Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, is an accomplished cinematographer who rose up the industry ranks from modest roots. He was born and raised in a small village in Hungary. He studied at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest and came to the U.S. as a political refugee in 1956 following a failed uprising against the communist regime.
Kovacs eventually found a niche shooting low budget films, including A Man Called Dagger and The Savage Seven during the mid-to-late 1960s. He broke into the mainstream with Easy Rider in ’69, and has gone on to lens such films as Five Easy Pieces, Shampoo, Paper Moon, Mask, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Return to Me and Miss Congeniality. The DP has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers. He is also chairman of the ASC Education Committee, which offers an annual scholarship as well as outreach programs to film students and their schools.
Now for the second consecutive year, Kovacs will judge national finalists in the Kodak FilmSchool Competition. Judges from some 20 countries will select the top work from aspiring filmmakers. Those films will move on to the regional level, at which point Kovacs will select winners and runner-ups in the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions. Additionally, he will provide feedback to all participants.
Kovac’s reasons for becoming involved in the competition–as well as chairing the ASC Education Committee–stem from his never forgetting his beginnings in the business.
“What chance would you have given me as a young man growing up on a farm in Hungary during the 1940s of having a career like mine in Hollywood?” Kovacs asked rhetorically. “It seemed like an impossible dream at times, but some wonderful people encouraged me along the way. I believe the best way I can thank the people who helped me is to reach out to young filmmakers and encourage them to follow their dreams.”
The focus of the Filmschool Competition is on each film’s cinematography and the innovative use of available resources to create the images that complement the story. The cinematographer and crew members must either be (a) currently enrolled in a full-time film or related production training program; or (b) have graduated from such a program within the last 12 months of the competition closing date. (Contact Kodak for national competition entry deadlines; National competition winners will be determined by Dec. 31, ’05. Regional results will be announced by March 1, ’06.)
Each entry must be submitted by the cinematographer. Only one film and one cinematographer per entry is permitted. A short synopsis and production crew list need to accompany each entry form. Entries must be originated on Super 8, 16mm or 35mm negative. The maximum running time is 20 minutes.
The winner of the regional competition will receive a trip to the Cannes Film Festival in May ’06. The prize includes accommodations in Cannes. For further info, log onto www.kodak.com/go/filmschoolcompetition.
The competition was inaugurated in ’00 as part of the worldwide Kodak Student Filmmaker Program, which has provided support for schools and their students since ’91. Initiatives include educational and communications materials, product grants and discounts. For more info on the Kodak Student Filmmaker Program, visit www.kodak.com/go/student.
