Stephen Lighthill has been re-elected president of the American Society of Cinematographers. He was elevated to the post last year, having previously served as president from 2012-13. He will serve his next one-year term alongside vice presidents Amy Vincent, Steven Fierberg and John Simmons; treasurer Steven Poster; secretary Gregg Heschong, and sergeant-at-arms Jim Denault, who were elected by the Society’s board of governors.
“As we safely emerge from the pandemic, we plan to continue to share our expertise on best practices for remote solutions and virtual production in service to the artistic process of filmmaking,” Lighthill said. “We also remain focused on recruiting diverse and inclusive crews as well as supporting underrepresented filmmakers through our scholarship and mentorship programs.”
In a statement, the non-profit organization said that he and the board “have been guiding the Society through the challenging transitions necessitated by the global pandemic, focusing on helping members learn safe practices on set and sharing those findings with the industry at large.” In April, the Society streamed its annual Outstanding Achievement Awards, which were presented online for the first time and were watched by more than 4,500 people worldwide.
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“We are following the recommended health and safety guidelines and look forward to relaunching some our events in person later this year, in addition to reopening our historic Clubhouse,” Lighthill said.
Lighthill, who has served as an officer and member of the executive board of the International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600, is also the discipline chair of cinematography at the American Film Institute Conservatory, where he has advocated for gender diversity at both the faculty and graduate levels.
He began his career shooting for San Francisco Bay area news programs and national news shows, such as 60 Minutes. He segued into documentary cinematography, working on many films including Gimme Shelter and Berkeley in the Sixties, which was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Audience Award at Sundance. His narrative credits include the television dramas War Story, Earth 2 and Nash Bridges. In 2018, he received the ASC Presidents Award, and was the recipient of the Society of Operating Cameramen’s President’s Award in 2000.
Founded in 1919, the ASC has more than 420 members in 20 countries, and more than 250 associate members who hail from ancillary segments of the industry. The ASC says it “strives to serve its mission of inspiring the next generation of cinematographers and advancing the art of filmmaking through many industry events and organizational initiatives.” It has over 20 committees to facilitate that effort, including the Future Practices Committee, which assists and advises ASC members and the industry on Covid-19 safety matters; the award-winning Motion Imaging Technology Council, which promotes ongoing education on the role that technology plays in cinematography, and the Vision Committee, which helps to advance underrepresented cinematographers, their crews and other filmmakers. Other ASC programs include Master Classes taught by members; Clubhouse Conversations with members and filmmakers, and the Education & Outreach Committee that coordinates activities with film schools.
Here is the ASC board of governors:
Chris Chomyn
Curtis Clark
Richard Crudo
Frederick Elmes
Steven Fierberg
Ed Lachman
Stephen Lighthill
Steven Poster
Lawrence Sher
John Simmons
Rodney Taylor
John Toll
Amy Vincent
Mandy Walker
Robert Yeoman
The alternate board members are:
George Spiro Dibie
Michael Goi
Charlie Lieberman
Suki Medencevic
George Mooradian