Javor Kalojanov and Kimball Thurston have been recognized with the Academy Award for Technical Achievement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The two received the prestigious accolade for developing ML Denoiser, a groundbreaking technology that reduces visual noise in computer-generated images while retaining crucial details, as announced by the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”

ML Denoiser employs advanced temporal filtering and optical flow techniques to preserve image quality during processing. Kalojanov and Thurston’s innovation leverages machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to enhance the clarity of computer-generated visuals.

The award ceremony took place on April 29 in Los Angeles, celebrating technological advancements in the film industry. Kalojanov and Thurston are part of the renowned Wē tā FX studio, the creative force behind iconic films such as "Avatar," "The Lord of the Rings," and "Planet of the Apes."

Javor Kalojanov’s educational journey began at Sofia Mathematical High School, followed by the German High School in Sofia, from which he graduated in 2004. He pursued higher education in Germany, earning a bachelor’s, master’s, and a doctorate in computer science from the University of Saarland by 2016. Between 2016 and 2018, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Visual Computing Institute at RWTH Aachen University, focusing on cutting-edge approaches in computer graphics and visualization. In 2018, he joined the Wē tā FX team in New Zealand.

This is not the first time Bulgarian innovators have been acknowledged by the Academy. In 2017, Bulgarian company Chaos won an Academy Award in the Technical Achievement category for V-Ray, a rendering plugin enabling the rapid creation of photorealistic images. V-Ray technology was used in prominent productions like "Star Wars," "Spider-Man," "Game of Thrones," and "Stranger Things."