Photo: SanLuisObispo.com
Last night at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Weta co-founder Richard Taylor was honored with the King Vidor Career Achievement Award.
Taylor, known for his work on The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, and The Adventures of Tintin (to name a few), accepted his award while praising a film’s ability to “touch the hearts and […] the emotions of people throughout the world.”
The special effects maven notably pulled together an assortment of talented artists to create Weta Workshop and Weta Digital. He said, “A young person can hang their art in a darkened gallery — a movie theater — and millions of people will see it.”
The festival shifted its focus from previous years by honoring the unsung heroes of the film industry. According to Wendy Eidson, the executive director of the festival, “It’s always important to pay tribute to the people who are making things happen.”
Lord of the Rings actors Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan are also in town for the film festival. Boyd Monaghan, who played Meriadoc Brandybuck, has recently joined Twitter to promote his new show Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan. Boyd, who portrayed Peregrin Took, tweeted this picture from his band Beecake’s Twitter account.
