Actress Bonnie Hunt will be a presenter at the fourth annual Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards at the Hollywood Palladium on Feb. 15, 2006, for the annual gathering of visual effects and animation professionals. Hunt will be joining Katherine Helmond, Cheech Marin, Edie McLurg, Craig T. Nelson and John Ratzenberger, it was announced today by VES exec director Eric Roth, who said the awards show is now sold out. The VES recognizes artistic and technical achievements with twenty awards spread across the areas of visual effects and animation in film, television, computer gaming and special venue large format offerings.
The actors will be part of the tribute to Pixar's John Lasseter, who will receive the VES Georges Méliès Award for Artistic Excellence at this year's event. This award recognizes artists whose contributions to the filmmaking industry have advanced the craft of visual effects. Hunt, McLurg, Nelson and Ratzenberger have worked previously with Lasseter on movies from Pixar Animation Studios. Helmond and Marin join Hunt and Ratzenberger in Pixar's upcoming release, the Lasseter-directed CARS.
The VES (www.visualeffectssociety.com) was formed in 1997 in response to the explosive growth in the visual effects industry. This professional, honorary society is dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community and promoting industry recognition. The VES is the only entertainment industry organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners, including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of about 1,300 global members, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a multitude of domestic and international events, screenings and programs.
