Award Locarno Film Festival honors sound designer Ben Burtt
Ben Burtt is behind the sound effects in films such as "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones". The 77th Locarno Film Festival honored him with the Vision Award Ticinomoda, as the festival announced on Tuesday.
25.06.2024, 09:23
25.06.2024, 11:29
SDA
The beeping of R2-D2. The Wilhelm scream. The hiss of the lightsaber. Darth Vader's heavy, mechanical breathing. WALL-E's robot noises. Ewokese, the language spoken on the moon of Endor. All these sounds are the work of one man: Ben Burtt.
He is "an essential part of the Star Wars mythology", says Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival, in the press release. Burtt is a "pioneer and visionary who has fundamentally changed the way we perceive sound in cinema".
Burtt has worked on many films, including the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" film series or "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", "Wall-E", "Munich" (2005), "Lincoln" (2012) and "Star Trek". He has not only worked as a sound designer, but also as a film editor, director, screenwriter and voice actor. For example, he voiced the title character Walle-E in the Pixar film of the same name from 2008. He has received four Academy Awards for all his achievements to date.
And now the Locarno Film Festival is also honoring him. The Vision Award Ticinomoda for creatives whose work has shaped cinema will be presented to him on August 14 on the Piazza Grande. In addition, one of the long series of films in which he has participated will be shown, which Burtt will select himself. And on August 15, Burtt will take part in a public discussion where the festival audience can experience him. The 77th Locarno Film Festival takes place from August 7 to 17.
