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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced its newly elected Board of Governors for 2025-2026. The group — which sets the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission — will take office at the first scheduled board meeting of the new term.

First-time board members include Focus Features chairperson Peter Kujawski and three-time Oscar-nominated composer Carter Burwell. The incumbent governors reelected to the board include Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, Oscar-nominated producer Jason Blum, and Oscar-nominated director Jason Reitman (who was also recently elected to The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Board of Trustees.) The list of governors returning to the board after a hiatus includes Emmy-winning screenwriter Larry Karaszewski.

Additionally, the Board of Governors elected three new governors-at-large: Haifaa al-Mansour (Directors Branch), Effie T. Brown (Producers Branch) and Annie Chang that will each serve a three-year term beginning...

Updated, 11 Am: The Movie Academy said today that it has elected three new governors-at-large: Haifaa al-Mansour (Directors branch), Effie T. Brown (Producers) and Annie Chang (Production and Technology, Science And Technology Council Chair). Each will serve a three-year term beginning upon the first meeting of the 2025-26 fiscal year. See below for the results of AMPAS’ 2025-26 Board of Governors elections.

Previously, June 18: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has elected its 2025-26 Board of Governors. The envelope, please…

Ten incumbents were re-elected to continue representing their respective constituencies, including Marlee Matlin (Actors branch), Jason Reitman (Directors) and Jason Blum (Producers). Among the first-time governors are Peter Kujawski (Executives) and Gigi Williams (Makeup Artists and Hairstylists), with Larry Karaszewski (Writers) and Isis Mussenden (Costume Designers) among those returning to the board after a hiatus. See the full list below.

Each of the 19 branches is represented by three governors except Animation,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its newly elected 2025-2026 Board of Governors, with a mix of returning incumbents, first-timers and familiar names returning after a hiatus.

Among the incumbents reelected to serve another term are Marlee Matlin (Actors Branch), Marlon West (Animation Branch), Richard Hicks (Casting Directors Branch), Dion Beebe (Cinematographers Branch), Jason Reitman (Directors Branch), Chris Hegedus (Documentary Branch), Nancy Richardson (Film Editors Branch), Jason Blum (Producers Branch), Missy Parker (Production Design Branch) and Peter Devlin (Sound Branch).

Newly elected to the board for the first time are Focus Features’ chairman Peter Kujawski (Executives Branch), Gigi Williams (Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch), Carter Burwell (Music Branch) and Andrew Roberts (Visual Effects Branch).

Three industry professionals are rejoining the board after a hiatus: Isis Mussenden (Costume Designers Branch), Christina Kounelias (Marketing and Public Relations Branch) and Larry Karaszewski (Writers Branch).

They join a roster of continuing governors,...

The results are in after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held elections for 17 seats on its 55-person board of governors, and the new board — which will be seated later this summer — will include four rookies, three comeback kids and 10 re-elected incumbents.

Joining the board for the first time will be Focus Features chief Peter Kujawski (executives branch), repacling Donna Gigliotti, who was unable to seek re-election because she served two three-year terms and now must take a rules-mandated two-year hiatus from the board; and three Oscar nominees: the Coen brothers’ favorite composer Carter Burwell (music), replacing Charles Fox, who hit the rules-mandated max of 12 total years of service on the board and thus was ineligible to run again; Ilm VFX supervisor Andrew Roberts (visual effects), succeeding Paul Debevec, who did not seek re-election; and David Fincher’s go-to makeup artist Gigi Williams (makeup artists/hairstylists), filling the seat of Howard Berger,...

Joseph Kosinski is giving another iconic ’80s IP a contemporary twist. After helming “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kosinski will now be directing the “Miami Vice” reboot film, as THR reported. IndieWire has reached out to reps for Kosinski and Universal to confirm.

Kosinski, who also has “F1” at Apple, will collaborate with screenwriter Dan Gilroy for the feature. Kosinski’s version will be produced by Dylan Clark (“The Batman”).

“Miami Vice” was first an NBC TV series starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two undercover Miami police officers. Michael Mann, who served as a producer on the series, later brought the concept to the big screen in 2006 with Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell in the Universal Pictures film.

Kosinski recently told Deadline that his Formula 1 film “F1” is technically a sibling feature to “Top Gun: Maverick” with the stunts and camera work. “It’s the next generation from what we did on ‘Top Gun,...

I had the pleasure of rewatching Miami Vice the other day and was reminded of what a great experience this film is. I wondered if I’d still enjoy it after years away, but within the first five minutes, I caught myself thinking, “Oh right, this is a classic.” One thing I love about this movie is that it throws you right into the action. It doesn’t hold your hand—you’re expected to let go of any preconceived notions and just ride the wave. You hear a few seconds of music, and suddenly you’re inside a seedy Miami nightclub, right as things are about to get intense. The two protagonists, played by Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, carry themselves with a cool, subdued demeanor that feels authentic rather than over the top.

