DGA honors Mark Hansson and Valdez Flagg for career achievements and guild service

Mark Hansson and Valdez Flagg will be on the 75th^e Annual DGA awards for their professional achievements and “outstanding service” to the guild. Hansson, a veteran first assistant director, receives the Frank Capra Achievement Award and Flagg, a longtime stage manager, receives the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.

“Mark Hansson and Valdez Flagg have worked tirelessly to support the rights of their colleagues while serving as two of the top leaders in our industry for more than 30 years,” said DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter. “The guild thrives when talented members like Mark and Valdez step up and contribute to their boards, committees and our guild priorities for the benefit of all members.”

Hansson, a DGA member since 1990, has more than 130 assistant directors. His TV advertising work has been recognized for productions that have received seven DGA Award nominations – Six Feet Under, curb your enthusiasm, Tiger Cruise and American mall – as well as Emmy and other award-winning shows such as master of sexHappiness, happy ending, The small team, Appropriate, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Middle of the night. His film work includes that of Bill Condon dream women; Christopher Ashleys Go outand Kenny Ortegas High School Musical 3: Senior Yearas well as TV movies such as Bruce Beresfords And starring Pancho Villa as himself.

His work for the DGA began shortly after he completed the Assistant Directors Training Program and joined the Guild. As a member of the AD/UPM Board, he has served on committees including, since 2005, as founder and chairman of the 1st AD Committee of the DGA West Coast; since 1998 member of the Education Committee of the Council, including the predecessors of the Mentor Committee and the Information Committee; as representative of the DGA safety committee from 2019-2021; as an original member of the new LGBTQ+ committee since 2021 and on six DGA negotiating committees, where he helped review the new 2017 low budget agreement, and as a member of the proposals committee to draw attention to issues that addressed had to be

Flagg joined the DGA in 1987 as stage manager Lou Rawls Parade of the Stars Telethon. He has worked on numerous variety and live productions, including broadcasts for the Academy Awards, the Grammys, the NAACP Image Awards, the Golden Globes, the Primetime Emmys, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the American Music Awards, the ESPY Awards, NFL Awards, Essence Awardsthe Democratic National Convention and Underway at the White House for three presidential administrations.

He also worked on three DGA award-winning productions: Bruce Gowers’ 2004 Variety/Musical Award winner, Genius: A Night for Ray Charles; Glenn Weiss’ 2017 Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials Winner, The Oscars and James Burrows and Andy Fishers 2019 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Special Winners, Live in front of a studio audience: “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” by Norman Lear.

Flagg’s service to the Guild began in 2007 when he was elected as an alternate member of the Western AD/SM/PA Council. He would serve 11 terms and was elected chairman of the board seven times between 2008 and 2019. He has also served on six negotiating committees and two terms as an associate member of the DGA National Council, including the current term. He was also a longtime trustee of the DGA Producers Pension and Health Plans and a member of the DGA PAC leadership council.

The awards will be presented at the 75th annual DGA Awards on February 18.