An Oscar-nominated American cinematographer was charged Wednesday with assaulting public officials in Poland after he allegedly attacked paramedics and police who were called to a hotel where he had been seen staggering.
Matthew Libatique, 50, was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the 2010 film "Black Swan" and was the cinematographer for the new remake of "A Star is Born" that Bradley Cooper directed and co-stars Lady Gaga.
The alleged offenses occurred early Tuesday in the city of Bydgoszcz, where Libatique was an honorary guest at the Camerimage international film festival, according to police officials.
Medical officials were called because Libatique was seen staggering.
"The patient suddenly became aggressive toward medical rescuers, used offensive words and hit the head of the emergency medical team," Krzysztof Wisniewski, an emergency official, told Polish broadcaster TVN24.
A paramedic had a tooth broken and other injuries, Wisniewski said.
Police then were called to the scene, and the cinematographer allegedly attacked the officers, too, Bydgoszcz city police spokeswoman Monika Chlebicz said.
Libatique, who had facial injuries and appeared very intoxicated, was taken to hospital, Chlebicz said.
Prosecutors questioned Libatique and charged him Wednesday with assaulting public officials, an offense punishable by a prison sentence of up to three years under Polish law, Chlebicz said.
Libatique could not immediately be reached for comment. The office of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography said it had no details about the alleged incident but had no reason to doubt the allegations. It said a trial and verdict were expected in the coming days.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More