Celebrating the art of cinematography

The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography PLUS CAMERIMAGE honours the art of cinematography and cinematographers with awards given out to films for their visual, aesthetic and technical values.

It is held annually in Lodz, the second biggest city in Poland, the capital of the Polish cinema. The Festival is also a forum for the development of international moviemaking. PLUS CAMERIMAGE helps young filmmakers and integrates the community of those already recognized, allowing them to explore new artistic areas.

Apart from the Main Competition, the Festival also contains other events such as Student Etudes Competition, Documentary Films Competition “Image of the World –

World in Images” held under patronage of Discovery Networks Central Europe, Music Videos Competition, Plus Camerimage Market, Plus Camerimage Forum, Polish Films Competition under the patronage of Plus network operator, special screenings and premieres, various reviews, retrospectives, meetings and also accompanying events such as art exhibitions and music performances.

Many professional filmmakers and film school students from around the world are attracted to the festival by the numerous seminars and workshops organized in the Festival Centre and in the professional film studio of the OPUS FILM company, led by the greatest modern cinematographers, directors and other filmmakers.

Various presentations of modern film equipment and of the latest production and post-production technologies (both, traditional and digital) are also an inherent and a very attractive aspect of the Festival. They have been organized with co-operation of companies such as Arri, Kodak, Panavision, Sachtler, Technicolor, K5600, Panasonic, Lightcraft, Zeiss and Sony. All this provides an opportunity for global forum where cinematographers can discuss issues and share their knowledge, experience and ideas.

PLUS CAMERIMAGE is an event where art and technology meet creating a unique and unforgettable atmosphere.

Dirty Words wins Golden Tadpole award at Plus CamerImage

The Polish short film Dirty Words took the Golden Tadpole award in the Student Etudes Competition at PLUS CAMERIMAGE 2009, the only international film festival dedicated to the ‘art of cinematography.’ The film will be showcased at the Clermont Ferrand Film Festival on 4 February 2010.

Dirty Words was directed by Marcin Maziarzewski and shot by cinematographer Weronika Bilska, both of the Polish Film Institute, University of Silesia. The film is about a sound engineer called Piotr who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome which, amongst other things, causes him to shout out obscenities. It’s been described as ‘a tragicomic tale about a battle with one’s limitations to find communion with others.”

“The CAMERIMAGE winner will now join four other regional winners from Kodak student competitions in our Next Generation Showcase at the Clermont Ferrand Film Festival in February,” said Thierry Perronnet, marketing director for Kodak’s European Region.

“Kodak is a great believer in encouraging new talent. By helping cinematographers to present their work to a professional audience that comprises producers, feature film managers, short film buyers, journalists and others, we feel this provides an opportunity for massive exposure and networking. It’s our way for thanking them for what they do and helping them use our products to continue to expand their creativity for the future.”

Lifetime Achievement Award – DANTE SPINOTTI

PLUS CAMERIMAGE awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dante Spinotti ASC, AIC: Spinotti shot his first features for cinema in Italy in early 1980s, and in 1986 he worked on Choke Canyon – his first feature in US. When producer Dino De Laurentis hired him to photograph Michael Mann’s Manhunter, Spinotti soon became one of the most appreciated cinematographers in Hollywood.

Spinotti later continued to work with Mann also on The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider and most recently Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. He worked with many other reputable directors including Michael Apted, Bruce Beresford, Brett Ratner, Garry Marshall, Curtis Hanson, Giuseppe Tornatore, Ermanno Olmi, Roberto Benigni, Roland Joffe, Barry Levinson, Lina Wertmuller or Marcel Langenegger.

Dante Spinotti is a well-respected cinematographer whose extraordinary and artful work behind the camera has resulted in numerous nominations and awards. The organizers of PLUS CAMERIMAGE paid tribute to this innovative and visionary artist. A retrospective review of Spinotti’s films was presented showcasing some of his greatest achievements. A specially published album on his life and work was also presented to the Festival’s audience.

Lifetime Achievement Award – VOLKER SCHLÖNDORFF

The Lifetime Achievement Award to Director was presented to Volker Schlöndorff, the first Academy Award winner in post-war Germany. He started learning the craft of filmmaking from the best French directors – Louis Malle, Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Resnais.

His directorial debut Young Törless, won him the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes Films Festival in 1966, and his The Tin Drum –

a Golden Palm in 1979 and the Academy Award. He made a number of acclaimed films like The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, Germany in Autumn, Swann in Love, Death of a Salesman, The Voyager, The Ogre, The Ninth Day, Strike.

