Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has announced their nominees in the two television categories of the 24th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards competition. The winners will be named during the awards celebration on February 27, 2010, here at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.

Nominees vying for top honors in the television movie/miniseries category are Alar Kivilo ASC, CSC for Taking Chance (HBO), Rene Ohashi, ASC, CSC for Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (CBS) and Jerzy Zielinski, ASC for The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (CBS).

"The finalists in this category made significant contributions to the art of visual storytelling," says ASC President Michael Goi. "In the opinions of their peers, they have set the contemporary standard for artful cinematography in movies made for television."

Nominees in the episodic/pilot television category are Eagle Egilsson for TNT's Dark Blue ("Venice Kings"); Jeffrey Jur, ASC for ABC's FlashForward ("The Gift"); Michael Price for ABC's Ugly Betty ("There's No Place Like Mode"); Christian Sebaldt, ASC for CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ("Family Affair"); and Glen Winter, CSC for the CW's Smallville ("Savior").

"The rapid evolution of high-definition televisions in homes has made the role cinematographers play in creating content for episodic television more challenging and more important than ever," says ASC Awards Committee Chairman Richard Crudo. "All of the nominees artfully helped to transport audiences to fantasy worlds." 

Jur, Ohashi and Winter have previously earned ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards. Jur won for the telefilm Last Call in 2003 and for the episodic series Carnivale in 2004. He earned another nomination for Carnivale in 2006. Ohashi took home the prize in the TV movie category for The Crossing in 2001, and was nominated again in 2002 for Don Giovanni Unmasked as well as Jesse Stone: Sea Change in 2008. Winter claimed top honors in the episodic competition for Smallville in 2008, and earned two other nominations for the series in 2006 and 2009. Egilsson has earned two ASC nominations for episodes of CSI: Miami in 2007 and 2008. Kivilo received previous nominations in the TV movie/miniseries category for The Invaders in 1996 and Gotti in 1997.

The ASC was chartered in January 1919. There are more than 300 active members of ASC, and 150-plus associate members from sectors of the industry that support the art and craft of filmmaking. Membership and associate membership is by invitation based on contributions that individuals have made to advance the art of visual storytelling.

For more information regarding the 24^th ASC Awards, visit www.theasc.com, or call 323-969-4333.