By Robert Goldrich

LOS ANGELES --

It’s all about the work–and that mantra was underscored this past Saturday and Sunday (9/27-28) as the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) recognized eight honorees and two honorable mentions for its 18th annual Emerging Cinematographer Awards (ECA).

At the ECA ceremony held Sunday at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, the proceedings departed from the norm on one key front. After each of their respective awarded short films were screened, the core eight honorees did not make any acceptance remarks. Instead that speech time was allotted for the first time to show in their entirety the shorts shot by the two honorable mention recipients. Thus all 10 short films–from the eight honorees and pair of honorable mentions–were screened for the industry gathering.

The prior day there was another coming together of the eight honorees and two honorable mentions, with the practical purpose of helping these aspiring cinematographers to better position themselves to get work. The 10 aspiring cinematographers met with four talent agents at ICG headquarters in Hollywood to get their perspectives and insights into how to tap into opportunities and build careers. The agents on hand were: Michael Kirschner of APA, Jason Pagni of William Morris Endeavor, Marie Perry of The Skouras Agency, and Erin Searcy of The Gersh Agency.

ICG president Steven Poster, ASC, noted that he even learns from the event. But it’s particularly valuable for young cinematographers who get the chance, said Poster, to “learn how to sell themselves and what they can do to get the job.”

This marks the sixth consecutive year that the ICG has held an agents roundtable for the ECA winners, providing them with advice and counseling on the marketplace.

Winning lineup
This year’s lineup of eight honorees– all ICG members (DITs, first assistant cameramen, second assistants, operators) who are starting to make their mark as cinematographers–consisted of:

o Frank Buono for the short 1982 which he lensed for director Jeremy Breslau. The film centers on a writer who has a flashback to 1982, a tumultuous year when he and his parents were going through difficult times. “The story is told from morning through night spanning all four seasons–all essentially done in one take,” said Buono. “It was the best and most proper way to tell this particular story.”

Devin Doyle for the short Lancaster Stomp directed by John Atzberger. The film introduces us to six picture frames, each with an old time photo from the 19th century. The scenes and the people in them spring to life and they all interact with one another.

George Feucht for Une Liberation directed by Brian James Crewe. This short takes us to the dark tunnels of Paris during World War II as a stark drama unfolds along with a touching romance.

Sidarth Kantamneni for Saerto Ena directed by Nikoloz Kevkhishvili. The film takes place in a hallway and a room–the transition between the two helping to convey the surprising scope of the film.

Kyle Klütz for Sequence directed by Carles Torrens. This marks the second consecutive year Klutz has earned ECA recognition. In 2013 he won the award for shooting the sci-fi short Vessel directed by Clark Baker. A mix of fantasy, action and suspense, Sequence introduces us to a guy who wakes up one morning to find out the entire world has had a dream about him. He assumes he must have done something terrible given how differently people are treating him.

David Kruta for Wallace directed by Ian McCulloch. Wallace tells the story of a man who feels like he’s been wronged so he decides to exact some revenge in his own quirky way–but things don’t turn out quite as he expected.

Bartosz Nalazek for Making a Scene: Forest Whitaker directed by Janusz Kaminski. The short focuses on Whitaker at a typewriter during the creative process.

And Greta Zozula for The Immaculate Reception directed by Charlotte Glynn. The Immaculate Reception refers to the classic December 1972 NFL playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders in which Steelers running back Franco Harris made a seemingly impossible catch of a football that caromed towards him, resulting in the winning touchdown. The short follows a family on the afternoon of that game, which was played in Pittsburgh.

Honorable mentions
The two ECA honorable mentions this year were:

Chris Heinrich for the Deborah Reinisch-directed Sure Thing which takes a humorous look at a first meeting at a coffee bar between a man and a woman and its many romantic–and not that romantic–implications.

And David Jean Schweitzer for Good Luck, Mr. Gorski directed by Arron Shiver which brings a new carnal perspective to astronaut Neil Armstrong’s historic moon landing.

Bicoastal debut
The ICG will soon mark four straight years that there will be a New York screening of the ECA-honored shorts followed by a reception.

The NY premiere event is slated for October 26 at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

The bicoastal play further advances the ECA mission statement which is to nurture talent within the Guild and to give promising cinematographers the crucial exposure they need to succeed in the filmmaking industry.

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