April 19, 2018 (Burbank, CA) – The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has opened its call for entries for the Engineering Excellence Award today. Now in its 13 year, the HPA Engineering Excellence Award is considered one of the most important technology honors in the industry, spotlighting companies and individuals who draw upon technical and creative ingenuity to develop breakthrough technologies. Submissions will close on May 25, 2018.

Joachim Zell, VP of Technology for EFILM and chair of the HPA Engineering Excellence Award Committee, said, “Artistic vision is what drives the technical and engineering processes that bring that vision to life. Ultimately, our work is fundamentally about helping filmmakers realize their vision. The companies and individuals supporting creative storytellers face constant pressure to evolve to expand the creative palette. Their contribution to the entertainment industry cannot be overstated. The Engineering Excellence Award is a highly competitive honor, and the past winners have changed the course of entertainment technology. We encourage the submission of your significant technological achievements.”

Entrants for this peer-judged award may include products or processes, and must represent a significant step forward for its industry beneficiaries. Past winners have included Aspera, Canon, Colorfront, Dolby, The Foundry/Sony Pictures Imageworks, MACOM, NVIDIA, Panasonic, Quantel, and RED Digital Cinema. Rules and procedures can be found online.

Applicants present to a blue-ribbon industry panel is required of applicants. Presentations will take place on a Saturday in June in Los Angeles, California. More information about the presentation dates and location will be announced soon.

Entries for the Engineering Excellence Award will be accepted until May 25. Winners will be announced in advance, and honors presented during the HPA Awards gala on the evening of November 15, 2018 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA.

In addition, the HPA Awards will again honor important craft categories including Outstanding Color Grading, Editing, Sound and Visual Effects for feature film, television and commercials. The call for entries in these creative categories will be announced in May.

For more information about the HPA Awards, including complete rules, guidelines and entry information, please visit www.hpaawards.com.

For information about sponsorship opportunities for the 2017 HPA Awards show, contact Joyce Cataldo at jcataldo@hpaonline.com.