September 29, 2010
Los Angeles, CA – Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford made the following statement on the passing of Director Arthur Penn:
"Arthur was a member of the Directors Guild of America for 53 years. Our Guild family has suffered a profound loss with his passing.
"We will remember Arthur not only for his brilliant films, but for the prominent role he played in the Guild at an important time in DGA history. As a National Board Member and member of the Eastern Directors Council, Arthur was crucial in reinvigorating member participation on the East Coast. He was a teacher and a mentor, and his wise counsel meant a great deal to students and his fellow filmmakers.
"A daring and innovative filmmaker, Arthur’s influence on cinema through legendary films like Mickey One and Bonnie and Clyde inspired a generation, introducing American audiences to a vibrant style of filmmaking that broke the mold of films that had come before. For his invaluable contributions to the art of directing, Arthur received the DGA Honors Filmmaker Award in 2006."
DGA Service and Awards
Arthur Penn served on the DGA’s National Board of Directors from 1997-1999 and was an alternate Board Member from 1999-2003. He also served on the DGA’s Eastern Directors Council from 2000 to 2002.
Penn's long and varied career in film, television and theater was often said to have laid the groundwork for many seminal filmmakers that followed. Penn was twice nominated for a DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film: in 1962 for The Miracle Worker and again in 1967 for Bonnie and Clyde. In recognition of his career, Penn received the DGA Honors Filmmaker Award in 2006, for distinguished contribution to our nation’s culture in support of filmmaking and television.