Jon Favreau To Receive The 2018 VES Lifetime Achievement Award

Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s professional global honorary society, named acclaimed writer-director-producer-actor Jon Favreau as the next recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his valuable contributions to filmed entertainment.  The award will be presented at the 16^th Annual VES Awards on February 13, 2018 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 Favreau for his boundary-breaking use of visual effects to create a seamless and invisible background for stories and characters in both film and television. His steadfast ability to orchestrate massive teams of artists and innovators has resulted in exceptional and unforgettable narratives that have entertained millions. Favreau’s creative vision and inventive techniques have garnered him the Harold Lloyd Award for filmmaking from the Advanced Imaging Society and Virtual Reality Society, the Filmmaker Award from the Cinema Audio Society and his engaging instant classic The Jungle Book earned five awards at last year’s Visual Effects Society Awards, included the top honor for Best Photoreal Feature.

“Jon Favreau has introduced the reinvention of a new style of film that demands visual effects artists to push beyond the boundaries of what can and has been done before,” said Mike Chambers, VES Board Chair. “He has created exceptionally humanistic stories through his vision, unique approach to storytelling and full embrace of emerging technology to enhance the moviegoing experience.   For this, and more, we are honored to award him with the prestigious Visual Effects Society Lifetime Achievement Award.”

"I’m so honored to join such an esteemed list of past recipients,” said Jon Favreau. “The Visual Effects Society represents the wizards of our industry. I am extremely pleased and moved by their recognition."

Favreau continues to challenge himself with an eclectic roster of projects.  He is currently directing the Disney live-action feature, The Lion King, hot off the heels of directing The Jungle Book,  critically acclaimed live-action adaptation of the animated film. Before taking on the Disney live action universe, Favreau created the Gnomes & Goblins VR experience with Wevr and Reality One. He is slated to direct The Second Jungle Book and will produce Avengers: Infinity War and its untitled sequel.

Favreau directed Cowboys & Aliens and both blockbuster hits Iron Man and Iron Man 2. He also directed the acclaimed holiday smash hit Elf, as well as Zathura, a children’s adventure film. He made his feature film directorial debut with Made.  He entered the production landscape  with  Swingers, which he wrote and starred in.  In addition to his tremendous success on the big screen, Favreau has served as the creator, producer and host of the critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated IFC series Dinner for Five, and has directed the pilots for the Big Bang Theory spinoff Young Sheldon and the sci-fi comedy The Orville.

Favreau is proud to have helped keep production in Los Angeles, notably on the films Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Chef, Jungle Book, The Lion King, and on the pilot episodes of Young Sheldon and The Orville. Favreau also serves as third Vice President of the Directors Guild of America, and is a board member for the American Cinematheque.

To learn more about the Visual Effects Society, please visit: www.visualeffectssociety.com