Miami Vice was released in 2006 to a lackluster response, but its appreciation has steadily grown over the years.

Academy voters had no love for Joker: Folie à Deux, but Batman leads the pack when it comes to comic book movies at the Oscars.

Many months ago, Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux seemed a likely Oscar contender at this weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony. Breaking the Batman mould, the 2018 original remains the most-nominated comic book movie to date with 11 nods, including Best Picture, Best Director, and a Best Actor win for Joaquin Phoenix.

With the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, the meta-fictional musical sequel came with more awards hype. This evaporated on contact with the movie’s lacklustre opening weekend, not to mention the disappointed reception from critics and fans.

(Full disclosure – I am blissfully ignorant of Phillips’ Joker movies, so won’t comment on either of them. Wherever you stand on them, it should suit everyone just fine if the worst movie that gets made...

Warning: This article discusses sensitive topics, including child abuse and sexual assault.

The Oscars have hosted a lavish ceremony celebrating the best of the best in cinema every year, but some people were banned and asked not to return. The first Academy Awards happened in 1929, and since then, hundreds of performers, directors, producers, art directors, and even musicians have been honored for their work in the film industry. The year's most anticipated event has boosted the popularity of many notable titles worldwide and made them some of the best movies of all time.

Throughout the year, audiences started to form theories about which movies would be big winners at the Academy Awards, and predictions for the 2025 Oscars began within weeks after the 2024 event ended. However, it has only been in recent years that the Academy has banned public figures from attending their events and casting their votes. The Academy of...

One of the most acclaimed films of 2004 is “Collateral,” starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith. Written by Stuart Beattie and directed by Michael Mann, the movie tells of a cab driver in nighttime Los Angeles who becomes the hostage of a contract killer. Released 20 years ago in August 2004, “Collateral” was a box office success, grossing $220 million worldwide on a $65 million budget. Read on for more about the “Collateral” 20th anniversary.

Most of the nation’s critics were positive on “Collateral.” Todd McCarthy in Variety wrote, “This intensely focused piece soars not only on the director’s precision-tooled style but also on the outstanding interplay between leads Cruise and Foxx.” Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film “a rare thriller that’s as much character study as sound and fury.” And Peter Travers in Rolling Stone said, “Mann hits a new peak, orchestrating action, atmosphere and...

This article is part of IndieWire’s 2000s Week celebration. Click here for a whole lot more.

By 2014, digital cinematography had become ubiquitous. A bankrupted Kodak was on the verge of closing its doors, and the conversation surrounding digital technology was how it could emulate the photochemical process of shooting on celluloid (a topic still up for debate today) while promising filmmakers greater flexibility, control, and ease of use.

Only a decade earlier, tech companies were still a few years away from building a professional camera designed for Hollywood movie production. There had been independent films shot with inexpensive prosumer Dv cameras that were blown up to 35mm film stock, and George Lucas leaned on Sony to accelerate the development of a camera he could utilize for the next stage of his CGI world-building in “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” (2002), but studio filmmakers and the studios...

On September 16, 1984, a little TV show named Miami Vice hit cable and was a huge success for NBC. It was created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by an up-and-coming filmmaker named Michael Mann. The show would become iconic for its stylish depiction of the Miami drug scene, its use of contemporary music and its distinctive fashion. Years later, in 2006, a movie that has gone down as very divisive would be made. It’s a movie that defines what it means to be revisited. So today, let’s check out Michael Mann’s film adaptation of Miami Vice.

As stated earlier, Michael Mann helped create the captivating TV show. During the 1980s and 90s, Michael would go on to make some of the greatest films of the era, including Heat (which is getting a sequel soon), The Insider, The Last of the Mohicans,and Manhunter. In 2001, after wrapping his biopic Ali,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has returned to its annual spring ritual and announced its 2024-25 Board of Governors today. Among new first-time governors are Patricia Cardoso (Real Women Have Curves), elected to the Directors branch, and Jennifer Fox, who has produced the past several Governors Awards ceremonies, who was elected governor of the Producers Branch. Leaving the board from those positions are current Directors Branch Governor Susanne Bier and Producers Governor Jennifer Todd.

Other first-timers named today are K.K. Barrett for Production Designers, Chris Tashima for Short Films and Andy Nelson for the Sound Branch. Returning to the board after a hiatus is Lois Burwell from Makeup and Hairstylists branch.

Here are the incumbent governors re-elected to the 2024-25 board:

Rita Wilson, Actors Branch

Kim Taylor-Coleman, Casting Directors Branch

Paul Cameron, Cinematographers Branch

Eduardo Castro, Costume Designers Branch

Jean Tsien, Documentary Branch

Pam Abdy, Executives Branch

Terilyn A. Shropshire,...

