Plus Camerimage Awards

The Plus Camerimage 2008 Golden Frog went to Anthony Dod Mantle for the cinematography in Slumdog Millionare at the 16th Plus Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, which has just finished in Łódź. Alan Parker received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Unique Visual Sensitivity.

Grażyna Torbicka and Michał Łuszczyński officiated at this year’s final gala, during which awards were handed out for the best cinematography of the season. The top prize went to Mantle for his work in Slumdog Millionare, directed by Danny Boyle. The film tells the story of an 18-year-old orphan from the slums in Mumbai who is a contestant on the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” quiz show in India.

The Plus Camerimage 2008 Silver Frog went to César Charlone for the cinematography in Blindness by Fernando Meirelles, and the Brown Frog to Rainer Klausmann for the cinematography in The Baader Meinhof Complex by Uli Edel. Pierre Lhomme received the Lifetime Achievement Award for cinematography in films including Camille Claudel, Cyrano de Bergera and Le Divorce.

The award for the Best Film in the Polish Film Competition went to cinematographer Jacek Petrycki and director Kasia Adamik for The Offsiders (Boisko bezdomnych).

“I like working with Jacek because we both know what we want,” said Kasia Adamik on receiving the award. “Admittedly we often want something completely different, but that is why our cooperation is so creative. This is our positive conflict of contrasts.”

Not only cinematographers were awarded at the festival. The award to the Editor with Unique Visual Sensitivity went to Pietro Scalia and a similar award went to production designer Arthur Max.

The audience received Parker, the director of Ptasiek and Evita, with enthusiasm. He was granted a Lifetime Achievement Award for Unique Visual Sensitivity.

“He is a director who has received nearly all awards that one can get,” said Agnieszka Odorowicz, General Director of Polish Film Institute, who made the presentation. “I am honoured that I can award him with the Camerimage Festival Award.”

The Golden Tadpole went to Aurelian Pechmeja. This cinematographer was also honoured with a special award from the Polish Filmmakers Association.

The ceremony ended with a presentation describing a modernised electric power station in Łódź, where screenings will take place in future.

Further information may be found at: www.pluscamerimage.pl

Translated by Monika Miziniak | Edited by Patricia Koza