WATERVILLE — A director of photography, Roger A. Deakins, will receive the inaugural Karl Struss Legacy Award for distinguished achievement in cinematography from the Maine Film Center and Maine Media Workshops + College during the 2017 Maine International Film Festival in Waterville, according to a news release from Waterville Creates!
A 13-time Academy Award nominee, Deakins will accept the Karl Struss Award in person at a presentation following the screening of Denis Villeneuve’s thriller “Prisoners” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, at the Waterville Opera House, and before a moderated discussion and audience Q&A.
“Roger is a major artist,” said MIFF Programming Director Ken Eisen, according to the release. “We are pleased to showcase a selection of his Oscar-nominated work and honor his significant contributions to so many important films of the past four decades.”
Four other films Deakins photographed will screen during the festival: Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Maine-set novella, “The Shawshank Redemption” (July 15, 6:30 p.m., Waterville Opera House); Joel and Ethan Coen’s Best Picture Academy Award Winner “No Country for Old Men” (July 16, 6:30 p.m., Railroad Square Cinema); and Sam Mendes’ James Bond adventure “Skyfall” (July 18, 6:30 p.m., Railroad Square Cinema).
An invitation-only screening for film, media, and art students on July 17 will present Andrew Dominik’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, followed by a reception where students and teachers can talk informally with Deakins.
“We’re so excited to host Roger Deakins, who is quite possibly the greatest living cinematographer, here in Waterville for the Karl Strauss Legacy Award,” said Maine Film Center Projects Manager Mike Perreault, according to the release. “It’s incredible that he’s making himself available to students and filmmakers from across the globe, demonstrating MIFF’s mission to strengthen Maine’s culture through education, dialogue and the celebration of film and art.”
Deakins has photographed nearly 60 films — an astounding number in the modern film industry. His special collaboration with the Coen Brothers has yielded 11 films, plus two others which they wrote but did not direct. He has photographed three films directed by Denis Villeneuve, including their latest teaming, the much-anticipated “Blade Runner 2049,” opening in October.
Deakins also has worked repeatedly with many actors including five pictures with Josh Brolin and three each with Tim Robbins (”Dead Man Walking,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Shawshank Redemption”) and past MIFF Mid-Life Achievement Award honoree John Turturro (”O Brother, Where Art Thou,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Barton Fink.”)
A member of the American Society of Cinematographers and British Society of Cinematographers, Deakins was appointed a commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013, according to the release.
Those interested in learning more about Deakins should visit his blog at www.rogerdeakins.com; he freely offers advice and answers questions from professional, student and amateur filmmakers.
The Karl Struss Legacy Award is named after the recipient of the first Academy Award for cinematography (shared with Charles Rosher) for F. W. Murnau’s silent masterpiece “Sunrise” (1927). A student and protégé of Clarence H. Whit — who founded America’s first independent school of photography in Georgetown, Maine — Struss became a renowned modernist photographer before entering motion pictures in 1919. During his 40-year career— spanning silent and sound pictures— Struss photographed an incomparable 147 films. “Sunrise” will be screened at 6:30 p.m. Sun., July 16, at the Waterville Opera House, accompanied by a world premiere live music score composed and performed by Mark Tipton and Les Sorcieres Perdus.
The full MIFF program is available online at www.miff.org. Festival passes and individual tickets are available for purchase online or over the phone at 866-811-4111.
About the Maine International Film Festival: The 20th annual Maine International Film Festival will be held in Waterville, Maine from July 14-23 at Railroad Square Cinema and the Waterville Opera House. During the 10 days of the festival, MIFF features nearly 100 films, representing the best of American and International independent cinema and spotlighting some of Maine and New England’s most innovative filmmakers. The Maine International Film Festival is a project of the Maine Film Center, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to enrich, educate and entertain the community through film and art.
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