The new Academy board of 55 members for the 2024-25 season comprises 53% women, while 27% of governors belong to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.

The Academy announced on Monday that the following governors have been elected for the first time: Patricia Cardoso, directors branch; Jennifer Fox, producers branch; K.K. Barrett, production design branch; Chris Tashima, short films branch; and Andy Nelson, sound branch.

The following have been re-elected: Rita Wilson, actors branch; Kim Taylor-Coleman, casting directors branch; Paul Cameron, cinematographers branch; Eduardo Castro, costume designers branch; Jean Tsien, documentary branch; Pam Abdy, executives branch; Terilyn A. Shropshire, film editors branch; Laura C.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the newly elected Board of Governors for the 2024-2025 year.

Elected to the board for the first time are “Real Women Have Curves” director Patricia Cardoso, Oscar-nominated production designer K.K. Barrett (“Her”), two-time Oscar-winning sound designer Andy Nelson (“Saving Private Ryan” and “Les Misérables”), and producer Jennifer Fox, who has helmed the past four Governors Awards. Oscar winner Chris Tashima (“Visas and Virtue”) was elected to the board, representing the shorts branch, following the split from animation earlier this year.

Additionally, 11 incumbents were re-elected to the board: Rita Wilson (actors), Kim Taylor-Coleman (casting directors), Paul Cameron (cinematographers), Eduardo Castro (costume designers), Jean Tsien (documentary), Pam Abdy (executives), Terilyn A. Shropshire (film editors), Laura C. Kim (marketing and public relations), Lesley Barber (music), Brooke Breton (visual effects) and Howard A. Rodman (writers). Oscar-winning makeup artist Lois Burwell (“Braveheart”) is returning to the Board after a hiatus.

The results are in after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held elections for 17 seats on its 55-person board of governors, and the newly constituted board will include five rookies, one comeback kid and 11 continuing incumbents.

The five first-time governors will be Patricia Cardoso (directors branch), a 1996 Student Academy Award winner best known for helming 2002’s Real Women Have Curves, who will succeed Susanne Bier; Jennifer Fox (producers), an Oscar nominee for Michael Clayton and five-time producer of the Academy’s Governors Awards, who will succeed Jennifer Todd; K.K. Barrett (production design), an Oscar nominee for Her, who will succeed Tom Duffield; Andy Nelson (sound), a 24-time Oscar nominee who has taken home statuettes for Saving Private Ryan and Les Misérables, who will succeed Gary C. Bourgeois; and Chris Tashima (short films), an Oscar winner for the live action short Visas and Virtue, who becomes the first governor of the short films branch.

Fresh off some big executive moves, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its newly elected 2024-2025 Board of Governors. The governors, whose advise on what should be the Academy’s strategic vision, help preserve the organization’s financial health, and assure the fulfillment of its mission, are set to take office at the first scheduled board meeting of the new term.

Incumbent governors, reelected to the board after a three-year term, include actress Rita Wilson and Warner Bros. Pictures executive Pam Abdy. Among those elected to the board for the first time is producer Jennifer Fox, who has helmed the Academy’s Governors Awards several years running.

The Academy has 19 branches total, each represented by three governors, except for the recently established Animation Branch, represented by two governors; the recently established Short Films Branch, represented by one governor; and the Production and Technology Branch, represented by one governor.

Ryan Reynolds’ career before Deadpool was that of a talented actor, but he hadn’t yet achieved Hollywood A-list status. That turning point came with Deadpool. Iron Man with its debut in 2008 had already shown the industry the immense potential of a superhero franchise, and Reynolds understood that he needed to secure such a role to elevate his career to that level.

Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern | WB

So when the opportunity for Green Lantern arose, although not as invested at first, in the end, he actively pursued it, even going so far as to beg for the role. However, little did he know, it would have the opposite effect on his career trajectory. Despite Green Lantern not meeting expectations, fans are grateful that it nudged Reynolds to have his moment eventually.

Ryan Reynolds’ Desperate Bid for Green Lantern, A Career Move That Almost Ended It All!

The 2011 Green Lantern...

“Oppenheimer” lenser Hoyte van Hoytema took top honors from the American Society of Cinematographers on Sunday. He edged out all four of his Oscar rivals for Best Cinematography: Edward Lachman (“El Conde”), Matthew Libatique (“Maestro”), Rodrigo Prieto (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Robbie Ryan (“Poor Things”).

Over its 38-year history, the ASC has predicted 152 of the 190 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five this year and in both 2018 and 2017. Last year, it previewed three of the Best Cinematography contenders — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”), Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”). While Walker won over the ASC, she lost the Oscar to “All Quiet on the Western Front” lenser James Friend.

