The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) will honor Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie with the ASC Board of Governors Award at this year’s ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievements, Variety reports. Next month’s ceremony will showcase cinematographers in five different categories, which include both film and television.
The Board of Governors Award is the only ASC honor not given to a cinematographer. It is, instead, reserved for filmmakers who fiercely support their directors of photography and the art of cinematography in general. Past recipients include Barbra Streisand, Julia Roberts, and Sally Field.
“Jolie is a true artist, with a strong vision and collaborative spirit,” ASC president Kees van Oostrum said. “She has entertained us through her work, but more importantly has brought significant social issues to our attention.”
It is worth noting that Rachel Morrison (“Mudbound”) is the only female cinematographer nominated across ASC’s five categories — which include five nominees each. Morrison is the first woman to receive this nomination in ASC Awards’ 32-year history.
Sadly, this speaks to the prolonged gender imbalance throughout the profession itself. According to Dr. Martha Lauzen’s latest Celluloid Ceiling report, last year women only accounted for four percent of cinematographers on the top 250 films. Though Morrison and Jolie’s nomination ensures some type of female presence at this year’s ceremony, there is clearly still a long way to go.
Jolie has produced and directed multiple projects, including “By the Sea” and Nora Twomey’s “The Breadwinner.” She continues to support social justice causes via her involvement in the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. She recently directed “First They Killed My Father,” which was nominated for a Golden Globe and selected to represent Cambodia in this year’s Academy Awards foreign-language category.