Denis Villeneuve, the French Canadian filmmaker best known for directing numerous breakthrough movies including the highly acclaimed Dune, will be the recipient of the William Cameron Menzies Award from the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) at the 26th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards. The award recognizes his unique visuals and innovative storytelling which have established Villeneuve as one of the premier filmmakers working today. The 26th Annual Awards returns to a live event on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
“We are beyond thrilled to recognize the scale and scope of the cinematic vision of Director Denis Villeneuve with the 2022 William Cameron Menzies Award,” said ADG president Nelson Coates, ADG. “The seamless integration of design into all aspects of Villeneuve’s storytelling process, and the promotion of narrative design and designers in his work and in the industry, make him the perfect honoree. Fostering strong collaborations and working relationships between directors and designers is vital to the creation of strong and unique films. Villeneuve has proven extremely adept at this foundational collaboration.”
Denis Villeneuve is one of today’s most respected and sought-after directors and writers. His most recent film, released this past October, is the much anticipated and highly successful (over $300 million to date) Dune, based on the iconic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. A sequel is in the works and is set for an exclusive theatrical release in October 2023. The first film was “just a really delicious appetizer,” said Villeneuve, who is known for his attention to detail and unique visuals. This quote of his perhaps best explains his attitude toward filmmaking: “In contradiction and paradox, you can find truth.”
Villeneuve was nominated for an Academy Award® for his directorial work on the sci-fi thriller Arrival in 2016, which also received eight additional Oscar nominations and one win, among numerous other awards. His directorial work with Blade Runner 2049, a neo-noir science fiction film, garnered two Academy Awards. Other notable successes include Sicario, Prisoners and Incendies, as well as such films as Enemy, Polytechnique, Maelstrom and the intriguingly titled August 32nd on Earth, his feature directorial debut. His films have received more than 80 top awards worldwide. He started his career as a director at the National Film Board of Canada.
The ADG Awards honor excellence in production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos and animated feature films. Producer of the 2022 ADG Awards is art director Michael Allen Glover, ADG (The Alienist, Solos and the upcoming Station Eleven). Joining the team as stage designer is Emmy-winning production designer Brian J. Stonestreet, ADG (Golden Globes, Grammy Awards, Billboard Awards).
Additional honorees for Cinematic Imagery and new inductees into the Guild’s Hall of Fame will be announced at a later date. The ADG Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to outstanding individuals in each of the guild’s four crafts. Scenic artists Michael and Denise Okuda, best known for their creative lead designs for the Star Trek franchise, will receive the honor from the Scenic, Title & Graphic Artists (STG). Additional ADG Lifetime Achievement Award honorees from the Production Designers and Art Directors Council (AD), the Set Designers & Model Makers Council (SDMM), and the Illustrators & Matte Artists Council (IMA) will be announced shortly.
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.
Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with 2 Swift-inspired films airing this season
Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.
"Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
"It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.
She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."
Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.
"There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."
Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.
In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.
Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More