The most renowned achievements of Volker Schlöndorff, was presented at the Festival in the review of his films and a specially published album on his life and work.

Special Award – ALLAN STARSKI

The recipient of the Special Award to the Production Designer with Unique Visual Sensitivity was awarded to Allan Starski, a Polish production designer, whose work has gained international recognition.

Starski has been awarded many prestigious prizes, among which the most important is the Academy Award for his production design for Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List. An exhibition of his works was presented at the Festival Centre in the Grand Theatre. Drawings and photos of set design for such films as The Pianist (dir. Roman Polański, 2002), Oliver Twist (dir. Roman Polański, 2005), Hannibal Rising (dir. Peter Webber, 2007) and Pompeii were displayed.

Special Award – RICHARD ZANUCK

The Special Award to the Producer with Unique Visual Sensitivity was presented to Richard Zanuck. An preeminent independent producer and former studio head, Zanuck has earned numerous awards and citations for his achievements in his more than 40 years of filmmaking. Among them, perhaps the most significant and the one that bears the greatest testament to his well-earned stature is the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, which was bestowed upon him and long-time associate David Brown in 1991.

This illustrious accolade, given only 36 times in the Academy’s history, recognizes Zanuck as “a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production.” Zanuck was also granted an Oscar as a producer of Driving Miss Daisy. His other credits include such titles as Jaws, Planet of Apes, Big Fish and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street among others.

Cinematographer – Director Duo Award – VITTORIO STORARO AND CARLOS SAURA

Vittorio Storaro and Carlos Saura are genuine masters of their craft. Saura (born 1932) reinvigorated Spanish cinema after years of stagnation. Storaro (born 1940), an Italian cinematographer, is acknowledged as one of the greatest contemporary cinematographers, three-time Oscar winner and awarded the Camerimage Golden Frog in 1994. When in 1995 they first collaborated on the film Flamenco it was evident to the critics that they had the same attitude (not as common as might be expected) that the art of cinematography is the basis of cinema, that a film is what you see. Together they have already made five films: Flamenco, Taxi, Tango, Goya in Bordeaux, more recently I, Don Giovanni, and now have been working again for the sixth time on Flamenco Flamenco.

Special Award for Outstanding Achievements in Documentary Filmmaking – TERRY SANDERS

Terry Sanders is a director, producer and writer, who was granted the Academy Award twice. He has directed and/or produced more than 70 award-winning dramatic features, theatrical documentaries, television specials and a large body of portrait films of major American artists, writers and musicians. He is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary documentary filmmakers. A retrospective of his films was presented to the international public of Plus Camerimage 2009. The retrospective was part of documentary film section “Image of the World – World in Images” organized under the patronage of Discovery Networks Central Europe.

Special Award to the Polish Cinematographer for Immense Contribution To The Art of Film – DARIUSZ WOLSKI

Dariusz Wolski, a Polish cinematographer who is greatly respected abroad, rose to fame thanks to the American production Pirates of the Caribbean, for which he was the cinematographer and Gore Verbinski the director. It was a great critical success receiving various prizes but also a box-office hit with an army of fans. The unique, gloomy atmosphere of the camerawork, which had first been fully used in the film

adaptation of the comic book The Crow (dir. Alez Proyas), became Wolski’s hallmark. His talent was recognized by Tim Burton, one of the most original contemporary directors. After their successful collaboration on Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street he hired Wolski for his next film project – Alice in Wonderland (2010).

Special Award to the Editor with Unique Visual Sensitivity –

THELMA SCHOONMAKER

Thelma Schoonmaker, an American, three-time Academy Award winning film editor has worked with director Martin Scorsese for over thirty-five years. She met Scorsese while both were students at New York University and has edited all of Scorsese’s films since Raging Bull. Schoonmaker has received six Academy Award nominations for best editing, and has won three times (for Raging Bull, The Aviator, and The Departed). Her professional output is an impressive list of film editing credits. She is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary film editors.

Special Award to the Director with Unique Visual Sensitivity –

TERRY GILLIAM

Terry Gilliam, an American-born filmmaker, is undoubtedly the most creative and imaginative film director working in cinema today. From his early days working with the Monthy Python comedy troupe right up to his recent works, his imagination and scope has continually pushed at the boundaries of what can be achieved in movie making. He is undoubtedly a genius and his films continue to astound and surprise. His credits include such remarkable film titles as Time Bandits (1981), Brazil (1985), The Fisher King (1991), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Brothers Grimm (2005) and more recently, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009).