On Tuesday, August 15, 2006, the DGA hosted a reception for the filmmakers celebrating the 13th anniversary of Filmmakers Alliance (FA) at eat. on Sunset. The DGA is a long time supporter of FA's "managed mutual support community" and the reception was attended by both FA members and DGA Independent Directors Committee-West members Christopher Coppola and E. Elias Merhige, DGA Director member Vincent Spano and DGA Director member/FA Co-Founder Jacques Thelemaque.

The following evening FA held their 9th Annual VisionFest event at the DGA theatre complex in Los Angeles. FA president Jacques Thelemaque announced Shawn Hood as the winner of the Los Angeles Short Filmmaking Competition. The announcement was followed by a program of the best short films produced through FA in the previous year.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of FA's 7th Vision Award to a director whose distinctive vision has inspired generations of emerging filmmakers. This year's honoree was director Werner Herzog, who also won the 2005 DGA Award for his documentary Grizzly Man. Previous Vision Award recipients include Terry Gilliam, Mike Figgis, Wim Wenders, Allison Anders, Alexander Payne and David O. Russell.