‘Shogun’s Hiroyuki Sanada, ‘Godzilla Minus One’s Takashi Yamazaki to be Honored by Visual Effects Society

variety.com:

Carolyn Giardina “Godzilla Minus One” director and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki and two-time Emmy Award winning actor and producer Hiroyuki Sanada will be honored at the 23rd annual Visual Effects Society Awards, Feb.

11 at The Beverly Hilton. Yamazaki will receive the VES Visionary Award, and Sanada, the VES Award for Creative Excellence. Counted as one of Japan’s leading film directors, Yamazaki most recently wrote, directed and led the VFX team responsible for “Godzilla Minus One,” making him the first director since Stanley Kubrick to win an Academy Award for best visual effects.

Godzilla Minus One is currently the third highest grossing foreign language film in U.S. box office history with $56 million.

Yamazaki’s award winning films include “Always: Sunset on Third Street,” “The Eternal Zero” and “Stand by Me Doraemon.” The Visionary Award 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.” Said VES chair Kim Davidson, “Takashi Yamazaki is a renowned talent in Japanese cinema, who accomplished a significant feat when he became only the second director to win an Academy Award for best visual effects, and in the process reinvigorated a legendary kaiju franchise.