Camerimage Taps Bill Fraker for Lifetime Achievement Award
"Bill Fraker is one of the great artists of contemporary times," says Marek Zydowicz, founder and director of the festival, which has become a global forum for the art of cinematography. "He has made significant and enduring contributions to advancing this important art form. The originality of his work and his dedication to the art are an inspiration for filmmakers with unrealized dreams in every part of the world." Fraker was in the first wave of a new generation of cinematographers who brought a different way of thinking to Hollywood during the 1960s and '70s. He earned Oscar nominations in the Best Cinematography category for Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1979), 1941 (1980), War Games (1984) and Murphy's Romance (1986). A sixth nomination came for visual effects camerawork on 1941. His other memorable cinematography credits include Bullitt, Rosemary's Baby, Paint Your Wagon, Day of the Dolphin, Tombstone and most recently Waking Up in Reno. Fraker also directed Monte Walsh, The Legend of the Lone Ranger and A Reflection of Fear. The Camerimage Festival debuted in Torun, Poland, in 1992. Zydowicz says the festival was founded with the intention of creating a meaningful cultural exchange between the Polish populace and filmmakers from around the world. In 2000, the festival moved to Lodz, where the national film school is located. The Camerimage Festival features a worldwide cinematography competition, in addition to providing a global forum where filmmakers and students meet to discuss issues and exchange ideas. Fraker is joining an international list of stars who have received Camerimage
Lifetime "Bill Fraker deserves this recognition from his peers around the world," says ASC President Richard Crudo. "He has created an extraordinary and incomparable body of work which will endure. He has earned the admiration and respect of his peers." Fraker traces his family roots to Mexico, where his grandmother was a teacher. She left Mazatlan in the wake of a bloody revolution in 1910, riding on a mule, which also carried his mother and aunt to Los Angeles. His grandmother worked as a portrait photographer for Monroe Studios in downtown Los Angeles. His father, William Fraker, Jr., subsequently became a still photographer for Columbia Pictures. He ran the studio's photo gallery, taking pictures of countless movie stars from 1927-1934, when he died at a very young age following a bout with pneumonia. Fraker was 18 years old when he joined the military service after the
United States entered World War II. The GI Bill of Rights enabled him
to enroll in the cinema studies department at the University of Southern
California (USC) after the war. Fraker recalls that his grandmother encouraged
him become a cinematographer, but a college degree in filmmaking didn't
open doors in Hollywood after graduating from USC. He began to make his mark as a cinematographer while shooting cutting-edge commercials during the mid-1960s. It enabled him to experiment with different techniques, including using long lenses and soft light to create new looks. Fraker earned his first feature film credit in 1967 for Games. After that, his career accelerated into high gear. What kept him motivated during the difficult years when he was relegated to working on the fringes of the industry after graduating from USC? Fraker, who now teaches at his alma mater, is frequently asked that question by his students. In reply, he cites 19th century English poet Robert Browning who wrote, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what is heaven for?" Fraker amplifies, "You have got to go for it. You have to reach beyond your grasp every time you shoot... If you sit on your laurels, you will only have one laurel." For more information visit the Camerimage website at www.camerimage.pl |
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William A. Fraker, ASC, BSC will receive the prestigious Camerimage
Lifetime Achievement Award at the 11th Annual International Film Festival
of the Art of Cinematography, which is scheduled Nov. 29-Dec. 6 in Lodz,
Poland.