Stephen Lighthill has been elected president of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). The vote was made by the newly elected board of governors who also elected ASC officers, vice presidents Richard Crudo, Daryn Okada and Kees Van Oostrum; treasurer Victor J. Kemper; secretary Fred Goodich, and sergeant-at-arms Steven Fierberg.
Lighthill takes over the reins from outgoing ASC president Michael Goi, who served a maximum three consecutive terms. This will be Lighthill’s first turn as ASC president. He has previously served on the organization’s board and as sergeant-at-arms.
“I am honored and humbled to be trusted by my peers to lead the ASC,” said Lighthill. “There has never been a more exciting time to tell stories visually. The creative options are abundant today. That also means it’s never been more important for us as an organization to collaborate in the diverse challenges affecting the role of the cinematographer.”
Other ASC members elected to the board of governors include John Bailey, Stephen H. Burum, Curtis Clark, Dean Cundey, Fred Elmes, Michael Goi, Francis Kenny, Matthew Leonetti, Michael O’Shea, Robert Primes and Owen Roizman. Alternate Board members include Ron Garcia, Karl Walter Lindenlaub, Julio Macat and Kenneth Zunder.
Lighthill currently is the chair of the cinematography program at American Film Institute Conservatory. He began his career shooting for San Francisco Bay-area news programs, as well as national news shows such as 60 Minutes. He segued into documentary cinematography, working on many films including Gimme Shelter and Berkeley in the ’60s, which was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Audience Award at Sundance. Lighthill’s narrative credits include such television dramas as Vietnam War Story, Earth 2, Nash Bridges and She Spies. Lighthill’s commitment to sharing his experience and knowledge led him to become an AFI instructor, now serving as senior filmmaker-in-residence, cinematography.
Always active in the filmmaking community, Lighthill has long served as an officer on the national executive board of the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG). In 2000, he was presented with the Society of Operating Cameramen’s (SOC) President’s Award, recognizing his career achievements. In 2010, SMPTE recognized Lighthill with the Kodak Educational Award for outstanding educational contributions to the motion picture industry.
The ASC was founded in 1919. There are 330-plus active members today who have national roots in some 20 countries. There are also 150 associate members from ancillary segments of the industry.
