Directors Guild of America President Jack Shea announced today that the DGA’s National Board has voted unanimously to make a $50,000 contribution to the National Film Preservation Foundation.

"The Directors Guild strongly supports the film preservation efforts of the National Film Preservation Foundation, and we hope this contribution will inspire our colleagues throughout the industry to join us in that support," said Shea.

The Foundation was created by an Act of Congress in 1996 to raise private funds to support national film preservation, concentrating its efforts on saving those films not preserved by commercial interests such as newsreels, independent film, avant-garde, documentaries, ethnic and public domain material.

Director Arthur Hiller, a former DGA and Motion Picture Academy President as well as the DGA’s representative on the National Film Preservation Board since its creation in 1988, appeared before the DGA National Board to request the contribution.

"I am pleased that the DGA National Board voted so overwhelmingly to make this substantial contribution to the National Film Preservation Foundation," commented Hiller. "It will help further the important work of protecting our cultural heritage and educating the public on the importance of film preservation."