Lucasfilm Service Awards Honors Ben Burtt and Dave Filoni

Each year, Lucasfilm awards longtime employees across the company as they hit major milestones in their career.

What’s Happening:

Lucasfilm annually recognizes employees who reach major service milestones, and in 2025 the company honors dozens of 20 and 30 year veterans.
This year marks a historic first with Lucasfilm’s first-ever 50-year service recipient, legendary sound designer Ben Burtt of Skywalker Sound.
Burtt joined Lucasfilm in 1975 and helped pioneer modern sound design, creating iconic effects and alien voices for Star Wars: A New Hope, earning a Special Achievement Academy Award.
Over five decades, Burtt has remained an integral part of Lucasfilm as a sound innovator, writer, editor, director, and archivist.
For his trophy, Burtt received a golden lightsaber hilt.

Among the 20 year honorees is Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni, who joined Lucasfilm Animation in 2005.
Filoni served as supervising director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, shaping the creative vision of one of the Star Wars universe’s most beloved stories.
Mentored by George Lucas, Filoni has played an important role in expanding Star Wars storytelling across animation and live action, including The Mandalorian and Ahsoka.
Celebrating all 2025 Service Award recipients for their lasting contributions, check out a full list of this year’s honorees.
- 50 Years: Ben Burtt
- 30 Years: Heather Austin-Weir, Pete Chesloff, Jonathan Greber, Lora Hirschberg, Alexander Jaeger, Tom Martinek, Yves Metraux, Kenn Moynihann, David Nakabayashi, Khatsho Orfali, Erik Pampel, Kevin Reuter, Gary Rizzo, Amy Shepard, John Walker, Sheryl Warnock
- 20 Years: Luxie Aquino, Jim Austin, Christopher Balog, Jean-Paul Beaulieu, Steve Bissinger, Stephen Bowline, Luke Dunn Gielmuda, Dave Filoni, Rene Garcia, Pascal Garneau, Angela Giannoni, Eric Haber, Rick Hankins, Peter Horner, Orion Kellogg, Frankie Kwak, Marissa Martinez-Hoadley, Neil Michka, Michael Midlock, Ullas Narayana, Luke O’Byrne, Frank Rinella, Vick Schutz, Daniel Slavin, Mark Tudo

A Star Wars Tomorrowland That Never Was:

Starting in 1987 with Disneyland's Star Tours, Star Wars has become an integral part of the Disney Parks experience around the world.
The Lucasfilm sci-fi series has become synonymous with the incredible experiences found at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Prior to the 2019 opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, there were a few other ideas for Star Wars in the parks.
Thanks to the new book Doug Chiang: The Cinematic Legacy, fans can check out a look at one of the initial ideas for Star Wars: a Tomorrowland retheme.
Make sure you check out what a Star Wars Tomorrowland could’ve looked like.

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