Camerimage: ‘Ida’ Wins Top Cinematography Honor

Ida cinematographers Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski accepted the Golden Frog in the main feature cinematography competition at Camerimage, the international film festival of the art of cinematography, that concluded on Saturday in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Ida is a film from Poland, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski. Lorenzo Hagerman received the Silver Frog for Heli, and Bruno Delbonnel took home the Bronze Frog for Inside Llewyn Davis.

In the festival’s debut 3D competition, the jury honored Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity and director of photography Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki in the 3D feature film category. In announcing the award, jury chair Barry Sandrew, of Legend3D, noted the jury chose the title though the mostly CG film was not actually photographed in 3D. For a 3D documentary, the jury awarded Wim Wender’s Pina, photographed by Helene Louvart.

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In the additional competitions held this week at the festival, The Girl from the Wardrobe, photographed by Arkadiusz Tomiak topped the Polish films competition; Winter’s Nomads, photographed by Camille Cottagnoud, topped the documentary feature competition; Johan Palmgren’s photography of Grandpa and Me and a Helicopter to Heaven, won the documentary shorts competition; cinematographer Nicolas Loir’s work on Ghostpoet’s Cold Win, was honored for best cinematography in a music video work; Gesaffelstein’s Pursuit, directed by Fleur & Manu and photographed by Loir, was recognized for best music video; Chayse Irvin received the award for best cinematographer’s debut for Medeas; and Augustine, helmed by Alice Winocour and photographed by Georges Lechaptois, was honored for a directorial debut.

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Slawomir Idziak (Black Hawk Down) received Camerimage’s lifetime achievement award.

Also receiving special awards were Jim Sheridan, for achievement in directing; Roberto Schaefer and Marc Forster, the duo award; John Turturro, who earned the actor/director award; Joan Churchill, for documentary filmmaking; Samuel Bayer, for achievement in music videos; Joel Cox, with an award for editing; and Rick Carter, with an award for production design.

In the student competition, Zuzanna Pyda earned the Golden Tadpole, Erika Meda, the Silver Tadpole, and Anselm Hartmann, the Bronze Tadpole.