Christopher Nolan will receive the Art Directors Guild's Cinematic Imagery Award at the 19th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, set to be held Jan. 31 at the Beverly Hilton.

The award is "given to those whose body of work in the film industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the moviegoing experience." Past recipients include Martin Scorsese, Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood, Norman Jewison, John Lasseter, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Blake Edwards.

ADG Council chairman John Shaffner and awards producers Dave Blass and James Pearse Connelly said in a joint statement: "Christopher Nolan’s body of work reflects a clear appreciation for the contribution Production Design brings to the stories he brings to life. His creative legacy is quite remarkable and it demonstrates a great love and respect for our visual medium. The teams of designers and craftspeople that he continues to bring together as a vital part of his filmmaking family are always of the highest caliber, and their work is among the most celebrated, unique and creative in our craft. Christopher Nolan’s films remind us over and over again why we love to go to the movies."

Nolan most recently directed Interstellar. Other credits include Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, The Prestige andInsomnia.

Nominations for this year’s ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards will be announced on Jan. 5. As previously announced, Jim Bissell will receive the guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award; John Gabriel Beckman, Charles Lisanby and Walter H. Tyler will be inducted into the ADG’s Hall of Fame.

Comedian Owen Benjamin will host the awards ceremony.

Zeitgeist Films has formed a joint venture with Syncopy, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas’ production company, to release Blu-ray editions of Zeitgeist’s prestige titles.

Nolan and Thomas have been friends of Zeitgeist since the independent distributor handled Nolan’s first feature film, “Following,” in 1998.

The first title in the partnership is “Elena,” from “Leviathan” director Andrey Zvyagintsev. “Elena,” which won the Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize, is a modern noir thriller in which sixty-ish spouses uneasily share a palatial Moscow apartment.

“Elena” stars Nedezhda Markina in the title role and features Hitchcockian music by Philip Glass. Zeitgeist has set an Aug. 4 release.

“We are excited to be able to release this beautiful film on Blu-ray for the first time,” said Zeigeist co-presidents Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo. “This is a dream project for us and we’re grateful to Chris and Emma for their support in making it possible.”

The next collaboration between Syncopy and Zeitgeist will be a compilation of the Quay Brothers’ animated short films to be released for the first time on Blu-ray in the fall.

StarTalk: Christopher Nolan
Premieres Monday, April 27, at 11 PM ET/PT
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson interviews director, screenwriter and producer Christopher Nolan about The Science of Interstellar. Nolan discusses how he translates his love of science to his films. Dr. Janna Levin, professor of Astronomy and Physics at Columbia University, and comedian Eugene Mirman are on hand to add some colorful commentary.

In celebration of 25 years of Walker Dialogues, the Walker presents acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, one of the most innovative directors working today, in discussion with Variety chief film critic Scott Foundas. The retrospective includes all of Nolan’s features: Following, Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and Interstellar.
Tickets to this event go on sale to Walker Film Club members on April 7; Walker members on April 14; and to the general public on April 21.