LOS ANGELES — The Visual Effects Society (VES) has named director/producer Sir Ridley Scott as the recipient of the VES Lifetime
Achievement Award, in recognition of his enormous contributions to
filmed entertainment. The award will be presented at the 14th Annual
VES Awards, set to take place on February 2, 2016 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
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 Scott for his vision and dedication to storytelling that blends iconic visual effects and unforgettable narrative on an epic scale. Scott’s fiercely innovative direction of groundbreaking films including science fiction classics Blade Runner and Alien and the sweeping chronicle Gladiator, has given rise to a new era of storytelling and had a profound impact on future generations of filmmakers.
"Ridley Scott is a defining voice of the feature, broadcast and commercial forms, and a true master of his craft,” says Mike Chambers, VES board chair. “His vision and contribution to the art is incomparable and his impact upon the visual effects and technical fields is unparalleled. Ridley's iconic films have entertained and inspired millions, and his oeuvre of groundbreaking work has been immensely influential. For this, and more, we are honored to award him with the prestigious Visual Effects Society Lifetime Achievement Award.”
“The best filmmaking has always been the result of collaboration between artists, craftspeople and technicians, both in front and behind the camera,” says Ridley Scott. “Over the years I have been very fortunate to work on films that are visual at their core and thus I have always been immensely reliant on the expertise of our visual effects teams. To be honored by the Visual Effects Society with this Lifetime Achievement Award is indeed extremely gratifying.”
Scott has received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his work on Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, and Thelma & Louise. All three films also earned him DGA Award nominations. In 2003 Scott was awarded a knighthood from the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his contributions to the arts.
Scott’s current release, The Martian, starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastian is a box-office blockbuster, receiving widespread critical acclaim. His other recent directorial credits include the Exodus: Gods and Kings, Prometheus and The Counselor.