‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘The Crown’ Win ASC Awards for Cinematography
“Blade Runner 2049” cinematographer Roger Deakins won the top prize for theatrical motion pictures at the 32nd annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards Saturday night.
While the 68-year-old lenser continues to be a bridesmaid at the Oscars, where he is currently 0-14 (with this year’s bid still pending), he’s an old favorite with the ASC: Deakins’ win for Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel is his fifth honor from the organization. He previously won competitive prizes for “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Man Who Wasn’t There” and “Skyfall,” and received the group’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2011.
Deakins bested the very same quartet he will face at the Oscars in March: Bruno Delbonnel (“Darkest Hour”), Hoyte van Hoytema (“Dunkirk”), Rachel Morrison (“Mudbound”) and Dan Laustsen (“The Shape of Water”). “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” cinematographer Ben Davis replaced Morrison on the British Academy slate. That winner will be revealed at the 71st annual BAFTA Awards on Sunday, Feb. 18.
In the ASC Awards’ 32-year history, 13 winners of the group’s theatrical prize have gone on to win the Oscar, including in three of the last four years.
Deakins’ next project is director John Crowley’s adaptation of “The Goldfinch.”
The ASC’s other theatrical award — the spotlight award, inaugurated in 2014 to recognize lesser-known achievements from the festival circuit and the world of foreign cinema — went to “November” lenser Mart Taniel. Taniel won over “On Body and Soul” and “Loveless,” the two top-placing films at Poland’s Camerimage cinematography festival in November.
In the television categories, Boris Mojsovski won the commercial series prize for Syfy’s “12 Monkeys” while Adriano Goldman won in the non-commercial field for Netflix’s “The Crown.” Mathias Herndl took the motion picture/miniseries honor for NatGeo’s “Genius.”
Elsewhere, Oscar-winning lensers Russell Carpenter (“Titanic”) and Russell Boyd (“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”) received the Lifetime Achievement Award and the International Award, respectively, while Emmy nominee Alan Caso (“Six Feet Under”) was tapped for the Career Achievement Award for Television.
Caso, who exhorted the assembled artisans to increase diversity among their ranks, reflected on the irony he and many of his colleagues find themselves in: “I’ve been in a bubble, surrounding myself with a white male crew.”
Stephen Lighthill received the Presidents Award from the organization, while Angelina Jolie picked up the Board of Governors Award. Jolie’s latest film, “First They Killed My Father,” earned DP Anthony Dod Mantle a Bronze Frog honor at the Camerimage fest.
Jolie acknowledged the help she’s received from the DPs she has worked with over the years. “I was taught how to be a director by cinematographers,” she said. In addition to Dod Mantle, her collaborators include Deakins and Dean Semler, who introduced her.
Last year’s ASC winners included “Lion,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and USA’s “Mr. Robot.” The Oscar went to “La La Land,” while Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Netflix’s “The Ranch” won Emmys.
Full list of 2018 ASC winners below.
Theatrical Release
Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC for “Blade Runner 2049”
Spotlight Award
Mart Taniel for “November”
Motion Picture, Miniseries, or Pilot Made for Television
Mathias Herndl, AAC for “Genius” (“Chapter 1”)
Episode of a Series for Non-Commercial Television
Adriano Goldman, ASC, ABC for “The Crown” (“Smoke and Mirrors”)
Episode of a Series for Commercial Television
Boris Mojsovski, CSC for “12 Monkeys” (“Thief”)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Russell Carpenter, ASC
Board of Governors Award
Angelina Jolie
Career Achievement in Television Award
Alan Caso, ASC
International Award
Russell Boyd, ASC, ACS
Presidents Award
Stephen Lighthill, ASC
ASC Andrew Lesnie Heritage Award — Undergraduate
Logan Fulton, “Widow”
ASC Andrew Lesnie Heritage Award — Graduate
Favienne Howsepian, “Snowplow”
ASC Haskell Wexler Student Documentary Award
Connor Ellman, “Forever Home”
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