, Man of La Mancha, Hospital, Love Story, The Out-of-Towners and The Americanization of Emily. He received a nomination for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Love Story in 1970.
The Robert B. Aldrich Award was established in 1984 to recognize extraordinary service
to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership. Robert Aldrich served as DGA President from 1975-1979. Past recipients include Delbert Mann, Daniel Petrie, Max Schindler, Burt Bluestein, Gene Reynolds, John Rich, Jack Shea, Larry Auerbach, Milt Felsen, George Schaefer, Gilbert Cates, Sheldon Leonard, George Sidney, Elliot Silverstein, Robert Wise and Martha Coolidge.