Recognizes significant contributions toward advancing art and craft of filmmaking

On June 4th at The Paramount Theater in Hollywood, Volker Bahnemann was honored with the Cine Gear Expo 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the significant contributions he has made towards advancing the art and craft of filmmaking. “Volker Bahnemann has been a loyal and passionate friend of cinematographers and their crews for nearly a half a century,” said Julianne Grosso and Karl Kresser, Vice President and President of Cine Gear, respectively. “He is a true visionary who has made an indelible impression on both the art form and the countless numbers of people whose lives he has touched.”

Photo: Volker Bahnemann (left) and Victor Kemper, ASC.

Bahnemann accepted the award from presenter and cinematographer Victor Kemper, ASC (Dog Day Afternoon, Eyes of Laura Mars), saying: “Thank you, Cine Gear, for giving me this award. It is indeed very precious to me because it comes from the industry and the community that has been a big part of my life for a long, long time.” He thanked Kemper for their years of friendship and collaboration during the cinematographer’s tenure as ASC President. Bahnemann concluded with: “For me, having had a career with one great company in a wonderful and exciting industry has certainly been a great run and considering none of it was planned, it sure turned out well. Thank you very much and good night.”
Bahnemann served a total of 48 years at ARRI, with 32 of those years as CEO and President of ARRI Inc. and ARRI/CSC. He inspired countless filmmakers, supporting their creative visions through the decades. In 1974, he was made the youngest Associate Member of the American Society of Cinematographers. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation to him in 1996 for “outstanding service and dedication to upholding the high standards of the Academy.” In 2002 he received the Fuji Gold Medal for outstanding achievements from the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE).

ARRI recently established “The Volker Bahnemann Award for Cinematographers at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television.” The grant was conceived to inspire future generations of cinematographers and empower talented students to realize their artistic potential.