Peter Jackson To Receive Visual Effects Society Lifetime Achievement Award Next Month
The Visual Effects Society has named Oscar-winning director-producer-screenwriter Peter Jackson as the forthcoming recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to filmed entertainment. The award will be presented at the 19th Annual VES Awards, streaming worldwide on April 6 or 7 (depending on time zone) and hosted by comedian Patton Oswalt.
The VES Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed by the VES Board of Directors, recognizes an outstanding body of work that has significantly contributed to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry. VES will honor Jackson for “his consummate artistry, expansive storytelling and profound gift for blending iconic imagery and unforgettable narrative on an epic scale.” Indeed, Jackson made history with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously.
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VES also cited “Jackson’s ability to harness craft to bring his unique visions to life and his state-of-the-art work to restore archival footage [that] has made him a lauded champion of film history and restoration.” Among Jackson’s archival accomplishments is They Shall Not Grow Old, a visually staggering documentary on World War I, with digitally restored never-before-seen footage.
“Sir Peter Jackson is one of the most innovative filmmakers of our generation,” said Lisa Cooke, VES Board Chair. “Peter pushes the known boundaries of filmmaking and his vision and contributions to the art are legendary. He has redefined the relationship between the viewer and the story – you can easily see this from the epic cult followings of his highly engaging work, a testament to his expert blending of visual effects, evocative characters and a remarkable imagination. For this and more, we are honored to award Peter with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.”
“I’m thrilled and gratified to receive the VES Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Jackson. “If I was ever going to be honored for my lifetime of work, I would have chosen the VES award, because I started my career as a seven-year-old making models and shooting them with a Super 8 camera. The dream of making visual effects was the seed of my whole world as a filmmaker. But just because it’s called Lifetime, don’t think I’ve peaked; there’s a lot more to come!”
Previous winners of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award have included Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, Dennis Muren, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, James Cameron, Ray Harryhausen, Stan Lee, Richard Edlund, John Dykstra, Sir Ridley Scott, Ken Ralston, Jon Favreau and Chris Meledandri.
As previously announced, award-winning visual effects supervisor, second unit director and director of photography Robert Legato, ASC, is the forthcoming recipient of the VES Award for Creative Excellence.
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