The Visual Effects Society (VES) has named Lynwen Brennan, EVP and general manager of Lucasfilm, as the forthcoming recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her valuable contributions to visual arts and filmed entertainment. The award will be presented at the 20th Annual VES Awards on March 8, 2022 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
The VES Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed by the VES Board of Directors, recognizes an individual and their outstanding body of work that has significantly contributed to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry. The VES will honor Brennan for her dedication to the industry and advancement of unforgettable storytelling through visual effects. Brennan is a driving force for creativity, collaboration and synergy, and cutting-edge endeavors at the forefront of our craft. At the helm of a vast operational portfolio, Brennan has been instrumental in the studio’s creation of groundbreaking entertainment, pioneering visual effects, sound design and computer animation for TV and film.
“Lynwen has elevated visual effects as an integral element of the art and production of moviemaking,” said VES Board chair Lisa Cooke. “She is a powerhouse talent with incredible business savvy, sharp creative and technical instincts and a vision that has delivered some of the most popular movie franchises of all time. Lynwen’s keen sense of culture and community, coupled with her leadership in the global industry, is paving the way for future generations of artists, innovators and executives. We are very proud to honor such an exemplary role model with the VES Lifetime Achievement Award.”
As general manager and EVP of Lucasfilm–home to the legendary Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises–Brennan oversees all businesses, including Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound. She is responsible for the development and execution of Lucasfilm’s business strategy, and works across each division to implement the company vision. Brennan was integral in the creation of ILMxLAB, which combines the talents of Lucasfilm, ILM and Skywalker Sound to break new ground in creating interactive storytelling and immersive entertainment experiences.
Brennan’s career with Lucasfilm started in 1999 with her role as technical area leader in Lucasfilm’s storied visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic. She rose through the ranks to become president of ILM in 2009, and guided the studio through one of its most successful periods. Under her leadership, ILM added three new studios to its global footprint, and expanded their studios in San Francisco and Singapore. In February 2015 she was promoted to general manager and EVP of Lucasfilm.
In 2016, Brennan was awarded Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for her contributions in support of the U.K.’s visual effects industry. This was followed in 2019 with a Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television from the British Academy of Film and Television Art in Wales, BAFTA Cymru.
Brennan serves as a studio representative for the company-wide women’s initiative, sponsors Women in Animation, and passionately supports the education and development of female artists and engineers.
Previous winners of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award have included Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, Dennis Muren, VES, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, James Cameron, Ray Harryhausen, Stan Lee, Richard Edlund, VES, John Dykstra, Sir Ridley Scott, Ken Ralston, VES, Jon Favreau, Chris Meledandri and Sir Peter Jackson.
As previously announced, acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is the forthcoming recipient of the VES Award for Creative Excellence, to be bestowed at the 20th Annual VES Awards.
Harvey Weinstein hit with new sex crime charge in New York
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new sex crime charge in New York, as he awaits retrial in his landmark #MeToo case.
Details of the new allegations were not immediately available. He was charged with committing a criminal sex act.
The jailed ex-movie mogul has long maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein had been indicted on additional sex crime charges that weren't part of the case that led to his now-overturned 2020 conviction. But the new indictment was sealed until his arraignment.
Prosecutors have said that the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged assaults — two in hotels in the Tribeca neighborhood and one at a lower Manhattan residential building. The purported incidents took place from the mid-2000s to 2016, prosecutors said.
But it's not clear whether any of those allegations underlie the new indictment.
While bracing for the new charges, Weinstein also is awaiting retrial after New York state's highest court this spring overturned his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges involving two women. The high court, called the Court of Appeals, ordered a new trial, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Nov. 12.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the then-trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case. That judge's term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.
Prosecutors have said they'll seek to fold the new charges into the retrial, but Weinstein's lawyers say it should be a separate case.
Weinstein, who also was convicted in 2022 in a Los Angeles rape case, remains behind bars while awaiting his New York retrial.
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