EXCLUSIVE: The DGA will be honoring unit production managers Mary Rae Thewlis and Thomas J. Whelan with prestigious awards at the 77th annual DGA Awards.
Thewlis will receive the Robert B. Aldrich Award, which recognizes extraordinary service to the DGA and its membership. Whelan will be awarded the the Frank Capra Achievement Award, which is given to an assistant director or UPM in recognition of notable career achievements in the industry and for outstanding service to the DGA.
The awards will be presented at the ceremony in February at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
“We are so proud to honor Mary Rae and Tom for their unwavering dedication and selfless service to their Guild and fellow members,” DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement Thursday. “Together, they embody the spirit of collaboration, dedication, and excellence that makes our Guild thrive. We congratulate them for being selected as the recipients of this year’s outstanding service awards.”
Thewlis, a DGA member since 1993, began her service to the guild when she was elected as an alternate for the first of 13 terms on the AD/UPM Council. She was first elected to the DGA National Board in 2005 as an Associate Board Member. She would go on to not only serve as a full Board member but also earn positions as the Guild’s Fourth Vice President in 2017 and National Vice President of the Guild in 2019.
She previously received the DGA’s Frank Capra Achievement Award in 2016.
“For more than 30 years, Mary Rae has led with both kindness and strength, bringing her experience, talent, and passion to Guild service – all while maintaining a successful and demanding career,” Glatter said, praising her “good humor backed by steely resolve to tackle difficult issues.”
Whelan started his career as an assistant location manager after earning an MFA in screenwriting and directing from Columbia University. He joined the DGA in 1997 as the location manager for Richard I. Pearce’s movie for television Thicker Than Blood. He would go on to career-defining features like Miloš Forman’s Man on the Moon, Kasi Lemmons’ The Caveman’s Valentine, Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, and more. His UPM credits include Blue Bloods, Gotham, Evil, Night Sky and Diarra from Detroit.
His guild service began in 2000, when he was elected as an alternate member of the Eastern AD/UPM Council. He would go on to serve on the council for more than two decades. He is also the Founding Chair of the Council’s 2nd AD/Location Manager Committee and has served on various other committees.
“Tom’s remarkable career is matched only by his own deep commitment to uplifting others through his service to the DGA,” remarked Glatter. “Tom has fostered a close-knit community through his leadership of the Eastern AD/UPM Council, and he has helped create a more inclusive and supportive Guild.”
The Directors Guild of America will hold its 77th annual DGA Awards on February 8, 2025 at the Beverly Hilton.
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