Angelina Jolie adds another trophy to her kitty
ROGER DEAKINS MAY be inching closer to making good on his 14th Oscar nomination after winning the American Society of Cinematographers’ feature film award for Blade Runner 2049. His wife, James Deakins, accepted the award on her husband’s behalf Saturday night, saying he was busy filming in New York. Roger Deakins has received ASC accolades before, but none translated into an Oscar.
His wife said he shares the award with his fellow nominees in the category, all of whom are also in contention for the cinematography Oscar next month. Deakins beat out Bruno Delbonnel (Darkest Hour), Hoyte van Hoytema (Dunkirk), Dan Laustsen (The Shape of Water) and Rachel Morrison (Mudbound) to claim the ASC prize. Morrison is the first woman to compete in the organisation’s feature film category and the first woman nominated for cinematography in the 90year history of the Academy Awards.
The ceremony at Hollywood & Highland’s Ray Dolby Ballroom also recognised outstanding TV cinematography, where winners were The Crown, Genius and 12 Monkeys.
Angelina Jolie received the first award of the evening. Dean Semler, the cinematographer on her 2011 directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, called Jolie “a true screen goddess” as he presented her with the Board of Governors Award. “She’s a great film director, wonderful actress, dedicated humanitarian, wonderful mother and a cinematographer’s dream,” Semler said, adding that Jolie has made an “indelible mark, not only on our industry but right across the whole planet.”
Accepting the award, Jolie said she still feels “wonder at the privilege of being able to work as an artist,” especially because for past generations of women, “the freedom to pursue art and ideas independently, on equal footing, was a bitter dream. She credited Semler,
Deakins and other cinematographers she’s worked with as her directing teachers. “I’m very grateful that I’ve never been made to feel like a female director, but that my job was to be a good director,” Jolie said.