Nick Nicolaou and Paul Katte, founders of the Make-Up Effects Group (MEG), will receive the Adam Lee Memorial Award at this year’s Science Fiction Film Festival.
The Adam Lee Memorial honour is presented to those in the science fiction/fantasy community who have exhibited a dedication to their life’s work and served the genre and its fanbase with passion and positivity.
It is named in honour of Melbourne film archivist and genre fan Adam Lee, friend of the festival and a dedicated family man who died suddenly in July 2021. Past honourees have been science fiction author Johnathan Strahan and comic-book artist Nicola Scott.
Since establishing MEG in 1987, Nicolaou and Katte have worked across the film, TV and live theatre industries, doing everything from prosthetic makeup, animatronics, special makeup effects, creature effects, costumes, puppets and model making.
Their most recent work can be seen in Danny and Michael Philippou’s Talk to Me, now in cinemas, including ‘flesh trauma’ effects. Other credits include Interceptor; Mortal Kombat, Peter Rabbit,Wyrmwood 2: Apocalypse, Nekrotronic, and the upcoming Sting, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Mad Max: Fury Road and the upcoming Furiosa, Occupation: Rainfall, The Wolverine, I, Frankenstein, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia films, the Matrix franchise and The Island of Dr Moreau.
“Paul and I are deeply proud and honoured to be nominated for the 2023 Adam Lee Award, in recognition of our work and achievements over our 35-year film career as Make-up Effects Group,” says Nicolaou.
“Thus far, it has been an amazing journey, creating characters and makeup effects illusions for many local and international science fiction, horror and fantasy films. Connecting with fans and genre audiences with our work and passion is a creatively rewarding experience. We are grateful to accept the Adam Lee Award, and to embody the ideals that it represents.”
Science Fiction Film Festival director Simon Foster praised Nicolaou, Katte and their team for taking the “wildest, weirdest visions” of genre artists and bringing them to life.
“Few of this country’s film sector artisans and craftspeople have impacted the viewing experience of genre film fans around the globe to the extent that Paul and Nick have. Their own creativity and the skills they employ in service of the greatest imaginations working in cinema today make them two of the most crucial collaborators a storyteller could be blessed with,” he says.
Nick Nicolaou and Paul Katte will be present to accept the 2023 Adam Lee Memorial Award as part of the Opening Night of the 2023 Science Fiction Film Festival on August 24 at the Event Cinemas Macquarie complex. The presentation will be followed by the Australian Premiere screenings of Oscar-winning effects creator Tim Webber’s short film Flite and Michael Lukk Litwak’s feature Molli & Max in the Future.