As we present the fall edition of our Directors Series, which includes a feature on notable DPs, appropriately enough the annual Kodak Filmschool Competition has helped unearth some additional prospects who could one day grace the pages of our Cinematographers & Cameras rundown.
Now in its ninth year, the Filmschool Competition recognizes outstanding achievements in cinematography by student filmmakers. The 2008 contest has named four students as first-place winners: Devendra Golatkar from the Film and Television Institute of India; Mateo Soler from the Universidad ORT Uruguay; Aonan Yang from Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Canada; and Amparo de Miguel Viguer of the Escuela de Cinematografia y del Audiovisual de la Comunidad de Madrid (ECAM) in Spain.
Don Burgess ASC, who judged several of the regional competitions, praised the winners for their sensitivity, artistry, and storytelling ability.
The winners will receive a trip to the 2009 Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival in France, where their films will be presented in the Kodak Short Film Showcase. The filmmakers also will participate in networking sessions and other festival activities.
“The quality of the entries increases every year and that’s gratifying for us to see,” said Wendy Elms, worldwide education segment manager, Entertainment Imaging Division, Eastman Kodak Company. “By providing recognition of their work, we hope to encourage the next generation of cinematographers to pursue their passion to tell stories on film. This is one of many ways that Kodak supports students and film schools around the world.”
This year, the student filmmakers tackled a diverse range of subject matter. Golatkar’s Who Thought About Little Boy tackles the subject of children’s rights; while Soler’s Fine is the story of a man trying to escape the congestion of the universe. Singularity from Yang focuses on what happens when computers become superior to human intelligence; while Maneki Neko from Spanish filmmaker de Miguel Viguer is the story of a man who encounters conflict as his life is changed by a woman.
The Kodak Filmschool Competition is open to students and recent graduates in Asia, Latin America, Canada and the U.S., and–this year for the first time–Europe and the Middle East. Participants must first compete at a national level. Finalists are then judged for the top four spots. All entries must be produced on film by a student crew.
“Kodak gains as much from the competition as the students do,” said Elms. “While we devote great resources in our laboratories to developing the next generation of films, this next generation of filmmakers shows us how they want to use that film. The more they challenge it, the more we challenge ourselves. And, through the process, we all get better at what we do.”
Kodak’s educational programs have been supporting students and their mentors for more than 16 years with educational materials, product grants, seminars/workshops, and initiatives such as the Kodak Filmschool Competition and emerging talent showcases. (For more info on the Kodak Filmschool Competition, visit www.kodak.com/go/filmschoolcompetition.)
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More