Record Number of Submissions with More than 100
Los Angeles, June 28, 2012 – The International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) has named the honorees for its 16th annual Emerging Cinematographer Awards, to be handed out at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles on September 30. There will be a New York screening of the honored shorts followed by a reception at the School of Visual Arts on October 21.
The honorees were selected from a record 100-plus submissions, an increase of 30 percent. Only Guild members who have not yet reached the official status of Director of Photography are eligible. Films must have a maximum running time of 30 minutes, though this year none were longer than 20 minutes.
The honorees are Camera Operator John Barr (The Carrier), 1st AC Daron Keet (Ripple Effect), Camera Operator Brian O’Carroll (Angel), Camera Operator Michael Pescasio (Don’t Let Your Love Annihilate), Camera Operator James Takata (Only Child), Camera Operator Pete Villani (Carjack), Camera Operator Robert C. Webb (The Girl in the Dark) and 1st AC Stewart Whelan (The Money Pet).
In addition two honorable mentions were named. They are 1st AC Michael Lloyd (Dawn) and 1st AC Basil Smith (Cowards and Monsters).
All but one are based in California. Brian O’Carroll, who is a New Yorker, received an honorable mention last year for 8 For Infinity.
“There was such a high overall standard in the submissions that it was an extremely difficult task to choose just ten,” observed ECA Chairman Jim Matlosz.
Guild President Steven Poster added, “This event grows every year to one of the most important benefits we can give to our young members. Everybody knows how difficult it is to start a career in this business these days. This can give a young artist a career boost they can’t get in any other way.
“Our industry sponsors are indispensible to this process. They know that today’s honorees will be tomorrow’s customers.”
Three film festivals will be screening the Emerging Cinematographer shorts this year. The Holly Shorts Fest and the Rhode Island International Film Festival, both in August, will screen the 2011 honoree films. The Ojai Film Festival, which takes place in October, will screen the 2012 honorees and honorable mention films.
Among the sponsors of the 2012 Emerging Cinematographer Awards are Tiffen, Canon, Kodak, Sony, ARRI, Panavision, Carl Zeiss, Deluxe, K5600, Technicolor, Band Pro, AbelCine, Birns & Sawyer, Chimera, Cinematography Electronics, Clairmont Camera, Illumination Dynamics, JL Fisher, KinoFlo, Rosco, Sekonic – The Mac Group, The Rag Place, Fletcher Camera, Mole – Richardson Co., Sim Digital, The Mac Group, The Camera House and Matthews Studio Equipment.
About the International Cinematographers Guild
The International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) represents more than 7,000 members who work in film, television and commercials as Directors of Photography, Camera Operators, Visual Effects Supervisors, Still Photographers, Camera Assistants, Film Loaders, Publicists and all members of camera crews. The first cinematographers union was established in New York in 1926, followed by unions in Los Angeles and Chicago, but it wasn’t until 1996 that Local 600 was born as a national guild. ICG’s ongoing activities include the Emerging Cinematographer Awards and the Publicists Awards Luncheon. The Guild also publishes the award-winning ICG Magazine. www.cameraguild.com.