The Motion Picture Sound Editors’ 68th Golden Reel Awards, scheduled for Friday, April 16th as a fully virtual event, will invite sound professionals from around the world to gather and celebrate their craft in a way unlike anything in the organization’s long history. Attendees will be welcomed into a virtual event space, inspired by luxurious real-life locations in New York and Mexico, for a lively, one-of-a-kind show that will be full of surprises and feel incredibly real.

The event will be fun, immersive, and in keeping with the spirit of the Golden Reel Awards. “It’s going to be a memorable night,” says MPSE President Mark Lanza. “We are planning a true, international event with speakers, presenters, awards recipients, and attendees joining from every part of the globe. The event space is exceptional and will add to the excitement as we honor this year’s Golden Reel Award winners.”

The event will begin with a pre-show cocktail party held in a glitzy, virtual ballroom, where attendees will be able to schmooze with colleagues just as they have at real-life events of the past. The awards ceremony will be conducted in a theater space, modeled after New York’s iconic Manhattan Center, with highlights including the presentation of the MPSE Filmmaker Award to Mad Max director George Miller (virtually from Australia).

“In the main theater, you will be able to direct your avatar to a couch to relax and watch the awards stage full screen,” notes MPSE Organization Manager Anne-Marie Slack. “But, if you see a friend seated nearby, you can get up and join them.”

The event space will also include a VIP lounge, a photo-booth where guests can pose for pictures, and a press room where the media can interview the night’s winners. The evening will conclude with a traditional after-party, held on a virtual rooftop with an ocean view at sunset that replicates a festive Cancun resort.

Despite its high-tech features, the virtual ceremony is designed for ease of use. Participants, regardless of their technical sophistication, will be able to easily register, navigate the space, meet people, and find what they are looking for. “It’s a seamless translation of a live event to a virtual world,” says Karen Dunn, principal of KMD Productions, the event planner. “It’s cool, classy, and a whole new way to experience the Golden Reel Awards.”

Register for the 68th Golden Reel Awards here.

About MPSE
Founded in 1953, the Motion Picture Sound Editors is a non-profit organization of professional sound and music editors who work in the motion picture television and gaming industries. The organization’s mission is to provide a wealth of knowledge from award-winning professionals to a diverse group of individuals, youth and career professionals alike; mentoring and educating the community about the artistic merit and technical advancements in sound and music editing; providing scholarships for the continuing advancement of motion picture sound in education; and helping to enhance the personal and professional lives of the men and women who practice this unique craft.