Indeed, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:

Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)

John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)

John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)

Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)

Conrad L. Hall,...

The American Society of Cinematographers nominees announced on January 11 include only four of our five leading Oscar contenders for Best Cinematography: frontrunner Hoyte van Hoytema for “Oppenheimer”plus Matthew Libatique (“Maestro”), Rodrigo Prieto (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Robbie Ryan (“Poor Things”). Our other predicted nominee, Łukasz Zal (“The Zone of Interest”), got bumped by Edward Lachman (“El Conde”).

Over its 37-year history, the ASC has predicted 147 of the 185 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. Last year, it previewed three of the Best Cinematography contenders — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”), Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”). While Walker won over the ASC, she lost the Oscar to “All Quiet on the Western Front” lenser James Friend.

Indeed, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:

Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)

John Toll,...

Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic starring Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop, is getting a global release. Lionsgate is releasing the movie stateside on April 18, 2025, with Universal is handling overseas distribution.

Today, Lionsgate announced that it was beginning production on director Antoine Fuqua’s Michael on January 22.

The John Logan-scripted movie, produced by Bohemian Rhapsody‘s Graham King, follows the complicated man who becomes the King of Pop, from triumphs to tragedies, from his human side and personal struggles to his creative genius. The co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain, also are producers.

Among those involved in the production are Oscar-winning director of photography Dion Beebe, production designer Barbara Ling, costume designer Marci Rodgers, choreographers Rich + Tone, Oscar-winning makeup artist Bill Corso, Oscar-nominated hair stylist Carla Farmer, Oscar-winning sound and music supervisor John Warhurst and VFX supervisor Louis Morin, joined by a crew...

We’ve gathered all videos/short films made using the recently announced Sony CineAlta Burano. Watch those videos to get the most accurate impression regarding this new and fascinating piece of motion picture camera, or should we say— CineAltaB (the promotion name of Burano used in China).

BTS of ‘Original’. The Sony CineAlta Burano. Picture: Sony Sony Burano: Venice imagery in a ‘FX9 package’

The Sony CineAlta Burnao was introduced yesterday. Y.M.Cinema was invited to Sony’s facility at the famous Pinewood Studios to try and test the camera. From the first minute, we saw that the Burano is a unique piece of motion picture camera, that was meticulously engineered to grant solo shooters the privilege of using a high-end cinema camera. You can think of it as a hybridization between FX9 to Venice 2. It owns all the features professional indie filmmakers seek, without compromising on image quality...

At five of the last 10 Oscars, Best Cinematography has gone hand-in-hand with Best Director: Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” (2014); Lubezki and Alejandro G. Inarritu for both “Birdman” (2015) and “The Revenant” (2016); Linus Sandgren and Damien Chazelle for “La La Land” (2017); and Cuaron doing double duty on “Roma” (2019). Will that trend hold true this year? (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2024 Oscar predictions for Best Cinematography.)

The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity” first prevailed at the American Society of Cinematographers Awards,...

Summer Of Soul producer David Dinerstein among new intake.

Bad Robot president of film Hannah Minghella, marketing executive and Summer Of Soul producer David Dinerstein, and actor Lou Diamond Phillips are among the new intake of governors announced on Thursday.

Also elected to the board for the first time are: Wendy Aylsworth, production and technology branch; Richard Gibbs, music branch; Jinko Gotoh, short films and feature animation branch; Kalina Ivanov, production design branch; Simon Kilmurry, documentary branch; Daniel Orlandi, costume designers branch; Dana Stevens, writers branch; and Mark P. Stoeckinger, sound branch.

Minghella belongs to the executives branch, Dinerstein to marketing and public relations,...

There will be a lot of new faces in the room at the next meeting of the Board Of Governors of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences including actor Lou Diamond Phillips. Eleven first timers have been elected in the organizations annual election to select one third of the Board as eleven other members have termed off including Actors Branch Governor Whoopi Goldberg and Writers Branch Governor Larry Karaszewski. With AMPAS’ more stringent guidelines for service in place now two longtime Board members, Charles Bernstein (Music) and Jon Bloom (shorts and feature animation) are permanently off the Board, while others termed out can run again in two years.

Incumbent governors reelected to the Board:

Rob Bredow, Visual Effects Branch

Ava DuVernay, Directors Branch

Linda Flowers, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch

Lynette Howell Taylor, Producers Branch

Stephen Rivkin, Film Editors Branch

Debra Zane, Casting Directors Branch

Elected to the Board...

As a result of elections that took place this year from June 5-9, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 55-person board of governors convenes in July, more than one-fifth of its seats will be occupied by people who were not a part of it in June.

