‘Belfast,’ ‘Nightmare Alley,’ ‘The Underground Railroad’ among American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) nominees

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced their nominees for their 36th annual awards for motion picture and television from the ASC Clubhouse where Belfast, Dune, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog and The Tragedy of Macbeth were nominated in the Feature Film category.

Ari Wegner, cinematographer for Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, became only the second woman ever nominated by the guild , after Rachel Morrison for Dee Rees’ Mudbound (2017). Morrison then became the first woman ever nominated for the Achievement in Cinematography Oscar.

According to a recent study from Dr. Martha Lauzen and the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women comprise 25% of directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and cinematographers working on the top 250 grossing films of 2021, up slightly from 23% in 2020. Cut to 2021, where 94% of the top 250 films had no women cinematographers, 92% had no women composers, 82% had no women directors, 73% had no women editors and 72% had no women writers.

Last year’s ASC winner in the Feature Film category was Erik Messerschmidt, ASC for Mank, who went on to win the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography.

Television nominees, covering three categories, included Foundation, The Kominsky Method and The Underground Railroad.

The 36th Annual ASC Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 20. The event will be streamed live from the ASC Clubhouse with a limited in-person component.

Here is the full list of nominations for motion picture and television.

Feature Film

Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC for The Tragedy of Macbeth
Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS for Dune
Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF for Nightmare Alley
Ari Wegner, ACS for The Power of the Dog
Haris Zambarloukos, BSC, GSC for Belfast

Spotlight Award

Ruben Impens, SBC for Titane
Pat Scola for Pig
Adolpho Veloso, ABC for Jockey

Documentary Award

Jessica Beshir for Faya Dayi
Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill for Cusp
Daniel Schönauer for The Hidden Life of Trees

Motion Picture, Limited Series or Pilot Made for Television

Steve Annis for Foundation | Pilot Episode: “The Emperor’s Peace”
Tim Ives, ASC for Halston | Episode: “The Party’s Over”
James Laxton, ASC for The Underground Railroad | Episode: “Chapter 9: Indiana Winter”
Christophe Nuyens, SBC for Lupin | Pilot Episode: “Chapter 1”
Ben Richardson, ASC for Mare of Easttown | Episode: “Illusions”

Episode of a One-Hour Series Non-Commercial Television

Stuart Biddlecombe for The Handmaid’s Tale | Episode: “The Wilderness”
David Garbett for Sweet Tooth | Episode: “Big Man”
David Greene, ASC, CSC for Chaplewaite | Episode: “The Promised”
Jon Joffin, ASC, CSC for Titans | Episode: “Souls”
Boris Mojsovski, ASC, CSC for Titans | Episode: “Home”
Kate Reid, BSC for The Nevers | Episode: “Hanged”

Episode of a One-Hour Series Commercial Television

Thomas Burstyn, CSC, NZSC for Snowpiercer | Episode: “Our Answer for Everything”
Tommy Maddox-Upshaw, ASC for Snowfall | Episode: “Weight”
Ronald Paul Richard for Riverdale | Episode: “Chapter Eighty-Nine: Reservoir Dogs”
Brendan Steacy, CSC for Clarice | Episode: “Silence is Purgatory”
David Stockton, ASC for Mayans M.C. | Episode: “The Orneriness of Kings”
Gavin Struthers, ASC, BSC for Superman & Lois | Episode: “Heritage”

Episode of a Half-Hour Series Television

Marshall Adams, ASC for Servant | Episode: “2:00”
Michael Berlucchi for Mythic Quest | Episode: “Backstory!”
Adam Bricker for Hacks | Episode: “There is No Line”
Paula Huidobro for Physical | Episode: “Let’s Get Together”
Jaime Reynoso, AMC for The Kominsky Method | Episode: “And it’s Getting More and More Absurd”

Photo: Kerry Hayes/20th Century Studios