American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 12

Here's wishing you a happy, healthy and continually employed 2016!
Speaking of being happy and healthy, American Cinematographer's lead time has
delayed my reporting on this past November's Camerimage International Film Festival, which
was held in the delightful city of Bydgoszcz, Poland. Nonetheless, the interval hasn't dulled
my enthusiasm for an event that has become the world's premier celebration of who we are
and what we do as cinematographers. 2015 marked the 23rd consecutive gathering; it also
presented my first opportunity to attend. Like each previous one, this year's festival brought
together cinematographers, fans and supporters from every corner of the world. As the first
and most prestigious offering of its kind, Camerimage deserves great praise and encouragement from everyone associated with motion pictures.
The idea for Camerimage originated in 1992 with Festival Director - and now ASC
honorary member - Marek Zydowicz. His reasoning was that cinematographers needed a
forum through which to highlight their contributions to world cinema - and those contributions alone. Believe me, he has done a sensational job. The explosive growth in attendance and recognition over the years - 2015 saw more than 500 cinematographers and
some 5,000 others in attendance - is proof enough of his great achievement. Along with
his top lieutenants Kazik Suwala and Marek Zebrowski, Zydowicz warrants high praise for
a job well done. Their effort is akin to pulling off a second invasion of the beaches at Normandy.
This year's edition bolted from the gate on Nov. 14 and ran through Nov. 21. In addition to the requisite whirl of seminars, roundtable discussions, and master classes that are taught by some of the profession's most elite practitioners, there
were an endless number of screenings chosen to showcase the best of the best. Using an unconventional yet wholly correct
approach, distinguished panels of cinematographers judged the films in competition purely upon their visual merits. According to Zydowicz, by structuring Camerimage in this fashion, he hoped to not only introduce new talents to the world but to
refine and expand the scope of our art by dissecting it in fresh, ever more passionate ways. After seeing just a portion of the
work, it's clear that he has exceeded his initial expectations.
Camerimage hands out a huge variety of honors to students, educators, actors, directors and other industry
figures who have demonstrated a particular facility or appreciation for cinematography. It also draws attention to the collaborative nature of our work by bestowing the unique Duo Award. This honor is reserved for cinematographer-director teams
that, as termed by the organizers, have shown a "special sensitivity" to the image. Past winners have included some of the
greatest combos in history. For a complete listing of winners and honorees, I refer you to the official festival website:
www.camerimage.pl. You will be astonished!
But I would be remiss if I didn't single out the granddaddy of them all: the Lifetime Achievement Award. There's not
much I can add that will make it seem a bigger deal than it already is. Just consider, if you will, a partial list of previous
awardees: Sven Nykvist, ASC; Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC; Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC; Laszlo Kovacs, ASC; Owen Roizman, ASC;
Freddie Francis, BSC; William A. Fraker, ASC; Witold Sobocinski, PSC; Haskell Wexler, ASC; Conrad Hall, ASC; and Caleb
Deschanel, ASC. This year, Chris Menges, ASC, BSC took the prize; I can tell you, he deserves that much and more.
And did I mention the nightly string of parties that redefine the meaning of fun? If you're a cinematographer, you
haven't lived until you've been absorbed into the generous bosom of so many people who truly appreciate you and what
you do. I'm not exaggerating when I compare the feeling to something one of the Beatles might have experienced circa 1964.
If you ever have an opportunity to attend, I cannot urge you strongly enough to do so. Poland is a beautiful country
and is home to some of the warmest, most welcoming people on Earth. No one else in the industry celebrates cinematographers in as significant a way. Thanks to Marek and his crew for providing a thriving platform for just such celebration. We
all should salute them for it!

Richard P. Crudo
ASC President
12

January 2016

American Cinematographer

Photo by Dana Phillip Ross.

President's Desk

http://www.camerimage.pl

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - January 2016