Oscar nominee Dante Spinotti named Kodak Cinematographer-in-Residence at UCLA

Affirming their commitment to the next generation of filmmakers and the future of the film industry, Kodak and UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT) have announced that Academy Award nominee Dante Spinotti, AIC, ASC, will be the school's 2012 Kodak Cinematographer-in-Residence for the spring quarter.

 

"It is an honor to have Dante Spinotti as this year's cinematographer-in-residence at TFT," said UCLA professor of film and television William McDonald. "His experience, unique cinematic eye and dedication to his craft make him an invaluable mentor for our students, providing them a once-in-a-lifetime experience and education. This is precisely Kodak and TFT's goal with our exclusive program."

The mentorship program will begin with a free screening of one of Spinotti's most memorable films, "The Last of the Mohicans," at the James Bridges Theater in UCLA's Melnitz Hall on Monday, April 30, at 8 p.m. Spinotti won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for his work on the Michael Mann–directed 1992 film. The screening is free and open to students, staff, faculty and the general public. A question-and-answer session with Spinotti, moderated by McDonald, will follow the screening.

 

The Italian-born Spinotti's U.S. career began in 1986 with his breakthrough visuals on Mann's "Manhunter" and continues today with the recent release of "Tower Heist," directed by Brett Ratner. In between, he compiled more than 60 credits, collaborating with such groundbreaking directors as Bruce Beresford, Garry Marshall and Michael Apted. Spinotti's work with Curtis Hanson on 1997's "L.A. Confidential" led to his first Oscar nomination, followed by a nomination for "The Insider" in 2000, with Mann. Both films also earned Spinotti ASC Award nominations, as did "The Last of the Mohicans."

 

His body of work includes such memorable films as "Crimes of the Heart," "Beaches," "Frankie and Johnny," "Heat," "Wonder Boys," "Red Dragon," "Pinocchio," "X-Men: The Last Stand," "Public Enemies," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," "The Berlin Affair," "Fotografando Patrizia," "Il segreto del bosco vecchio," "The Legend of the Holy Drinker" and "The Star Maker."

"What a tremendous experience these students will have with the incredibly talented Dante Spinotti mentoring them," said Judith Doherty, Kodak's marketing director for the Americas. "We're so pleased with the success of this program over the years, as supporting the next generation of filmmakers is always a high priority for Kodak."

 

The cinematographer-in-residence program was inaugurated by McDonald in 2000 with the support of Kodak to enhance the learning experience of students with insight from renowned cinematographers. UCLA's TFT is the only film school that offers such a cinematography residency program, in which students can receive direct guidance from cinematographers through screenings, workshops and one-on-one sessions over the course of 10 weeks.

 

The program's past mentors include Allen Daviau, ASC; Conrad L. Hall, ASC; Owen Roizman, ASC; Dean Cundey, ASC; Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC; Laszlo Kovacs, ASC; Joan Churchill, ASC; Stephen Burum, ASC; Victor J. Kemper, ASC; Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC; John Bailey, ASC; and Richard Crudo, ASC.

 

For additional information on the April 30 screening of "The Last of the Mohicans," visit www.tft.ucla.edu or call 310-206-8365. Admission is free. Parking is available for $11 in Parking Structure 3. A limited number of pay-by-the-hour parking spaces are also available in the structure.

Kodak's Educational Initiatives: Kodak's ongoing support of student filmmakers and educators encourages excellence in the field of motion picture education. The company's efforts include a range of programs that enrich the knowledge and learning experience of the art and craft of filmmaking. Initiatives range from scholarships, educational materials and product grants to awards, seminars and workshops. Student film showcases and the annual Kodak Film School Competition also contribute to raising the profile and recognition of emerging talent. For more information, visit www.kodak.com/go/education. Join Kodak on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KodakMotionPictureFilm and on Twitter at @Kodak_ShootFilm.

 

The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's mission is to serve as a premier global interdisciplinary professional school that develops outstanding humanistic storytellers, industry leaders and scholars whose diverse, innovative voices enlighten, engage and inspire change for a better world. Consistently ranked as one of the top elite entertainment and performing arts institutions in the world, the school offers an innovative curriculum that integrates the study and creation of live performance, film, television and the digital arts. Our distinguished graduate and undergraduate programs include acting, directing, writing, producing, animation, cinematography, lighting design, set design, costume design, sound design and moving image archive studies. The school offers Ph.D.s in theater and performance studies and in cinema and media studies.

 

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