On Saturday afternoon, October 23, the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) handed out its 8th Annual LMGI Awards in a ceremony themed “Celebrate the Where” with awards in seven categories, honoring outstanding creative contributions of location professionals in film, television and commercials from around the globe, and recognizing outstanding service by film commissions for their support “above and beyond” during the production process.
Hosted by actor/director Isaiah Mustafa, this year’s LMGI Awards returned to a virtual ceremony on a digital platform and streamed to a worldwide and more inclusive audience on YouTube and Vimeo.
LMGI’s President John Rakich said, “’International’ isn’t a big enough word for what we do. It’s easy to imagine a scene taking place at any spot on the globe, or somewhere in outer space, or in a world that exists in a post-apocalyptic universe. It’s another thing to go out and find it. Every day we, the location professionals, make the impossible possible. Tonight, we celebrate the best of who we are. I congratulate all of our talented LMGI nominees.”
Warner Bros. Pictures‘ films Judas and the Black Messiah and Tenet won the two film categories for period and contemporary locations, respectively while Netflix cleaned up in television categories, winning all three awards for The Queen’s Gambit (limited series), The Crown – Season 4 (period locations), and Lupin (contemporary location).
Emmy®-winning actress Camryn Manheim presented the LMGI Humanitarian Award to her friend, Oscar®-winning actress Marlee Matlin; Location Manager Aine Furey received the 2021 LMGI Lifetime Achievement Award from Producer Jeff King (The Umbrella Academy) and Art Hindle; and Director David Yates (Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts) received this year’s Eva Monley Award, which recognizes and honors industry members who support the vision of location professionals. Yates’ honor was presented by his go-to location manager, Sue Quinn. Another location manager veteran, Patricia Fay (Dante’s Peak, Assassins, Always, The Patriot), who retired in 2000, received the Trailblazer Award from Emmy-winning Production Designer Jim Bissell.
It was quite a stirring ceremony with some great moments, particularly Matlin’s speech, which gave shout-outs to Henry Winkler, who helped her during her early days in the business, and the Tony-winning Deaf West Theater, where filmmaker Siân Heder was able to find Matlin’s CODA co-stars, Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant. Matlin urged filmmakers to give more deaf and disabled actors roles in their movies. (Note: Below the Line has a number of below-the-line interviews for CODA — an acronym for “Children of Deaf Adults”– to share in the next few weeks, just not its location manager, although it shot in some beautiful Gloucester, Mass. locations.)
Other presenters for the evening included Nadine Velazquez, John Brotherton, Harry Lennix, John Seda, Lesley Fera, Chris Geere, and Joel De La Fuente, with a preshow hosted by Jim Cashman, talking to some of last year’s LMGI Awards winner.
2021 LMGI AWARDS WINNERS:
HONORARY AWARDS:
Humanitarian Award – Marlee Matlin
Eva Monley Award – David Yates
Trailblazer Award – Patricia Fay
Lifetime Achievement Award – Aine Furey/ LMGI
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD FEATURE FILM
WINNER: Judas and the Black Messiah, Warner Bros
BILL GARVEY, TIM KANIESKI
Other nominees:
Dreamland, Paramount
Enola Holmes, Netflix
Mank, Netflix
The Trial of the Chicago 7, Netflix
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY FEATURE FILM
WINNER: Tenet, Warner Bros
JANICE POLLEY/LMGI, JULIE HANNUM/LMGI, KLAUS DARRELMAN/LMGI
Other nominees:
A Quiet Place 2, Paramount
Black Is King, Disney+
Concrete Cowboy, Netflix
Nomadland, Searchlight Picture
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD TELEVISION SERIES
WINNER: The Crown – Season 4, Netflix
MARK WALLEDGE, TATE ARÁEZ/LMGI
Other nominees:
Bridgerton, Netflix
Fargo – Season 4, FX
The Nevers, HBOMax
Ratched, Netflix
Snowfall – Season 4, FX
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
WINNER: Lupin, Netflix
THOMAS De SAMBI, VALERIE SEGOND
Other nominees:
The Handmaid’s Tale – Season 4, Hulu
The Mosquito Coast, Apple TV+
Warrior Nun, Netflix
Woke, Hulu
Yellowstone – Season 3, Paramount Network
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A TV SERIAL PROGRAM, ANTHOLOGY, OR LIMITED SERIES
WINNER: The Queen’s Gambit, Netflix
DAVID PIEPER/LMGI, STEFAN WÖHLEKE, MATT GRAVER/LMGI, FRED KAMPING
Other nominees:
Halston, Netflix
Mare of Easttown, HBO
The Serpent, Netflix
The Stand, Paramount +
The Underground Railroad, Amazon Prime
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A COMMERCIAL
WINNER: It Already Does That, Apple Watch Series 6 – View Here
MATT DeLOACH/LMGI, JOF HANWRIGHT/LMGI, BRENT GAFFEN
Other nominees:
Awareness About Organ Transplantation, Match – View Here
For When It’s Time, Extra Gum – View Here
Create the Beyond, Sony – View Here
Play New, Nike – View Here
OUTSTANDING FILM COMMISSION
WINNER: Savannah Regional Film Commission, The Underground Railroad
BETH NELSON
Other nominees:
Bath Film Office, Bridgerton
Estonian Film Institute/Film Estonia, Tenet
Hamilton Music and Film Office, Umbrella Academy
Liverpool Film Office, Tin Star: Liverpool
Screen Queensland Australia, Love and Monsters
