LOS ANGELES – The Visual Effects Society (www.visualeffectssociety.com) will honor Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee with its Visionary Award at the 11th Annual VES Awards. The Awards are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 5, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Visionary Award honors an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.
“Ang Lee has used the art of visual effects to masterful effect in telling stories like Life of Pi that could not have otherwise been so powerfully brought to life,” notes Jeffrey A. Okun, chair of the Visual Effects Awards Committee. “With a body of work that encompasses films as distinguished and artful as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Sense and Sensibility, and Brokeback Mountain, Lee’s imagery has brought stunning and compelling images to the world of cinema — making us proud to award him our annual Visionary Award.”
The Taiwan-born director/producer won two Academy Awards: in 2006, for Direction of Brokeback Mountain, and in 2001, for Best Foreign-Language Film for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. His films have twice won the prestigious Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at the Venice International Film Festival (2007, for Lust, Caution, and in 2005, for Brokeback Mountain) and twice won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival (1993 for The Wedding Banquet, and in 1996 for Sense and Sensibility).
Lee’s current film Life of Pi was recently named one of AFI’s Top Ten Movies of 2012, and was nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture, Drama and Best Director.