A tremendous amount of cutting-edge technology and creative expertise is involved in filmmaking. For 14 years now, the Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) has recognized this creative and technical achievement with its Lumiere Awards, as technical advancement has served as the catalyst for cinematic storytelling.
“Our awards have humorously been called the Oscars for geeks,” said Jim Chabin, AIS president. “In 2023, amidst the industry’s chaos, we witnessed the culmination of years of dedication and sudden bursts of creativity. That work is so important to all of us who love film and television. The Lumiere winners of this year have notably expanded the boundaries of technology in filmmaking, enriching storytelling in remarkable ways.”
The winners include:
Best Feature Film–Live Action: Oppenheimer
Best Feature Film–Animated: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Feature Film–International: Godzilla Minus One
Best Documentary: 32 Sounds
Best Motion Picture–Musical: Color Purple
Best Audio–Theatrical: The Creator
Best Audio–Episodic: The Last of Us
Best Original Song: “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
Best Use of High Dynamic Range–Feature Film: Barbie
Best Use of High Dynamic Range–Episodic: The Last of Us
Best 2D to 3D Conversion: Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3
Best Musical Scene or Sequence: “I’m Here” from Color Purple
Best Theatrical Scene or Sequence: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Best Episodic–Animated: Star Wars: Visions Volume 2
Best Episodic –Live Action: The Last of Us
Best Achievement in 8K Production: Satayama Niigata: Living with Snow; NHK/NHK Enterprises Inc.
Heritage Award for Media Preservation: Iron Mountain Media and Archive Services
Voices For The Earth Award: Darren Aronofsky and Sphere Entertainment, Postcard from Earth
Distinguished Artist Award: Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Harold Lloyd Award: Alexander Payne, The Holdovers
The Innovation in Production Technology Award was given to Ryff for their innovations including development of advanced software that addresses critical challenges faced by productions worldwide. Their innovations enable effortless integration or removal of product placements during postproduction.
In addition, the annual Sir Charles Wheatstone Award, presented to an organization for advancing the arts and sciences of storytelling by working behind the scenes, was presented to The Walt Disney Studios’ Research and Innovation teams at DisneyResearch|Studios and StudioLab for advancing cinematic storytelling. A highlight of the awards ceremony was a vision of Walt Disney himself in the event space, sharing an inspiring message about innovation. DisneyResearch|Studios, StudioLab, and Industrial Light & Magic utilized cutting-edge technology to digitally bring Walt to life and create this unique greeting called MagicStage, which was originally developed for Disney100: The Exhibition.
