Taylor Hackford Re-Elected DGA President: National Board and Officers Elected

June 25, 2011

LOS ANGELES – Director Taylor Hackford was re-elected President of the Directors Guild of America by acclamation at the Guild’s National Biennial Convention held today at DGA National Headquarters in Los Angeles.

Additionally, 140 delegates representing the 14,500 members of the DGA elected a new slate of officers and members of the National Board of Directors.

Hackford, who joined the DGA in 1974, was first elected President in 2009. He began his service to the Guild as a member of the Special Projects Committee and served as chair of the DGA PAC and co-chair of the PAC Leadership Council (together with Paris Barclay). He was elected to the Western Directors Council in 1996, became a member of the National Board in 2002 and was elected Third Vice President of the National Board in 2005. He has also served on the Creative Rights Committee and currently co-chairs the DGA Task Force on Social Responsibility.

DGA President Taylor Hackford

In 2007, the Guild honored Hackford with the Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award for extraordinary service to the DGA and its membership.

"It is my honor to accept once again the position of President of the Directors Guild of America in this, our 75th anniversary year," said Hackford. "This is the greatest distinction anyone can have in this town. I am so proud to be a member of this Guild and to be part of the leadership, and I can promise you that, as I have in the last two years, I will work as hard as I possibly can to represent our members and fight for their creative and economic rights – whether that be at the bargaining table, on the set or in Washington, DC."

"I’ve been proud to serve by Taylor Hackford's side for the past two years," said Steven Soderbergh, who placed Hackford's name in nomination. "People don't realize how much work, time and dedication it takes to do this job – it's not easy by any means - and I have no doubt that Taylor will continue to serve the members of this Guild with the same passion and skill that he's already given to us for the last two years."

Soderbergh was re-elected National Vice President; Gilbert Cates, who formerly served two terms as DGA president, was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer. Also elected were First Vice President Paris Barclay; Second Vice President William M. Brady; Third Vice President Betty Thomas; Fourth Vice President Gary Donatelli; Fifth Vice President Thomas Schlamme; Sixth Vice President Vincent Misiano; and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Scott Berger. A complete list of the new officers and board members is below.

In more than 35 years as a director, Hackford has helmed an extensive list of feature and documentary films. His feature films include An Officer and a Gentleman, Against All Odds, White Nights, Everybody’s All-American, Dolores Claiborne, The Devil’s Advocate, Proof of Life, Ray and Love Ranch. His documentaries include Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock n’ Roll and When We Were Kings. He is currently preparing to shoot Parker from a novel by Donald Westlake.

Hackford was nominated for a DGA Award and an Academy Award for best director for An Officer and a Gentleman in 1983 and for Ray in 2005. He won the Academy Award for live-action short Teenage Father in 1979. Hackford also won a Grammy for the soundtrack to Ray.