Two–time Oscar®-winning filmmaker, director, producer, animator and writer Brad Bird, whose films have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the prestigious Cinematic Imagery Award from the Art Directors Guild (ADG) at its 21st Annual Art Directors Guild’s Excellence in Production Design Awards, announced today by ADG Council Chair Marcia Hinds and Awards Producers Thomas Wilkins and Thomas Walsh. The Awards, celebrating “Return to Hollywood,” will be held Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland and will honor the prestigious spectrum of Bird’s extraordinary award-winning work.
The ADG’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to those whose body of work in the film industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the movie-going experience. Previous recipients have been David O. Russell, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, the Production Designers behind the James Bond franchise, the principal team behind the Harry Potter films, Bill Taylor, Syd Dutton, Warren Beatty, Allen Daviau, Clint Eastwood, Blake Edwards, Terry Gilliam, Ray Harryhausen, Norman Jewison, John Lasseter, George Lucas, Frank Oz, Steven Spielberg, Robert S. Wise and Zhang Yimou.
Said ADG President Nelson Coates, "The ADG is thrilled to recognize the amazing contributions Brad Bird has made to narrative design, while so adeptly creating a visual cinematic legacy for generations to come. The amazing ways Brad and his teams have elevated the production design of animation, and live action, have raised and continue to raise the bar for all visual storytellers."
Brad Bird is the director of the Academy® Award-winning films Ratatouille and The Incredibles, from Pixar Animation Studios. Both films earned Bird two Oscars and numerous additional awards. Bird was also part of Pixar’s Senior Creative Team working on such legendary animated features as Up, Wall-E, Inside Out and Toy Story 3, among others.
Bird began his first animated film at the age of 11, and finished it nearly three years later. The film brought him to the attention of Walt Disney Studios where, at age 14, he was mentored by Milt Kahl, one of a distinguished group of Disney’s legendary animators known as the “Nine Old Men.” Bird eventually worked as an animator at Disney and other studios.
Prior to joining Pixar, Bird wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 1999 animated feature, The Iron Giant, which won the International Animated Film Society’s Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature.
Bird’s credits include acting as executive consultant on The Simpsons and King of the Hill, the two longest running and most celebrated animated series on television. He also created, wrote, directed and co-produced the “Family Dog” episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, and co-wrote the screenplay for the live-action feature Batteries Not Included.
Bird also directed the live-action films Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol for Paramount Pictures which became the highest-grossing and best-reviewed film of its franchise. His latest film,Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney, was released in May 2015. His next project The Incredibles 2 is set for release on June 15, 2018.
As previously announced, Gene Allen, the Oscar®-winning Production Designer behind My Fair Lady, A Star is Born and Les Girls, will be inducted into the Art Directors Guild (ADG) Hall of Fame. ADG will also present four Lifetime Achievement Awards to Emmy®-winning Production Designer René Lagler, Scenic Artist Albert Obregon, Emmy-nominated Set Designer Cate Bangs and Senior IllustratorJoseph Musso.
Producers of this year's ADG Awards (#ADGawards) are Production Designers Tom Wilkins and Tom Walsh. Final online balloting will be held January 9 – February 9, and winners will be announced at the dinner ceremony on Saturday, February 11, 2017. ADG Awards are open only to productions, when made within the U.S., by producers signatory to the IATSE agreement. Foreign entries are acceptable without restrictions.
Further inquiries regarding the ADG Awards may be directed to Debbie Patton in the ADG Awards Office at 818.762.9995 or Debbie@artdirectors.org.
Media sponsors are The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and SHOOTonline.
About THE ART DIRECTORS GUILD:
The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) represents 2,500 members who work throughout the United States, Canada and the rest of the world in film, television and theater as Production Designers, Art Directors, Assistant Art Directors; Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists; Illustrators and Matte Artists; Set Designers and Model Makers; and Previs Artists. Established in 1937, the ADG's ongoing activities include a Film Society, an annual Awards Banquet, a creative/technology community (5D: The Future of Immersive Design), a bimonthly craft magazine (Perspective); and extensive technology-training programs, figure drawing and other creative workshops and year-round Gallery 800 art exhibitions. The Guild's Online Directory/Website Resource is at www.adg.org. For more info about the awards, please go to adg.org. Connect with the Art Directors Guild and #ADGawards on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
