At the 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes today, Dolby Laboratories senior vice president Ioan Allen was awarded a Festival de Cannes Medal by Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the Festival de Cannes and managing director of the Institut Lumière.
In addition, Dolby announced the famous Louis Lumière room in the Palais des Festivals, which hosts the official Festival de Cannes preview screenings, will be transformed to incorporate Dolby Atmos immersive sound for 2025, for the 78th edition of the festival. This represents a major investment, born entirely by SEMEC, the operating company of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes.
Allen received the award during a private ceremony at the Salon des Ambassadeurs in the Palais des Festivals. During the ceremony, Allen, who joined Dolby in 1969 and worked closely with founder Ray Dolby, accepted the medal in recognition of Dolby's technical investment and film industry expertise over 50 years. Allen is best known for developing the Dolby Stereo film program. He has received five scientific and technical awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including an Oscar.
Frémaux said, "We are delighted to have Dolby as one of our technical partners for half a century. For us, it's a real guarantee of know-how and excellence."
Allen added, "Receiving this distinction is a great honor and renews our commitment to the Festival de Cannes and the world of cinema in general."
Dolby has renewed its technical partnership with the Festival de Cannes for the next three years.