Caleb Deschanel, the director of photography behind Mel Gibson'sbox office smash The Passion Of The Christ, will receive the Hollywood Cinematographer of the YearAward at the upcoming Hollywood Film Festival (Oct 12-18).

Deschanel earned back-to-back Academy Award nominations in1984 and 1985 for The Right Stuff and TheNatural, and received further nominationsfor Fly Away Home in 1997 and ThePatriot in 2001.

Deschanel, who recently shot Buena Vista's adventure picture NationalTreasure starringNicolas Cage, won the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) top award forhis work on The Patriot.

Other notable credits include Being There, The Black Stallion, Anna And The King and Hope Floats.

Festival organisers are also preparing to mark the ACS's 85thanniversary with a series of talks and screenings showcasing outstandingcinematography, culminating in a tribute to the organisation and its members atthe Beverly Hilton Hotel on Oct 18.