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Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC (THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN), Robert Elswit, ASC (THERE WILL BE BLOOD), Janusz Kaminski (THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY) and Seamus McGarvey, BSC (ATONEMENT) are the nominees for top honors in the Feature Film category in the 22nd Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards competition. The winner will be announced here during the awards celebration on January 26, at the Hollywood and Highland Grand Ballroom.

Above Photos: Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC; Robert Elswit, ASC; Janusz Kaminski; Seamus McGarvey, BSC, (Photo by Alex Bailey).

Deakins is the first cinematographer to claim two nominations in one year in the ASC Feature Film category. He was previously nominated five times and won twice (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE). This is the fourth ASC nomination for Kaminski, the second for Elswit, and the first for McGarvey.

“In the opinion of their peers, these four talented individuals have set the contemporary standard for artful cinematography in a very competitive field,” says Russ Alsobrook, ASC who chairs the organization’s Awards Committee. “They were nominated for distinctly different genre films. The common denominator is that they all succeeded in helping to create a sense of time and place while evoking emotional responses that were in tune with the intentions of the actors and directors.”

ASC President Daryn Okada points out that the four nominees were born and raised in different countries. Deakins is from England, Kaminski is from Poland, McGarvey is from Ireland, and Elswit is a native of the United States.

“Artful cinematography is a global language, which frequently goes unnoticed by critics and the general public because it is usually designed to be unintrusive,” says Okada. “It requires innate talent, the ability to master a complex and constantly evolving craft, and a penchant for collaborating with many people for a common goal. Our purpose is to let our colleagues know we appreciate their artistry.”

The ASC was founded in January 1919, by 15 charter members who were dedicated to advancing the evolving art and craft of filmmaking. There are some 290 members today, and 150 associate members from allied sectors of the motion picture and television industries. For more information about the 22nd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement awards, visit the ASC Web site (www.theasc.com) or call 323-969-4333.