13 Jan 2016
(reprinted from www.theasc.com)
The ASC has nominated Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC; Janusz Kaminski; Ed Lachman, ASC; Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC, and John Seale, ASC, ACS, for the ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in a Theatrical Release.
The nominated films are:
- Sicario, Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC
- Bridge of Spies, Janusz Kaminski
- Carol, Ed Lachman, ASC
- The Revenant, Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC
- Mad Max: Fury Road, John Seale, ASC, ACS
The winner will be announced Feb. 14 at the 30th ASC Awards ceremony.
“Our members have spoken with a fabulous group of choices,” says ASC President Richard Crudo. “The quality of the work is astounding, and it’s great to see we’re once again at the forefront of giving recognition where it’s due.”
“Each of the nominated films represents a different genre and a masterfully distinct visual style,” notes ASC Awards Chairman Daryn Okada. “We look forward to celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of these nominees in February.”
This is Deakins’ 14th ASC nomination. He won for Skyfall, The Shawshank Redemption and The Man Who Wasn’t There, and was also nominated for Unbroken, Prisoners, True Grit, The Reader (shared with Chris Menges, ASC, BSC), Revolutionary Road, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country for Old Men, Kundun, Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
This is Kaminski’s sixth ASC nomination, following Lincoln, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Saving Private Ryan, Amistad and Schindler’s List.
Lachman has been nominated for ASC Awards twice previously, in the theatrical-release category for Far from Heaven and in the MOW/miniseries category for HBO’s Mildred Pierce.
Lubezki has won the ASC Award in this category four times, for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Gravity, The Tree of Life and Children of Men. He was also nominated for Sleepy Hollow.
This is Seale’s fifth ASC nomination. He won for The English Patient and received additional nominations forCold Mountain, The Perfect Storm and Rain Man.
ASC Also nominated Macbeth, shot by Adam Arkapaw; Son of Saul, shot by Mátyás Erdély, HSC; and Beasts of No Nation, shot by Cary Joji Fukunaga, for the Spotlight Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in cinematography in a feature that was exhibited at a film festival, internationally, or in limited theatrical release.
All three cinematographers are first-time ASC Award nominees. The winner will be announced Feb. 14 at the 30th ASC Awards in Los Angeles.
“Our panel had a wealth of material to choose from and worked very hard to determine the best in visual artistry and craftsmanship in this category,” said ASC President Richard Crudo. “We congratulate the nominees on their achievements.”
For the Spotlight Award, a category that was introduced two years ago, ASC members submit entries that are screened by a blue-ribbon panel that chooses the nominees. All ASC cinematographers may vote to select the winner. Previous recipients of the Spotlight Award were the Polish film Ida and the Finnish film Concrete Night.
Macbeth, directed by Justin Kurzel, premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and subsequently screened at several festivals around the world. It made its U.S. debut at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Son of Saul, directed by László Nemes, also premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It premiered in the U.S. at the Telluride Film Festival and went on to win the Bronze Frog at the Camerimage International Film Festival.
Beasts of No Nation, which Fukunaga also directed, premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival and made its U.S. debut at Telluride. It was the first original feature produced by Netflix, and it received a limited theatrical release and began streaming on Netflix on the same date.
“Each of these nominated films evokes intense emotions through its cinematography,” said Daryn Okada, ASC Awards Committee chairman. “Their commitment to the visual narrative of their stories and characters are an integral part of the cinematic experience.”
ASC will honor director/producer Ridley Scott for advancing the art and craft of filmmaking by bestowing him with its Board of Governors Award at the 30th ASC Awards in February.
Scott received Oscar and DGA Award nominations for directing Black Hawk Down, Gladiator and Thelma & Louise. His estimable body of work also includes The Duellists (winner of the Cannes Best First Film Award), the science-fiction classics Alien and Blade Runner, and the films Legend, Someone to Watch Over Me, Black Rain, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, White Squall, G.I. Jane, Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven, Matchstick Menand Robin Hood. Most recently, he directed The Martian, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Counselor andPrometheus.
“Ridley Scott’s work has always demonstrated a sensitivity to the image that is unique and venerable,” said ASC President Richard Crudo. “This is a well-deserved honor for one of our great visual stylists, and I’m so very pleased that the ASC has chosen to honor him this year.”
In 1967, Scott and his brother, Tony, formed the commercial- and advertising-production company RSA, which is known for creating innovative and groundbreaking commercials for some of the world’s most recognized brands. (The company’s credits include Apple’s “1984” ad, which Ridley Scott directed.) The Scott brothers also formed the film- and television-production company Scott Free, which has produced such films as In Her Shoes, The A-Team, Cyrus, The Grey and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
On television, Scott executive produces the acclaimed CBS drama The Good Wife. He has also been an executive producer on the miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, The Andromeda Strain and The Company; the hit telefilms Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy and Killing Jesus; and RKO 281, The Gathering Storm, Gettysburg andInto the Storm.
Additionally, he executive produces the Amazon Studios series The Man in the High Castle, which is nominated for an ASC Award this year in the category of MOW/Miniseries/Pilot.
Scott directed his first television pilot, The Vatican, in 2013. Written by Paul Attanasio, the show explores the relationships, rivalries and mysteries taking place within the Catholic Church. Scott will also executive produce the series.
In recognition of his contributions to the arts, Scott was awarded a knighthood from the Order of the British Empire in 2003.
Scott will be presented with the ASC Board of Governors Award at the 30th ASC Awards ceremony, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on Feb. 14, 2016.