The Visual Effects Society announced Wednesday that screenwriter-director-producer Jonathan Nolan will receive its VES Visionary Award, which “recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.”
In announcing Nolan as the recipient, VES called him “a fiercely inventive storyteller” with an “inspired vision and distinctive ability to harness craft and technology in creating mysterious new worlds that transport and transfix audiences.”
His brother, Christopher Nolan, is a previous VES Visionary Award recipient.
“Jonathan Nolan has been at the forefront in utilizing visual effects to tell remarkable, highly nuanced stories that change the way we think about what is possible to achieve,” said VES Board Chair Mike Chambers. “Jonathan has an innate sense of how to use visual effects intelligently to bring his creative visions to life. As a major force in film and television, he has written, produced, directed and contributed to some of the most compelling and unforgettable narratives in filmed entertainment. We are proud to honor Jonathan, a true innovator, with the VES Visionary Award.”
The award will be presented at the 17th annual VES Awards ceremony on Feb. 5 at the Beverly Hilton. Other previous winners include J.J. Abrams, Alfonso Cuaron and Ang Lee.
Jonathan Nolan heads up his production company Kilter Films with his wife, Lisa Joy. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for the noir drama “Memento,” which was based on his short story “Memento Mori” and marked his first feature film writing credit. The nomination was shared with his brother, who directed the film.
The Nolan brothers subsequently teamed on the screenplays for “The Prestige,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Interstellar.”
On the small screen, Jonathan Nolan created the CBS drama “Person of Interest,” which ran for five seasons, and he and Joy co-created HBO’s “Westworld,” for which he received Emmy Award nominations for writing and directing.
In April, Amazon acquired the sci-fi drama project “The Peripheral,” based on William Gibson’s book, from Nolan and Joy.