This is the result not of a repudiation of incumbents — in fact, no incumbent who could have sought reelection opted not to, and no incumbent who sought reelection lost — but rather of stricter term limits that the board imposed upon itself in recent years.

For the 2023-24 term, the board — which is composed of three governors representing each of the Academy’s 18 branches except for the newly created production/technology branch, which has just one, plus three “governors at large” — will be joined by 11 rookie governors: Wendy Aylsworth (production/technology branch), David I. Dinerstein (marketing/public relations), Richard Gibbs (music), Jinko Gotoh...

Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, documentary filmmaker Simon Kilmurry and writer Dana Stevens are among the 11 film professionals who have been elected to the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy announced on Thursday.

Those new governors are part of a wholesale makeover of the AMPAS board prompted by new term limits imposed last year. In 10 of the 11 branches where first-time governors were elected, the incumbent governors were unable to run again because of those new limits, which restrict governors to two consecutive three-year terms. Last year, when those limits were instituted, 10 governors were termed off the board and 12 first-time governors were elected.

This year’s election means that 23 of the 55 members of the board will be in their first or second term.

In the Academy’s 18 branches, all six incumbent governors who were eligible to run again were re-elected. Those are Debra Zane...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced its newly elected Board of Governors. The governors, who set the Academy’s strategic vision and watch out for the organization’s financial health, will take office at the first scheduled board meeting of the new term. Wednesday the board voted to expand theatrical release requirements in order to qualify for Best Picture eligibility.

Directors branch member Ava DuVernay is back on the 55-member 2023-2024 Academy Board of Governors. So is producer Lynette Howell Taylor. The incumbents stay, while the ones who have served their three-year term move on, to be replaced by someone else. And, after three terms, like those served by Charles Bernstein and Jon Bloom, they are permanently termed off.

The Academy’s 18 branches are each represented by three governors, except for the recently established Production and Technology Branch, which is represented by a single governor. As a result of this election,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the newly elected Board of Governors for the 2023-2024 year.

Elected to the board for the first time are acclaimed actor Lou Diamond Phillips, screenwriter Dana Stevens, executive Hannah Minghella, costume designer Daniel Orlandi and more. Among the newly elected is technology executive Wendy Aylsworth, who will represent the brand new Production and Technology Branch. Aylsworth, who also serves on the Board of Governors for the Television Academy, spent more than two decades at Warner Bros. and became the first woman president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.

In addition, six incumbents were re-elected to the board — Rob Bredow (visual effects), Ava DuVernay (directors), Linda Flowers (makeup artists and hairstylists), Lynette Howell Taylor (producers), Stephen Rivkin (film editors) and Debra Zane (casting directors). Also, cinematographer Ellen Kuras returns after a hiatus.

They will join returning governors Pam Abdy,...

Exclusive: After a herniated disc during a Cats performance prompted Rob Marshall to switch from dancer to director, his first feature, Chicago, won Best Picture. It has been a charmed run for Marshall since, with hits from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides to Memoirs of a Geisha, Nine, Annie, Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns. Rarely has Marshall been as charged up as he is after coming through a four-year ordeal to turn Disney’s 1989 2-D animated classic musical The Little Mermaid into a live action feature. Beyond the logistical complexities of staging a musical set half undersea and the other half on land where the title character sacrifices her voice for a chance at life as a human, the film is the most color blind major studio adaptation of a classic property you’ve ever seen.

Start with the title character, here played by Halle Bailey,...

Cate Blanchett wore gold sequins and “Elvis” filmmaker Baz Luhrmann directed a group photo shoot at the Australian Oscars Nominees Reception held Thursday night in Hollywood at the Chateau Marmont penthouse.

The guest list also included Oscar nominees from “Elvis,” including Luhrmann, Dp Mandy Walker, costume designer Catherine Martin and producers Gail Berman, Schuyler Weiss and Patrick McCormick. Also joining in the festivities was filmmaker Lachlan Pendragon, director of “An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It,” which is nominated for best animated short film. The event was hosted by Australian Consul-General Los Angeles Ambassador Jane Duke, Ausfilm, Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF)

Duke said the event is “a great opportunity to support and celebrate the Australian screen community’s creative brilliance and success, which has been recognized over many decades.”

She continued, “This year’s Academy Awards is no exception, with...

“Elvis” lenser Mandy Walker became the first woman to take top honors from the American Society of Cinematographers on Sunday. She edged out two of her Oscar rivals for Best Cinematography — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”) who reaped his 17th bid, and Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) — plus last year’s winner with both the guild and the Oscars Greig Fraser (“The Batman”) and Claudio Miranda (“Top Gun: Maverick”). The other Oscar nominees are James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) and Florian Hoffmeister (“Tar”).

