The International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) will honor cinematographer/director Lawrence Sher, ASC with the Distinguished Filmmaker Award, presented by Panavision, at the 2022 Emerging Cinematographer Awards (ECA).
Sher is best known for shooting Joker and The Hangover movies for director Todd Phillips, and he’ll receive his honor on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 5:00 PM at the Wolf Theatre in the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center, where the event will be followed by a cocktail reception. A collection of the 10 ECA-winning short films will also be showcased.
“Lawrence Sher is a visionary cinematographer and director whose impact spans a wide spectrum of film, television, and streaming projects,” said Baird B. Steptoe Sr., National President of the ICG. “We are proud to honor Lawrence with the Distinguished Filmmaker Award for his talents and exemplary contributions to our craft.”
As a cinematographer, Sher has shot over 35 feature films, numerous pilots, and hundreds of commercials and music videos in his 30 years in the entertainment industry. Sher earned an Oscar nomination for his work on Joker, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide, and he has the Dwayne Johnson movie Black Adam hitting theaters next month. Sher will return to shoot the Joker sequel that will pair Joaquin Phoenix with Lady Gaga later this year.
As a director, Sher recently helped kickstart the Peacock original series Rutherford Falls, directing multiple episodes of the show, including the pilot. Sher is also a board member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).
In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Sher built the website service Shotdeck.com. After years of prepping for films and needing reference material for research and inspiration in all phases of the production process, he created a site that would be an image database of infinitely searchable shots, each keyworded in dozens of categories, that would become the definitive visual library of the moving image.
“I’m very grateful to the ECA and the International Cinematographers Guild for this honor. I joined the Union as a cinematographer 22 years ago and it was such a special feeling of not just career legitimacy, but also being a part of the union’s support and protections,” Sher said in a statement. “The ECA has done such a wonderful job shining a spotlight on the next great talents of this fantastic community of filmmakers.”
The chairs of the Guild’s ECA committee are cinematographer Jimmy Matlosz and Steven Poster, ASC, a past ICG National President. As previously announced, the 10 winning ECA filmmakers are: Andrew Aiello, Green Cobra; Austin Scott Ahlborg, Lotus; Jac Cheairs, KENOBI: A Star Wars Fan Film; Morgan Gardiner, Molly Robber; Gregor Tavenner, Pleasant Canyon; Jason Chau, Sting; Michael P. Tedford, Elder Scrolls: Legends – E3 Trailer; Leonard P. Walsh ll, Kingsnake; Eric M. Hurt, Singularity; and Allie Schultz, Your Monster.
Now in its 24th year, the Emerging Cinematographers Awards is the only award show in the industry that specifically celebrates the work of up-and-coming cinematographers, helping to nurture their talent and showcase their work. The Distinguished Filmmaker Award is given to honor an individual for outstanding creative collaboration to the art and craft of filmmaking. Click here for more information about the ECAs.
