Ellen Kuras To Become First Woman To Receive ASC Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award

Ellen Kuras will become the first woman recipient of the American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award, which she will accept at the ASC’s 36th annual awards, March 20 at the ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood.

Also during the ceremony, Peter Levy, will be presented with the Career Achievement in Television Award and cinematographer and outgoing International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) president John Lindley will be honored with the President’s Award. Panavision’s lens expert Dan Sasaki will receive the ASC’s inaugural Curtis Clark Technical Achievement Award, which will be given to an individual who has made significant technological contributions to the art and craft of cinematography.

Related Stories

Movies

Mandy Walker Becomes First Woman to Win American Society of Cinematographers Feature Competition

Movies

American Society of Cinematographers Awards: Mandy Walker, Roger Deakins Among the Noms

“We’re thrilled to be honoring our colleagues who have all made a significant impact on not only our artform but our community as well,” said ASC president Stephen Lighthill. “Each of these recipients has made a unique contribution to cinema as leaders, storytellers and artists.”  

Kuras, an Academy Award nominee and two-time Primetime Emmy winner, has a range of credits including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Blow. A three-time winner of the award for best dramatic cinematography at Sundance, Kuras has also earned Emmy and Independent Spirit Awards nominations for her cinematography, which has including projects with Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Sam Mendes, Michel Gondry, Jonathan Demme, Rebecca Miller and Jim Jarmusch.

A director herself, Kuras was nominated for an Oscar and Spirit Award and won the Primetime Emmy for her directorial debut The Betrayal/NeraKhoon. She went on to direct second unit on HBO’s Vinyl and The Night Of, followed by Ozark and Umbrella Academy for Netflix. In 2018, she was invited by George Clooney to direct two episodes on the Anonymous Content/Paramount limited series Catch 22. Her latest projects include directing Amazon’s The Terminal List and Apple TV+’s Extrapolations.  She is currently in prep to direct Lee, a film about model-turned-war photographer Lee Miller starring Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Josh O’Connor, Andy Samberg, Andrea Riseborough and Marion Cotillard. 

“Ellen is undeniably a trailblazer,” said Lighthill. “She has consistently brought a daring and compelling creative talent to her work as a director and cinematographer. She is known to be a passionate collaborator, strong leader and generous soul.” 

Levy, who began his film career shooting documentaries in his native Australia, was named Australian Cinematographers Society’s Cinematographer of the Year in 1991. Levy went on to win an Emmy and earn an ASC Award nomination for HBO’s The Life and Death of Peter Sellers in 2005. He won a second Emmy in 2008 for Showtime’s Californication, and additional ASC nominations for his work on  Fox series 24, as well as two consecutive noms for Showtime’s House of Lies. His TV credits include Without a Trace, Reckless, Clubhouse, Maggie Hill, Beautiful People and The Dark Tower.

Lindley previously won an ASC Award for his work on the series Manhattan and earned ASC and Emmy award nominations for the ABC series Pan Am. His credits include Field of Dreams, Sleeping With The Enemy, Father of the Bride, You’ve Got Mail, The Core and St. Vincent. He is also recognized for the lensing and digital mastering of Gary Ross’s 1998 film Pleasantville, what many consider the earliest use in a major motion picture of what evolved to become the digital intermediate process. Lindley currently serves as national president of the International Cinematographers Guild, where he has been leading the union through issues including the pandemic, safety on set, and recent Basic Agreement contract negotiations.

Sasaki, an associate member of the ASC, is revered as a top industry expert in the development of advanced lens systems. As senior vp of optical engineering and lens strategy for Panavision, Sasaki’s  work includes the creation of the AWZ2 anamorphic zoom lens, the T Series anamorphic lens system, and the redevelopment of the Ultra-Panatar lenses. Having trained under his father, Ralph, as well as Panavision legend Tak Miyagashima, Sasaki has spent more than three decades collaborating with leading cinematographers on lens design.