Over its 37-year history, the ASC has predicted 147 of the 185 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:

Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)

John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)

John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)

Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)

Conrad L. Hall, “American Beauty” (2000)

Conrad L. Hall,...

At six of the last 10 Oscars, Best Cinematography has gone hand-in-hand with Best Director: Claudio Miranda and Ang Lee for “Life of Pi” (2013); Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” (2014); Lubezki and Alejandro G. Inarritu for both “Birdman” (2015) and “The Revenant” (2016); Linus Sandgren and Damien Chazelle for “La La Land” (2017); and Cuaron doing double duty on “Roma” (2019). Will that trend hold true this year? (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2023 Oscars Best Cinematography predictions.)

The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity...

The American Society of Cinematographers nominees announced on January 9 include only one of our five leading Oscar contenders for Best Cinematography: frontrunner Claudio Miranda for “Top Gun: Maverick.” The other four contenders are ASC stalwart Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”) who reaped his 17th bid; last year’s winner with both the guild and the Oscars Greig Fraser (“The Batman”); Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”).

This quartet figures in our top 10 but we are predicting that joining Miranda in the Oscar line-up will be Russell Carpenter (“Avatar: The Way of Water”); James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front”); Janusz Kaminski (“The Fabelmens”); and Linus Sandgren (“Babylon”).

Over its 36-year history, the ASC has predicted 144 of the 180 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017.

However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:

Dean Semler,...

Acadmy board is now 54 women and 28 from underrepresented groups.

Producer Jason Blum, actor Marlee Matlin and director Jason Reitman are among the big industry names elected for the first time to the board of the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Revealing the line-up of its newly elected 2022-2023 board of governors, AMPAS reported that the board now compromises 54 women and 28 governors from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups.

Along with Blum, Matlin and Reitman, other first-time governors are Richard Hicks, from the Academy’s casting directors branch, Dion Beebe (cinematographers branch), Chris Hegedus (documentary branch), Nancy Richardson...

Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin, and past Oscar nominees producer Jason Blum and director Jason Reitman are among first-time members elected to the Board Of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences as AMPAS announced its new 2022-2023 Board today.

In addition to Matlin for the Actors Branch, Reitman for Directors, and Blum for Producers, other newly elected first time Bog members are Richard Hicks (Casting), Dion Beebe (Cinematographers), Chris Hegedus (Documentary), Nancy Richardson (Film Editors), Megan Colligan (Marketing and Public Relations), Missy Parker (Production Design), Marlon West (Short Films and Feature Animation), Peter Devlin (Sound), and Paul Debevec (Visual Effects).

Incumbent Governors who have been reelected include Ruth E. Carter (Costume Designers), Donna Gigliotti (Executives), Howard Berger (Makeup Artists and Hairstylists), and Eric Roth (Writers). Returning to the Bog after a hiatus is Charles Fox (Music).

They all join returning governors Pam Abdy, Kate Amend, Bonnie Arnold, Lesley Barber,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the newly elected Board of Governors for the 2022-2023 year.

Elected to the board for the first time are Oscar-winning actor Marlee Matlin, cinematographer Dion Beebe, director Jason Reitman, producer Jason Blum, casting director Richard Hicks and more. In addition, four incumbents were re-elected to the board, including Ruth E. Carter (costume designers), Donna Gigliotti (executives), Howard Berger (makeup artists and hairstylists) and Eric Roth (writers). In addition, Oscar nominee Charles Fox returns to the board after a hiatus.

They will join returning governors Pam Abdy, Kate Amend, Bonnie Arnold, Lesley Barber, Charles Bernstein, Susanne Bier, Jon Bloom, Gary C. Bourgeois, Rob Bredow, Brooke Breton, Paul Cameron, Eduardo Castro, Bill Corso, Teri E. Dorman, Tom Duffield, Ava DuVernay, Linda Flowers, DeVon Franklin, Rodrigo García, Whoopi Goldberg, Lynette Howell Taylor, Larry Karaszewski, Laura C. Kim, Christina Kounelias, David Linde, Isis Mussenden, Stephen Rivkin,...

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The 54-person board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — comprised of three elected governors from each of the organization’s 17 branches and three “governors-at-large” appointed by the president — will look very different when it gathers next month than it did when it convened on Tuesday.

Following elections held over the past month, 12 people were elected to the board for the first time, including Marlee Matlin, the Oscar-winning star of Children of a Lesser God and this year’s best picture Oscar winner Coda, who will represent the actors branch; Jason Reitman, the second-generation filmmaker behind best picture Oscar nominees Juno and Up in the Air, who will serve the directors branch; and Jason Blum, the Blumhouse chief and producer of best picture Oscar nominee Get Out, who will advocate for the producers branch.

Other rookie governors will include...

