Christian Berger, AAC, Alar Kivilo, ASC, CSC and Eagle Egilsson claimed top honors in the three competitive categories at the 24th annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration last night at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
Berger won the feature film category for The White Ribbon, besting a field of nominees which also consisted of Barry Ackroyd, BSC for The Hurt Locker, Dion Beebe, ASC, ACS for Nine, Mauro Fiore, ASC for Avatar and Robert Richardson, ASC for Inglourious Basterds.
The ASC Award nominees mirror those for the upcoming cinematography Oscar®, except for one DP. Beebe is not up for the Academy Award® next Sunday. Instead Bruno Delbonnel has an Oscar® nom on the strength of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
TV honors
Taking the ASC Award in the episodic television category was Egilsson for the “Venice Kings” episode of the TNT series Dark Blue.
Kivilo was the recipient of the television movie/miniseries award for the HBO telefilm Taking Chance, which marked the directorial debut of producer Ross Katz. (On the basis of Taking Chance, Katz earned inclusion into SHOOT‘s 2009 New Directors Showcase.)
Special awards
The ASC Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon Caleb Deschanel, ASC, by his daughters, actresses Zooey and Emily Deschanel.
Caleb Deschanel’s artistry spans short and long form. He earned Best Cinematography Oscar® nominations for The Right Stuff in 1984, The Natural in ’85, Fly Away Home in ’97, The Patriot in ’01, and The Passion of the Christ in ’05. His body of work also includes such memorable films as The Black Stallion, Being There, The Spiderwick Chronicles and My Sister’s Keeper. Deschanel has also earned an array of credits as a director of motion pictures, TV programs and commercials.
On the latter front, Deschanel co-founded spot production house Dark Light Pictures in ’93 with executive producer Vincent Arcaro. Deschanel continues as a director/cameraman on the commercialmaking roster of the Hollywood-based Dark Light.
Meanwhile the ASC International Award was presented to Chris Menges, ASC, BSC by actor Tim Roth. And the Career Achievement in Television Award was presented to John C. Flinn III, ASC by Michael O’Shea, ASC. All three honorees made it clear that their best work is yet to come.
Tom Stern, ASC presented the Board of Governors Award to Morgan Freeman in recognition of the actor’s body of work and contributions to the art of filmmaking. Stern was behind the camera when Freeman earned an Oscar® for his performance in Million Dollar Baby and last year during the production of Invictus. Freeman collected his sixth Oscar nomination this year for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela.
The ASC Presidents Award was given to Sol Negrin, ASC by his son Michael Negrin, ASC, in recognition of his accomplishments as a cinematographer, and for his ongoing commitment to preparing the next generation for the future.
ASC also recognized the next generation of cinematographers with the presentation of the ASC Richard Moore Student Heritage Award to graduate student Benji Bakshi of the American Film Institute, and undergrad Garrett Shannon from Loyola Marymount University.
The ASC was founded during the dawn on the industry in 1919 for the purpose of advancing the evolving art and craft of filmmaking. There are more than 300 members today from countries around the world. ASC also has some 150 associate members from allied sectors of the motion picture and television industries.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More