‘The New Boy’ Cinematographer-Director Warwick Thornton Scores Top Camerimage Prize for Mystical Tale

Cinematographer and director Warwick Thornton scored top honors Saturday at the Camerimage cinematography film festival for his magical tale of an aboriginal youth, “The New Boy,” which film jurors called a distinctive “portrait of an extinguished spirituality.”

Thornton, in accepting the Golden Frog, said he had been so moved by the cinematography work onscreen at the fest, a top global event for directors of photography, he’d been “tearing for a week.”

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Ed Lachman, director of photography for Pablo Larrain’s horror fantasy “El Conde,” inspired by the life of Chilean tyrant Augusto Pinochet, won the Silver Frog for what the jury called “cinematic high poetry,” while the Bronze Frog and Audience Award went to cinematographer Robbie Ryan for his Gothic dream-like imagery in Emma Stone-starrer “Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

Actor Peter Dinklage, honored with a festival director’s prize, expressed his gratitude for the Frog statuette, noting actors are “nothing without our collaborators,” followed onstage by cinematographer Mandy Walker, who also served as main jury president, also honored for her work on films such as “Elvis” and “Mulan.”

Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi, one of the founders of the European Film Academy, was also feted for lifetime achievement in directing, as was cinematographer Peter Biziou (“The Wall,” “The Truman Show”) in the closing gala, held in Camerimage’s cavernous Jordanki screening hall.

The 31st edition of Camerimage, set in the historic Polish town of Torun, was highlighted by films showcasing remarkable filmmaking imagery, often followed by talks with directors of photography that drew hundreds of attendees.

Crowds of film students and industry professionals also turned out for appearances by the likes of Sean Penn, Adam Driver and Bob Geldof, each discussing in-depth how films like Ukraine doc “Superpower,” biopic “Ferrari” or 80s Pink Floyd adaptation “The Wall” were made.

Filmmaker Floria Sigismondi, honored with the director’s award for achievement in music videos, expressed her thanks, saying she knows of “nothing more magical” than imagining an image and then using film to make it manifest.

Meanwhile, three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (“A Room With a View,” “Mad Max: Fury Road”), honored for unique visual sensitivity, said being recognized by cinematographers, “so much the gods of our world,” had great meaning to her.

Rodrigo Prieto, cinematographer of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” was also honored as a “titan” of cinematography as the fest wrapped.

Camerimage 2023 winners

Golden Frog
The New Boy
Warwick Thornton, cinematographer/director

Silver Frog
El Conde
Ed Lachman, cinematographer
Pablo Larrain, director

Bronze Frog
Poor Things
Robbie Ryan, cinematographer
Yorgos Lanthimos, director

Audience Award
Poor Things
Robbie Ryan, cinematographer
Yorgos Lanthimos, director

Cinematographer/Director Duo
Peter Zeitlinger, cinematographer
Werner Herzog, director

FIPRESCI Award
The Zone of Interest
Lukasz Zal, cinematographer
Jonathan Glazer, director

Polish Film
Doppelganger. The Double
Bartłomiej Kaczmarek, cinematographer
Jan Holoubek, director

Film and Art School Etudes
Golden Tadpole Laszlo Kovacs Student Award
Cremation, or The Quarantine Hotel
Wen Lau, cinematographer
Ning Qian, director
National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA)

Silver Tadpole
Plastic Touch
Celia Morales, cinematographer
Aitana Ahrens, director
The Madrid Film School (ECAM)

Bronze Tadpole
Poor Boy Long Way from Home
Tuur Oosterlinck, cinematographer
Jonas Hollevoet, director
Sint-Lucas School of Arts, Brussel (LUCA)

Documentary feature
Golden Frog
The Echo
Ernesto Pardo, cinematographer
Tatiana Huezo, director

Documentary short
Golden Frog
Oasis
Myriam Payette, cinematographer
Justine Martin, director

Director Debut
Inshallah a Boy
Kanamé Onoyama, cinematographer
Amjad Al-Rasheed, director

Cinematographer Debut
A Song Sung Blue
Jiayue Hao, cinematographer
Zihan Geng, director

Music Video
Son Lux “Undertow”
Drew Bienemann, cinematographer
Alex Cook, director

TV Series
The Offer – Episode: A Seat at the Table
Salvatore Totino, cinematographer
Dexter Fletcher, director

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