Earlier this month Zeiss hosted the Women in Media WIM + ZEISS Altitude Awards Ceremony to celebrate the recipients of the prestigious annual honors, which are dedicated to promoting gender balance in the film and entertainment industries. Cinematographer Eszter Csepeli was the top winner.
The event was held at Cine Gear Expo in the Los Angeles Convention Center, the air was thick with anticipation as the auditorium filled with nominees, WIM members, and guests.
Tema Staig, founder of Women in Media. Zeiss senior manager of marketing Tony Wisniewski, and Anna Schmidt, Zeiss cinema marketing opened the ceremony.
On stage Staig named the semi-finalists: Michelle Clementine, Jenny Desrosiers, Rachael Hastings, Crystal Kelley, Emilia Mendieta Córdova, Lucia Rinaldi, Elle Schneider, Aymae Sulick, Haley Watson, and Sarah Thomas Moffat.
The finalists included Jenn Gittings, Barbie Leung, Caitlin Machak, Sarah Phillips, Ashton Rae, and Jen White. All took home a bag of filmmaking gear courtesy of Quasar Science, Rosco, Filmtools, and ShotDeck.
Lawrence Sher ASC (Joker, Hangover, Garden State) announced the top winner: cinematographer Eszter Csepeli. A founding member of the Hungarian Cinematography Association (HCA), her body of work includes the Palme d’Or nominated short, The Execution, and the upcoming feature, The Flower of the Apple Tree. She won $3,000 cash and one-week’s free use of Zeiss prime lenses.
Second prize of $1,000 was awarded to cinematographer Jendra Jarnagin; Carolina Costa and Veronica Bouza took home $500 in addition to other generous prizes.
Submissions were open to camera operators, gaffers, and cinematographers. The judges including ASC members Johnny Simmons, Tami Reiker, Alan Caso, Sandra Valde-Hansen, and David Harp as well as cinematographers, Laura Merians Gonçalves and Ana M. Amortegui.
Women in Media https://womennmedia.com/
Zeiss www.zeiss.com/cine-democenter