Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC, William Wages, ASC, Francis Kenny, ASC, and Fred Godfrey will be honored at the 26th American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards, Feb. 12 at the Hollywood & Highland Grand Ballroom. Spinotti will receive the 2012 ASC lifetime achievement award, with additional ASC honors going to Wages for the career achievement in television award, Kenny with the presidents award, and Godfrey with the ASC Bud Stone award of distinction.
Spinotti’s U.S. career began in 1986 with his breakthrough visuals on Manhunter with director Michael Mann, and continues today with his current release, Tower Heist with Brett Ratner. He has compiled more than 60 credits to date, collaborating with such directors as Bruce Beresford, Garry Marshall and Michael Apted. His work with Curtis Hanson on L.A. Confidential in 1997 led to his first Oscar nomination, followed by a second nomination for The Insider in 2000, on which he re-teamed with Mann. Both films also earned Spinotti ASC award nominations, with an additional nod from ASC for The Last of the Mohicans. His body of work includes such films as Crimes of the Heart, Beaches, Frankie and Johnny, Heat, Wonder Boys, Red Dragon, Pinocchio, X-Men: The Last Stand, Public Enemies, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Berlin Affair, Fotografando Patrizia, Il segreto del bosco vecchio, The Legend of the Holy Drinker and The Star Maker.
“What Dante Spinotti brings to every movie he photographs is youthful exuberance mixed with the wisdom of experience,” said ASC president Michael Goi. “His visual style is infused with the kind of playful experimentation and consummate craft that results in iconic imagery.”
Wages has been nominated for two Emmy awards and eight ASC Awards, winning twice. One of his first major narrative credits was Resting Place, the first of many Hallmark Hall of Fame productions Wages would photograph. In 1988, Gore Vidal’s Lincoln was nominated for an ASC Award, with additional nods for Caroline?, Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase, I’ll Fly Away (pilot), The Moving of Sophia Myles, and Miss Lettie and Me. Wages won consecutive ASC Awards in 1997 and 1998 for Riders of the Purple Sage and Buffalo Soldiers. The latter also earned an Emmy nomination, as did Into the West, in 2006. Wages became a member of the ASC in 1992, and counts more than 50 narrative television projects, commercials and documentaries among his credits.
Kenny began his career as a documentary filmmaker. His 50 credits as a cinematographer include the feature films Heathers, New Jack City, She’s All That and Jason’s Lyric. His documentary credits include films shot throughout the world ranging from Afghanistan to the North Sea. Kenny is currently the director of photography on the FX television series Justified. He became a member of the ASC in 1998. He has been the ASC membership chairman for the past 10 years, and is also serving his second term on the ASC board of directors.
“Bill and Francis are fabulously talented cinematographers who also happen to be terrific human beings,” said ASC awards committee chairman Richard Crudo. “Their work in features and television speaks for itself but perhaps more importantly, they’re treasured members of our organization.”
Godfrey is the first recipient of the ASC Bud Stone award of distinction, which will be presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. Burton “Bud” Stone was president of Deluxe Laboratories in Hollywood from 1976 until 1994. He was a founding member of the ASC outstanding achievement awards and served as chairman for 17 years.
Godfrey’s career in the film industry began in a Hollywood warehouse, where Kodak motion picture film was stored. Within a few years that led to an opportunity for Godfrey to become a customer service representative at the Kodak motion picture office in Hollywood. He served as a liaison between cinematographers and the film manufacturer until he retired in 1986. He is an associate member of ASC, and was also on the committee that planned the first and subsequent ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards.
