Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS earned the coveted Theatrical Award for best cinematography in a motion picture for Lion at the 31st Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards for Outstanding Achievement.
Fraser topped a field of nominees which also included: James Laxton for Moonlight; Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC, for Silence; Linus Sandgren, FSF, for La La Land; and Bradford Young, ASC, for Arrival.
The ASC Spotlight Award–which recognizes outstanding cinematography in feature-length projects that are screened at festivals, internationally, or in limited theatrical release–was bestowed upon Gorka Gómez Andreu, AEC for House of Others.
Winners in the TV categories were Fabian Wagner, BSC for Game of Thrones, Tod Campbell for Mr. Robot and Igor Martinovic for The Night Of.
All the ASC Award honorees this year were first-time winners. The only winner with a previous nomination was Wagner whose work on Game of Thrones garnered him nominations in 2015 and 2016.
The awards ceremony took place tonight at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.
Here’s a rundown of winners:
Theatrical Release Category
Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS, Lion
Spotlight Category
Gorka Gómez Andreu, AEC, House of Others
Regular Series for Non-Commercial Television
Fabian Wagner, BSC, Game of Thrones (“Battle of the Bastards”)
Regular Series for Commercial Television
Tod Campbell, Mr. Robot (“eps2.0_unm4sk-pt1.tc”)
Movie, Miniseries, or Pilot for Television
Igor Martinovic, The Night Of (“Subtle Beast”)
Special awards presented during the ceremony
The ASC Board of Governors Award was presented to Denzel Washington (Fences, Glory, Training Day) by Samuel L. Jackson for his significant and indelible contributions to cinema through his body of work. It is the only ASC Award not given to a cinematographer, and is reserved for filmmakers who have been champions for directors of photography and the visual art form.
The ASC Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Ed Lachman, ASC (Carol, Far from Heaven, Mildred Pierce) and presented by director and frequent collaborator Todd Haynes.
The ASC Career Achievement in Television Award was presented to Ron Garcia, ASC (Murder in the Heartland, The Day Lincoln was Shot” by Steven Poster, ASC.
Philippe Rousselot, ASC, AFC (A River Runs Through It, Hope and Glory, Henry & June) received the ASC International Award from actress Rachel Nichols.
Nancy Schreiber, ASC (Your Friends and Neighbors, The Nines, The Comeback, The Family, Better Things) was presented with the ASC Presidents Award by James Chressanthis, ASC, GSC. This award is given not only for the recipient’s body of work, but dedication to the organization and its mission of advancing the art of cinematography through education.
The ASC Bud Stone Award of Distinction was given to Bruce Berke, longtime motion picture marketing and sales executive and ASC Awards show director, and Frank Kay, marketing director at J.L. Fisher and chairman of the ASC Awards Sponsorship Committee. This award is presented to an ASC associate member who has demonstrated extraordinary service to the society and/or has made a significant contribution to the motion picture industry.
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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