The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) announced the winners of its 5th Annual Location Managers Guild International Awards (LMGI) on Saturday (4/7) night. The motion picture winners were Dunkirk (filmed at the French location of the real evacuation and Malo-les-Bains) and Baby Driver (shot on locations throughout Atlanta). The TV series winners were Game of Thrones (filmed in Northern Ireland, Croatia, Morocco, Malta and other locations) and Ozark (shot in seven areas in Atlanta). The LMGI Awards spotlight international features, television and commercials in which the creative use of filming locations set the tone, enrich the character and enhance the narrative. The black-tie awards ceremony and reception took place at the Alex Theatre in Glendale before an audience of 500, including LMGI members, industry executives and press. Comedian Jonah Ray (The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, Mystery Science Theater 300: The Return) served as host.
Writer/producer Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island, Avatar, Terminator Genisys) presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Canadian location manager Rino Pace LMGI (Inception, Deadpool, Unforgiven). New York location pro Jimmy Ayoub LMGI presented the 2018 Trailblazer Award to New York location manager Josh Karan LMGI (founder, ALSAM).
Additional presenters included Tracie Thoms (Devil Wears Prada, Rent), Dennis Haysbert (24, Far From Heaven) and Kevin Daniels (Ladder 49). Location managers Mandie Dillin LMGI (Interstellar, Inception, Iron Man) and David Doumeng LMGI, both past LMGI Award winners, also presented awards at the gala along with Lori A. Balton LMGI (A Wrinkle In Time, Downsizing, Jack Ryan, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), founder and past president of the LMGI and the winner of the 2017 Trailblazer Award for being the first location professional accepted into the Academy.
LMGI AWARDS HONOREES
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Rino Pace LMGI (Inception, Deadpool, Unforgiven)
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Josh Karan LMGI (founder, ALSAM)
LMGI AWARDS WINNERS
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD TELEVISION SERIES
Game of Thrones, Robert Boake LMGI, Matt Jones LMGI, Tate Araez Guzman LMGI
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
Ozark, Wes Hagan LMGI, Kevin Dowling LMGI, Patrick Rofoli
OUTSTANDING FILM COMMISSION
Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Film and Entertainment – Baby Driver, Christopher Hicks, Cardellia Hunter
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A COMMERCIAL
Volkswagon: "Atlas," Charlie Love LMGI, Jof Hanwright LMGI, John Hutchinson LMGI
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD FILM
Dunkirk, Ben Piltz, Arnaud Kaiser
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY FILM
Baby Driver, Doug Dresser LMGI, Kyle Hinshaw LMGI
Producers of this year’s LMGI Awards are co-chairpersons LMGI president Eric Klosterman and Robin Citrin.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More