Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF, Nelson Cragg and David Stockton earned top honors in the three competitive categories at the 23rd Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards here tonight at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Dod Mantle won the feature film competition for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Cragg topped the episodic TV competition for CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION / “For Gedda” (CBS). Stockton won the movie/miniseries/pilot category for the pilot of ELEVENTH HOUR (CBS).
“Recreating stories for the cinema can help us understand the present, learn more about different ways of life, transport us to a fantasyland, and reveal truths about reality and what it means to be human,” said Oscar-nominated actress Amy Adams, who presented the award to Dod Mantle. “This year’s nominees demonstrated a mastery of enchantment.”

The other feature film nominees were Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD and THE READER; Chris Menges, ASC, BSC also for THE READER; Claudio Miranda for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON; and Wally Pfister, ASC for THE DARK KNIGHT.

“Artful cinematography for a television series is no easy task,” said Simon Baker who bestowed the award to Cragg. “The extraordinary work done by this year’s nominees is some of the most beautiful pictures on television today.”

In the episodic TV category, nominees included Ousama Rawi, CSC, BSC for THE TUDORS / “Episode 2.1” (Showtime); Stephen Reizes, CSC for FLASHPOINT / “Who’s George?” (CBS); Gale Tattersall for HOUSE M.D. / “House’s Head” (FOX); and Glen Winter, CSC for SMALLVILLE / “Fracture” (CW).

“Cinematographers are people with unique abilities who accomplish extraordinary things under challenging circumstances,” said Christina Hendricks who presented the award to Stockton.

The other nominees in the television movie/miniseries/pilot category were Oliver Bokelberg, BVK for “Breakdown,” the pilot of MY OWN WORST ENEMY (NBC); Michael Bonvillain, ASC for the FRINGE pilot (FOX); Jon Joffin for “Night One” of THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (A&E); and Kramer Morgenthau, ASC for the pilot of LIFE ON MARS (ABC).

The ASC Board of Governors Award was given to writer-producer-director Christopher Nolan by Pfister, with whom he collaborated on THE DARK KNIGHT. The award was given in recognition of Nolan’s contributions to the art of filmmaking.

Nolan and Pfister pushed the limits of filmmaking by choosing to shoot the opening six-minutes and several action sequences of THE DARK KNIGHT in the 65 mm film format. “Chris was determined to create a compelling cinematic experience,” Pfister noted.

The ASC Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jack Green, ASC by Clint Eastwood. The ASC International Achievement Award was given to Donald McAlpine, ASC, ACS by director Paul Mazursky. The ASC Career Achievement in Television Award was bestowed upon Robert “Bobby” Liu, ASC by Lowell Peterson, ASC (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES). The ASC Presidents Award was presented to Isidore Mankofsky, ASC by director Larry Yust.

The ASC also presented the Bud Stone Heritage Award to Nathan Levine-Heaney from Florida State University who took the top prize in the graduate category, and Aaron Dunson from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts who won in the undergraduate competition. This student award is rededicated annually to the memory of a different cinematographer or industry professional who contributed to the art and craft of cinematography.

“Bud Stone was an eternal ally and friend to cinematographers both young and old,” noted Cyril Drabinsky, president and CEO of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group. “He had an unwavering appreciation for the role that cinematographers play in the collaborative art of visual storytelling. He also made incomparable contributions to supporting cinematographers and raising their public profile.”