Actress Marlee Matlin, director Jason Reitman and producer Jason Blum are among the 12 film professionals who have been elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors for the first time, the Academy announced on Wednesday.

Where Academy elections have typically found incumbents winning in nearly all branches, this year’s was a step in a dramatic remaking of the board that will take place over a few years.

While all four of the incumbents who ran for re-election did win, stricter terms limits meant that existing governors could not run again in 11 of the 17 races, and the incumbents chose not to run in an additional two races.

The change was set in motion by new, stricter limits on that were put in place in 2020. Previously, they had to leave the board after serving three consecutive three-year terms, but could return after spending a year away.

The nominees list for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Board of Governors has been revealed before its June 6-10 balloting.

The candidates are hoping to fill the open seats on the 54-member board. Up to four candidates are set for the open seat at each each branch, which carries three governors with staggered terms per branch.

Board members who have termed out include Academy president David Rubin (from the casting directors branch), Jan Pascale (production designers), Mark Johnson (producers) and Nancy Utley (PR).

Candidates vying for a seat include actress Marlee Matlin,  composer Hans Zimmer, and executive Toby Emmerich.

The slate faces some crucial tests once installed, including selecting a new Academy president and new CEO to replace outgoing Dawn Hudson. The Academy also must overcome perceptions created in a rocky year, with its Will Smith Oscars slap incident and the uproar over what categories would make it into the Oscars broadcast.

The American Society of Cinematographers awarded Greig Fraser its top prize for his work on “Dune” at its annual awards on Sunday. He edged out three of his Oscar rivals for Best Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel for “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Dan Laustsen for “Nightmare Alley” and Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog.” The fifth ASC contender was Haris Zamberloukos for “Belfast” who bumped Oscar nominee Janusz Kamiński for “West Side Story.”

Over its 36-year history, the ASC has predicted 144 of the 180 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 16 times:

Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)

John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)

John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)

Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)

Conrad L. Hall, “American Beauty” (2000)

Conrad L. Hall, “Road to Perdition” (2003)

Dion Beebe, “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2006)

Robert Elswit,...

As one Oscar season comes to a close, another opens (at least to speculation) with Matt Reeves’ newest take on the Batman franchise starring Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano and Colin Farrell.

The director and co-writer (along with Peter Craig) delivers a dark take on the world’s greatest detective as he battles villains the Riddler, the Penguin and Catwoman. Receiving positive reviews from critics, will this new take on the Caped Crusader land major Oscar attention — including best picture — following in the footsteps of “Black Panther” (2017) and “Joker” (2019)?

But with a limited sense of what the rest of 2022 will have to offer the cinematic landscape, there are certainly two spots well worth considering “The Batman” for recognition: cinematography and original score.

The camerawork, executed by two-time nominee Greig Fraser, is divine, framing an intimate and tension-filled experience that only a master of his caliber can achieve.

The American Society of Cinematographers nominations announced on January 25 include four of our five leading Oscar contenders for Best Cinematography including the frontrunner to win — Greig Fraser for “Dune” — as well as Bruno Delbonnel for “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog” and Haris Zamberloukos for “Belfast.”

Our fifth predicted Oscar nominee, Janusz Kaminski for “West Side Story,” was snubbed in favor of our sixth-ranked contender, Dan Laustsen for “Nightmare Alley.”

Over its 35-year history, the ASC has predicted 140 of the 175 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 16 times in 35 years:

Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)

John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)

John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)

Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)

Conrad L. Hall, “American Beauty” (2000)

Conrad L. Hall, “Road to Perdition” (2003)

Dion Beebe, “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2006)

Robert Elswit,...

At six of the last nine Oscars, Best Cinematography has gone hand-in-hand with Best Director: Claudio Miranda and Ang Lee for “Life of Pi” (2013); Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” (2014); Lubezki and Alejandro G. Inarritu for both “Birdman” (2015) and “The Revenant” (2016); Linus Sandgren and Damien Chazelle for “La La Land” (2017); and Cuaron doing double duty on “Roma” (2019). Will that trend hold true this year? (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2022 Oscars predictions for Best Cinematography.)

The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

While the lensers of “Inception...

The global pandemic may have brought the world to a standstill, but it didn’t stop hitmaker Bruna Papandrea from plowing ahead with her bustling production slate. The Australian-born producer was set to begin shooting Toni Colette starrer Pieces of Her in Vancouver, Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman in L.A. and Anatomy of a Scandal in London, when Covid-19 descended upon the world last year.

Undeterred, tenacious and a decisive problem-solver, Papandrea was able to pivot the productions of Pieces of Her and Nine Perfect Strangers, convincing cast and crew of both projects to relocate to Australia’s relatively Covid-free east coast (Anatomy of a Scandal later finished in London) for the many months much of the world was in lockdown. For Papandrea, whose company Made Up Stories has offices in L.A.—where she lives with her producer husband and eight-year-old twins—and Sydney, this quick swivel...

