Camerimage unveils competition juries

The 21st Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 16-23), has revealed the competition jurors who will judge entries at this year’s event in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Jury members of the main competition jury are:

• Tom Stern, cinematographer (Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, The Hunger Games);
• Ed Lachman, cinematographer (Erin Brockovich, The Virgin Suicides, I’m Not There);
• Todd McCarthy, journalist and film critic;
• Denis Lenoir, cinematographer (Paris, je t’aime, Righteous Kill, 88 Minutes);
• Adam Holender, cinematographer (Midnight Cowboy, Smoke, Fresh);
• Timo Salminen, cinematographer (The Man Without a Past, La Havre, The Match Factory Girl);
• Franz Lustig, cinematographer (Don’t Come Knocking, Land of Plenty, Palermo Shooting);
• Jeffrey Kimball, cinematographer (Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, The Expendables).

Polish Films Competition

Jost Vacano, the cinematographer behind several Paul Verhoeven films including Total Recall, RoboCop and Starship Troopers, is jury president of the Polish Films Competition.

The other jury members are:

• Stuart Dryburgh, cinematographer (The Piano, Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Recruit);
• Dennis Dembia, vp entertainment PR agency Rogers & Cowan;
• Michael Seresin, cinematographer (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Midnight Express, The Life of David Gale);
• Sean Bobbitt, cinematographer (Shame, 12 Years a Slave, The Place Beyond the Pines).

Cinematographers Debuts’ Competition

Director Jos Stelling (The Girl and Death, De wisselwachter, De illusionist) has been named the jury president of the Cinematographers Debuts’ Competition.

Joining him on the jury are:

Goert Giltay, cinematographer (The Girl and Death, De wisselwachter, The Stone Raft);

Reed Morano, cinematographer (Frozen River, Kill Your Darlings, The Magic of Belle Isle);

Daniele Nannuzzi, cinematographer (Santa Sangre, Empire, Due partite);

Piotr Kukla, cinematographer (Twin Sisters, The Zookeeper, Bride Flight).

Directors Debuts’ Competition

Albert Hughes is the jury president for the Directors Debuts’ Competition. Hughes was the co-director of Menace II Society, From Hell and The Book of Eli.

The rest of the jury is comprised of:

• Witold Stok, cinematographer (Close My Eyes, Murphy’s Law, Best);
• Steven Fierberg, cinematographer (Love & Other Drugs, Secretary, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4);
• Peter Menzies Jr., cinematographer (Die Hard: With a Vengeance, The Incredible Hulk, Shooter);
• Jaroslav Kucera, producer (Dark Blue World, Zelary, Up and Down).

3D Competition

Barry B. Sandrew, stereographer for films such as Shrek 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Transformers: Dark of the Moon, is jury president for the 3D Competition – the newest addition to the Festival.

The other jury members include:

• Markus Lanxinger, stereographer (The Amazing Spider-Man, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Green Hornet);
• Matthew R. Blute, editor (Storm Surfers 3D, Stalingrad, Katy Perry: Part of Me);
• Glen MacPherson, cinematographer (Rambo, Resident Evil: Afterlife, The Three Musketeers).

Students Etudes Competition

Overseeing the Students Etudes Competition is jury president Caleb Deschanel, cinematographer for films such as The Patriot, The Passion of the Christ and National Treasure.

The other jury members are:

• Lech Majewski, director, writer and producer (The Mill and the Cross, Basquait);
• Phedon Papamichael, cinematographer (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Descendants, Sideways);
• Tony Lawson, film editor (Barry Lyndon, The Brave One, Straw Dogs);
• Sergey Trofimov, cinematographer (Night Watch, Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan, Day Watch);
• Daniel Pearl, cinematographer (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13^th, Aliens vs. Predators: Requiem);
• Anastas Michos, cinematographer (Born on the Fourth of July, Man on the Moon, Interview with the Vampire).

Feature Documentary Films Competition

Presiding over the Feature Documentary Films Competition is jury president Joan Churchill, cinematographer and director of Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, Shut Up & Sing and Kurt & Courtney.

Other jury members are:

• Alan Barker, sound editor and cinematographer (Dogtown and Z-Boys, Beyond the Mat, West of Memphis);
• Ewa Ewart, producer and director (Children of Beslan);
• Martina Radwan, cinematographer (William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, Train, Hot Coffee);
• Lawrence Grobel, writer and journalist.

Short Documentary Films Competition

Jury president for the Short Documentary Films Competition is Stephen Lighthill, cinematographer (Coming Out Under Fire, Nash Bridges, The Huntress).

His fellow jury members are:

• Jay Rosenblatt, director and cinematographer (A Pregnant Moment, Human Remains, The Smell of Burning Ants);
• Lorenzo Castore, photographer, director and cinematographer;
• Rachel Morrison, cinematographer (Fruitvale Station, Sound of My Voice, Any Day Now);
• Declan Quinn, cinematographer (Leaving Las Vegas, In America, Rachel Getting Married).

Music Videos Competition

The Jury President for the Music Videos Competition is Samuel Bayer, director and cinematographer for films and music videos such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Green Day: Bullet in a Bible and Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, The Rolling Stones’ Anybody Seen My Baby? and Marilyn Manson’s Disposable Teens.

Rounding out the jury are:

• Robert Leszczynski, music critic and journalist;
• Roberto Schaefer, cinematographer (Finding Neverland, The Kite Runner, Quantum of Solace);
• Stephen Keith – ROACH, cinematographer (music videos for Radiohead, Jamiroquai, Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, U2);
• Daniel Pearl, cinematographer (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Aliens vs. Predators: Requiem);
• Andrzej Smolik, musician.

Camerimage’s Golden Frog, Silver Frog and Bronze Frog awards will be bestowed upon competition titles representing the greatest achievements in cinematography.

Honours for Forster, Schaefer

Long-time collaborators Marc Forster and Roberto Schaefer will receive the festival’s Cinematographer / Director Duo Award, “honoring both their creativity and passion, and their ability to reach compromise in realizing a joint vision”.

Throughout a decade of collaboration, Forster and Schaefer have made eight films including Finding Neverland, The Kite Runner and James Bond film Quantum of Solace. 

Their collaboration began with Everything Put Together, shot on early digital cameras, which they followed with Oscar-winner Monster’s Ball.