October 26, 2019
On Saturday, October 26, 2019, Director Michael Mann was appointed to the rank of Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) by the Ambassador of France to the United States Philippe Étienne, and The Deputy Consul General of France in Los Angeles, Ms. Nathalie Soirat. The award, which is given in recognition of significant enrichment of the French cultural inheritance and contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields, was presented at the Résidence de France in Beverly Hills, California. The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France established in 1957 by the Minister of Culture.
“Mann has been awarded Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters for his contribution to cultural exchange between France and the United States, his profoundly impactful career and the masterpieces that continue to capture imaginations and inspire so many other artists," noted Ambassador Étienne.
A DGA member since 1977, Mann serves as a Board Member of the Franco-American Cultural Fund (FACF), a partnership of the DGA, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), and the Writers Guild of America, West. The FACF recently presented the 23rd edition of the COLCOA French Film Festival in Los Angeles. In addition to his current service as an alternate to the DGA National Board, a member of the Western Directors Council and a member of the Theatrical Creative Rights Committee, Mann has also served on various Guild committees including the Negotiating Committee and the Task Force on Violence and Social Responsibility. In 1999, Mann was nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for
The Insider. In 1979, he won the DGA Award in the Movies for Television category for
The Jericho Mile.