Cinematographer’s Seminar

Sunday, November 5 at 1 PM
in the AC Raymund Room

The Ojai Film Festival annually honors a Director of Photography with its Distinguished Artist Award for Cinematography. A cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) oversees the camera and light crews working on a film, television production, or other live action piece. This person takes responsibility for making artistic and technical decisions related to the image. The cinematographer selects the camera, film stock, lenses, filters, etc., to realize the scene in accordance with the intentions of the film’s director.

OFF offers this award as a tribute to the men and women who labor “behind the camera” on the many tasks necessary to create cinema. Past honorees include such artists as Michael Chapman, Lazlo Kovacs, John Bailey, Ellen Kuras, and Steven Poster – to name only a few.

At the Cinematographer’s Seminar the awardee will present an overview of his professional work and discusses the “how,” “what,” and “why” of his approach to cinematography.

Stephen Lighthill, ASC

Stephen Lighthill served as president of The American Society of Cinematographers, 2020 to 2023. Founded in 1919, the ASC strives to serve its mission of inspiring the next generation of cinematographers and advancing the art of filmmaking through many industry events and initiatives.

Lighthill is also the Discipline Chair for Cinematography at the American Film Institute Conservatory where he has led advancements in gender diversity at both the faculty and graduate levels. Additionally, he acted as an officer on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG).

He began his career shooting for San Francisco Bay area news programs and national news shows, such as 60 Minutes, before moving into documentary cinematography. Many films showcase his works, including Gimme Shelter and Berkeley in the Sixties, which received a nomination for an Academy Award and won the Audience Award at Sundance. His narrative credits include such television dramas as Vietnam War Story, Earth 2, and Nash Bridges, among many others. In 2018, the ASC honored Lighthill with the Presidents Award. He is also the recipient of the Society of Operating Cameramen’s (SOC) President’s Award in 2000.