Presenter

Richard Baneham is a three-time Academy Award-winning VFX Supervisor. In 2010, he won his first Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for "Avatar". In 2023, he won his second Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for "Avatar: The Way of Water", and in 2026, he won his third Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for "Avatar: Fire and Ash". He is also Executive Producer and 2nd Unit Director on the AVATAR sequels. Born in Dublin, Richie studied at Ballyfermot College of Art & Design. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles in 1994 to work in traditional animation. He made the transition to CG while working on "The Iron Giant". From there, he embarked into the world of CG, where he has also won awards for his work as an Animation Supervisor on "The Lord of the Rings", "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King". His other credits include "Alita: Battle Angel" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". Richie also had the opportunity to dive into the world of theme parks, helping to design and co-direct the "The Flight of Passage" and "The Na'vi River Journey" rides at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida.