Christopher Doyle to receive first crystal lens award at
the 2004 Bangkok International Film Festival
11/25/2003 2:06:14 PM
Renowned Cinematographer to Be Honored at Festival Cinematographer’s Day

Celebrating the visual art of filmmaking, the 2004 Bangkok International Film Festival will bestow its first Crystal Lens Award upon Christopher Doyle (Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Quiet American) on January 31, 2004, following his participation in a Cinematographer’s Day program during January 29-30, 2004.

Cinematographer’s Day celebrates visual art through seminars, retrospectives and programs, offering an insight into what cinematographers contribute to the identity of a motion picture. On January 29, Doyle will participate in an open discussion with attendees following retrospective highlights of his features. Two days later, he will be presented with a special Crystal Lens Award for Achievement in the Art of Cinematography. Seminars on film language and digital image acquisition will be held on January 30, 2004.

“We are proud to honor Christopher Doyle for his contributions to cinematography and Asian cinema with a special award at this year’s festival,” said Craig Prater, festival executive director. “Historically, the achievements of cinematographers have been overshadowed, but with Cinematographer’s Day we hope to expose the world to the uniqueness of this fine craft.”

Born in Sydney, Australia, Doyle began his work as a cinematographer in 1983 on the Taiwanese film “Haitan de yitian” (That Day on the Beach). Over his 20-year career, Doyle has received 15 international awards and 10 nominations for his work, including the Technical Grand Prize at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, the National Society of Film Critics Awards USA, the New York Film Critics Circle Award (In the Mood for Love), the Golden Osella at the 1994 Venice Film Festival (Duang Che Sai Duk) and the 2003 Hong Kong Film Award for Best cinematography (Hero). Most recently, Doyle was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Cinematography for his work on the Phillip Noyce adventure “Rabbit-Proof Fence.” His current projects include “Last Life in the Universe,” the Thai Academy Award submission for Best Foreign Language Film, which will be screened at this year’s festival.