Denson Baker was named Australian cinematographer of the year for his work on Tvnz/BBC mini-series The Luminaries at the national Australian Cinematographers Society (Acs) Awards in Canberra this evening.

In addition to the Milli Award, Baker also won a Gold Tripod for his work on episode 2 of the series, ‘The Place You Return’.

On winning the award Baker said: “I am indebted to my fellow Australian cinematographers for this incredible honour. Milli recipients are some of the world’s most influential and inspiring cinematographers.

“It is beyond a privilege to be included alongside these very people who define great cinema – both in Australia, and on the world stage. Thank you to each and every member of the Australia Cinematographer’s Society. Your artistry and leadership is deeply appreciated.”

Dion Beebe snared the Gold Tripod for Feature Films – Budget $2 million and over for his work on wife Unjoo Moon’s I Am Woman,...

The American Society of Cinematographers were so impressed by the black-and-white lensing of “Mank” that it awarded Erik Messerschmidt the Best Cinematography prize at its annual awards on Sunday. He edged out three of his Oscar rivals — Phedon Papamichael for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Joshua James Richards for “Nomadland” and Dariusz Wolski for “News of the World — as well Newton Thomas Sigel for “Cherry. The fifth Oscar contender, Sean Bobbitt for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” was snubbed by the ASC.

Over its 35-year history, the ASC has predicted 140 of the 175 Oscar nominees, including four in both 2019 and 2020 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 15 times in 34 years:

Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)

John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)

John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)

Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)

Conrad L. Hall, “American Beauty” (2000)

Conrad L.

The American Society of Cinematographers nominees announced on March 10 include four of the five leading Oscar contenders for Best Cinematography including Erik Messerschmidt for “Mank” as well as Phedon Papamichael for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Joshua James Richards for “Nomadland” and Dariusz Wolski for “News of the World. Also in contention is Newton Thomas Sigel for “Cherry. The fifth Oscar contender, Sean Bobbitt for “Judas and the Black Messiah” was snubbed by the guild.

Over its 35-year history, the ASC has predicted 140 of the 175 Oscar nominees, including four in both 2019 and 2020 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 15 times in 34 years:

Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)

John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)

John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)

Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)

Conrad L. Hall, “American Beauty” (2000)

Conrad L. Hall, “Road to Perdition” (2003)

Dion Beebe,...

The American Society of Cinematographers nominees announced on March 10 include three of our five leading Oscar contenders for Best Cinematography including the frontrunner to win — Erik Messerschmidt for “Mank” — as well as Joshua James Richards for “Nomadland” and Dariusz Wolski for “News of the World. Also in contention are Phedon Papamichael for “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and Newton Thomas Sigel for “Cherry. We are predicting Sigel will reap an Oscar bid for “Da 5 Bloods” instead.

Papamichael is a favorite of the ASC; he was nominated here last year for “Ford v Ferrari” but was bumped out at the Oscars by “The Lighthouse” lenser Jarin Blaschke. We don’t expect him to contend at the Academy Awards this year either with Hoyte van Hoytema likely to land the fifth slot for “Tenet.”

Over its 34-year history, the ASC has predicted 136 of the 170 Oscar nominees, including four in both...

At six of the last eight Oscars, Best Cinematography has gone hand-in-hand with Best Director: Claudio Miranda and Ang Lee for “Life of Pi” (2013); Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” (2014); Lubezki and Alejandro G. Inarritu for both “Birdman” (2015) and “The Revenant” (2016); Linus Sandgren and Damien Chazelle for “La La Land” (2017); and Cuaron doing double duty on “Roma” (2019). Will that trend hold true this year? (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscars predictions for Best Cinematography.)

The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

While the lensers of “Inception...

While Aacta’s Byron Kennedy Award is typically given to an individual or organisation who demonstrates “outstanding creative enterprise”, this year the award will go to a film.

The nominees for the honour, which celebrates the legacy of Dr George Miller’s original producing partner and Mad Max co-creator Byron Kennedy, are a short-list of the last decade’s best indie genre features.

The films are diverse, spanning comedies, Westerns, thrillers, horrors and sci-fis, but Aacta has determined each are in line with Kennedy’s “ethos of excellence”, resourcefulness and “the can-do spirit of independent, low-budget local filmmaking.”

They include: The Babadook, Beast, Cargo, Girl Asleep, I Am Mother, The Infinite Man, Mad Bastards, Mystery Road, Red Hill, That’s Not Me, These Final Hours and Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead.

‘Girl Asleep’.

Many nominated are debut features, such as Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook and Zak Hilditch’s These Final Hours,...