Cinematography Work at Camerimage Festival ‘Radically Different,’ Jury Members Say

variety.com:

Will Tizard Contributor Jurors at the EnergaCamerimage cinematography fest say the Golden Frog main competition films have been remarkably varied and inspiring in the event’s 32nd edition.

The 12 competing films “were radically different from each other,” said “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, whose directorial debut, “Pedro Paramo,” is also screening at the fest. “I enjoyed that.” The varied styles, approaches and storytellers, he added, defied easy categorization. “Happily, I didn’t notice trends, which I have noticed sometimes in the past in some festivals.” Juror Anthony Dod Mantle, who won Golden Frogs in 2008 for his lensing of “Slumdog Millionaire” and in 2016 for “Snowden,” said, “I’ve been to this festival before and the overall collection of films and categories, I felt, was even wider.

I feel slight absence of certain films from other ethnic backgrounds. They were different, these films, but they could be far more different.” Greater diversity and inclusion in cinematography has justly been a hot topic this year at Camerimage, he added. “It’s good we embrace that, celebrate it here, because not many festivals do that.” Dod Mantle described the current state of cinematography, based on what the jury’s seen this week, as “openly variable and that’s why we praise some films rather than others because they challenge convention.” He also described the industry as “in a bit of a pickle,” adding, “We know that.

We have to applaud ourselves and embrace and encourage every single essence of, molecule of, exploration and challenging cinema.” Juror Lukasz Zal, who filmed “The Zone of Interest” and “Cold War,” said “I feel really inspired.