Denis Villeneuve 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.
“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 Nelson Coates, president of the 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.”
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.”
His most recent film, “Dune” may land him another best directing Oscar nomination, and the film has earned $106 million at the domestic box office.
The ADG Awards honor excellence in production design in film, television, commercials, music videos and animated feature films.
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 from the Scenic, Title & Graphic Artists (STG).
Next year’s ceremony returns to a live event on March 5, 2022, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.