nomadland new

Source: Searchlight Pictures

‘Nomadland’

Nomadland cinematographer Joshua James Richards was awarded the Golden Frog at Poland’s EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival on Saturday (November 21).

The US drama, starring Frances McDormand and directed by Chloé Zhao, also won the Fipresi award. Nomadland is a strong awards season contender and  previously won the Golden Lion at Venice and People’s Choice audience award at Toronto.

The 28th edition of the cinematography festival, which took place entirely online this year, closed with Andrew Levitas’ Minamata and an honorary award for the film’s star, Johnny Depp.

Depp sent a letter from the Bahamas to accept the award for an ’actor with unique visual sensitivity’, acknowledging the work of Minamata cinematographer Benoit Delhomme among others he has worked throughout his career.

“With Benoit, we enjoyed a sort of dance together,” said Depp. “Our director, Andrew Levitas, encouraged us to explore and investigate the many ways in which the scene we might be shooting that day, could play out.”

The Silver Frog went to Finnish cinematographer Rauno Ronkainen for his work on Antti J. Jokinen’s Helene, while Denmark’s Nicolaj Brüel won the Bronze Frog for Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio.

The award for best cinematographer’s debut went to Aurélien Marra’s his work on Filippo Meneghetti’s Two Of Us. The film, which debuted at Toronto 2019, was recently submitted by France as its submission for the Oscars.

The winner of the Golden Frog for best documentary feature was Maciej Cuske’s The Whale From Lorino, which followers hunters in Siberia and was filmed by UK-based Polish cinematographer Piotr Bernaś

In the Polish films competition, Robert Gliński’s Truth Makes Free, shot by Witold Płóciennik, won best film. Set in 1970s Warsaw, the story centres on a priest persecuted by the communist regime for his part in the democratic opposition.

The 28th EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival took place from November 14-21.

EnergaCamerimage 2020 feature winners

Main Competition

Golden Frog: Nomadland
Cin. Joshua James Richards
Dir. Chloé Zhao

Silver Frog: Helene
Cin. Rauno Ronkainen
Dir. Antti J. Jokinen

Bronze Frog: Pinocchio
Cin. Nicolaj Brüel
Dir. Matteo Garrone

Fipresci Award: Nomadland
Cin. Joshua James Richards
Dir. Chloé Zhao

Polish Films Competition

Best Polish Film: Truth Makes Free
Cin. Witold Płóciennik
Dir. Robert Gliński

Special Mention: Supernova
Cin. Michał Dymek
Dir. Bartosz Kruhlik

Special Mention: 25 Years Of Innocence
Cin. Bartłomiej Kaczmarek
Dir. Jan Holoubek

Documentary Features Competition

Golden Frog — best documentary feature: The Whale From Lorino
Cin. Piotr Bernaś
Dir. Maciej Cuske

Golden Frog — best docudrama: 499
Cin. Alejandro Mejia
Dir. Rodrigo Reyes

Directors’ Debuts Competition

Best Director’s Debut: 25 Years Of Innocence
Cin. Bartłomiej Kaczmarek
Dir. Jan Holoubek

Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition

Best Cinematographer’s Debut: Two Of Us
Cin. Aurélien Marra
Dir. Filippo Meneghetti