By Creative Media Times

Award winning veteran director Martin Scorsese is set to receive Visual Effects Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 18th annual VES Awards on Jan. 29, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton, VES announced on Thursday.

“Martin Scorsese is one of the most influential filmmakers in modern history and has made an indelible mark on filmed entertainment,” said Mike Chambers, VES Board Chair. “His work is a master class in storytelling, which has brought us some of the most memorable films of all time. His intuitive vision and fiercely innovative direction has given rise to a new era of storytelling and has made a profound impact
on future generations of filmmakers. Martin has given us a rich body of groundbreaking work to aspire to, and for this, we are honored to award him with the Visual Effects Society Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Widely considered one of the most important and influential directors of all time, Scorsese won the Academy Award Best Director for The Departed, which also won Best Picture in 2006. He’s also directed classic films such as Mean Street, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas.

In 2011, Scorsese directed Hugo, which won five Oscars including Best Achievement in Visual Effects. The His upcoming film, “The Irishman”, showcases ILM’s (Industrial Light & Magic) work in de-aging actors and usual collaborators Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. “The Irishman” will be distributed for a limited theatrical run November 1, before hitting Netflix on November 27.

The VES Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizes an outstanding body of work that has significantly contributed to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry. VES will honor Scorsese for his consummate artistry, expansive storytelling and profound gift for blending iconic imagery and unforgettable narrative on an epic scale. Scorsese’s steadfast ability to harness craft and technology to bring his unique visions to life has resulted in exceptional narratives that have transfixed audiences and captivated millions. And as a champion of film history, his work to preserve the rich legacy of motion pictures is unparalleled.

Previous recipients of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award include George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Stan Lee and Ray Harryhausen.