Schwartzman, Reiker, Gill, and Jur Claim Top Honors At ASC Awards

LOS ANGELES--- John Schwartzman, ASC rode Seabiscuit tovictory in the feature film competition at the 18th Annual AmericanSociety of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards galatonight at the Century Plaza Hotel. The award was presented toSchwartzman by Jim Sheridan, the Oscar-nominatedwriter-producer-director of In America. It was the first victoryfor Schwartzman in the ASC competition. He was nominated for PearlHarbor in 2002.

"I suspect this is what the founders of ASC had in mind 85 years agowhen they envisioned a quest for artistic excellence in visualstorytelling," Sheridan said. "Each of the nominated films was asingular artistic triumph. They ranged from fantasy to reality withstrong characters who made intimate connections with the audience."

The other nominees in the feature film competition were RussellBoyd, ACS for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,Andrew Lesnie, ACS for The Lord of the Rings: Return of theKing, John Seale, ASC, ACS for Cold Mountain, and John Toll,ASC for The Last Samurai.

Tami Reiker, Jeff Jur, ASC and Pierre Gill, CSC claimed ASCOutstanding Achievement Awards in the television competitions. Reikerwon the cable award for the Carnivale pilot, which aired on HomeBox Office. Jur took top honors for "Pick a Number," an episode ofCarnivale. Gill won the competition for the best telefilm on a networkchannel for Hitler: The Rise of Evil, which aired on CBS. CarlaGugino, James Caan, and Kiefer Sutherland presented the awards,respectively.

It was Reiker's first nomination. It was the second ASC OutstandingAchievement Award for Jur, who won last year for the telefilm LastCall. Gill was nominated for the telefilm Joan of Arc in2000.

This was the first time in the history of the ASC Awards that asingle program took top honors in both the televisionmovie/miniseries/pilot and episodic categories. Carnivale is aclassic good versus evil drama set against the backdrop of the DustBowl and Great Depression that wracked the United States during the1930s.

Michael Chapman, ASC received the coveted Lifetime AchievementAward. Chapman was honored for his body of work, including suchclassics as Raging Bull, The Fugitive, Taxi Driver, TheWanderers and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. His upcomingreleases include Eulogy, Suspect Zero and House of D. Theaward was presented by David Duchovny, who lauded the cinematographerfor his artful visual storytelling, and also predicted that Chapman'sbest work is still ahead of him. "Someday we'll be back for part two ofthe Michael Chapman Lifetime Achievement Award," he said.

Miroslav Ondricek, ASC claimed the International Achievement Awardfor his extraordinary body of work, which includes Amadeus, Ragtime,Hair, Silkwood, Slaughter-House Five and Awakenings. Ondricek is anative of Prague, Czechoslovakia, where he is currently teaching at thenational film school. He received the award from actress-director PennyMarshall, who has collaborated with Ondricek on A League of TheirOwn, The Preacher's Wife and Riding in Cars With Boys.

She noted that Ondricek began his career in Prague, but left hisnative land in 1967 when the communist government clamped down onfreedom of expression. "He brought a different way of thinking toWestern filmmaking, did marvelous work, and returned home to teach thenext generation of Czech filmmakers," she said.

Irwin Winkler received the ASC Board of Governors Award, which ASCpresents annually to an individual who has made extraordinary andenduring contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. Winkler hasproduced and directed films that have earned 12 Oscars in majorcategories and 33 other nominations, including Rocky, Raging Bull,The Right Stuff and Goodfellas. The award was presented by actorKevin Kline who observed, "I am told on good authority that the surestway to put a big smile on a cinematographer's face is to tell him orher that Irwin Winkler is on the phone."

Howard Anderson Jr., ASC received the organization's PresidentsAward. This tribute is presented annually to an individual who has madeunique contributions to the art form. Anderson is a visual effectspioneer who has earned several Oscar nominations, but is perhaps bestknown for his work on the classic television series I Love Lucy andStar Trek. Anderson is a second-generation filmmaker. His father,Howard Anderson began his career in Hollywood in 1919. Anderson beganworking with his father part-time while still in his teens, during theearly 1930s. His career stretched into the 1990s. The award waspresented by his son, Howard Anderson III, and granddaughter, ValerieAnderson, both of whom are following in his wake in the filmindustry.

Film historian and documentarian Kevin Brownlow received a specialaward of recognition for his "incomparable contributions to preservingthe heritage of the past for future generations of filmmakers andfans," in the words of ASC President Richard Crudo. Brownlow is aself-taught historian and documentary filmmaker. He has authored books("The Parade's Gone By") and produced documentaries (Abel Gance: TheCharm of Dynamite, Unknown Chaplin, Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Followand D.W. Griffith: Father of Film) about the silent movie era, inaddition to finding, restoring and preserving irreplaceable films forposterity.

The award was presented to Brownlow by his friend and actor JamesKaren, who noted, "He prowls and discovers old films, and preserves andrestores them, so they can be seen in the future, as their creatorsintended ... Kevin is our roadmap to the past."

ASC also gave a nod to the future with the presentation of theConrad L. Hall Heritage Award to two student filmmakers, Nelson Craggfrom the University of Southern California and Bill Fernandez fromFlorida State University. The award is presented annually to one ormore promising student filmmakers. Legendary cinematographer LaszloKovacs, ASC, presented the awards.

"This is just the beginning of a lifelong journey," Kovacs said."Keep learning and never despair. No matter what obstacles lie ahead,keep believing in yourself."

The ASC was founded in January 1919 by a handful of cinematographerswho were dedicated to advancing the art of narrative filmmaking. TheASC Outstanding Achievement Awards were inaugurated in 1987 for thepurpose of recognizing and inspiring the quest for artistry innarrative filmmaking. There are currently some 270 members from manycountries around the world, and another 136 associates in alliedfields. For additional information, visit the ASC website at www.theasc.com.