The winners of the 2010 Fujifilm Shorts competition were announced recently at a ceremony in Soho. The Business Trip (Voyage D’Affaires) collected the best film award, while DP Yoliswa Gärtig’s work on Native Son won the best cinematography prize.

The Business Trip, directed by Sean Ellis, with cinematography by DP Angus Hudson, tells the story of Jean Paul, who learns he has been dumped by his girlfriend while away on business. He finds an unexpected proposition waiting for him in his hotel room. The film was nominated for a BAFTA in 2009 and is soon to be screened on French TV.

Native Son is the tale of John, a young man struggling with life in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. At times brutal, Native Son deals with humanity and loneliness, and was praised for the handling of light by cinematographer Gärtig.

The judging panel included director Tim Pope, DPs Danny Cohen BSC, Trevor Forrest, Robin Vidgeon BSC, Nigel Walters BSC and Flemming Jetmar (Born Shorts), plus Matt Adams from Technicolor, Jesse Vile of Future Shorts, Joe Bateman from Rushes Soho Shorts, and Jerry Deeney, marketing manager at Fujifilm Motion Picture.

The Business Trip was originated on 35mm Fujicolor Eterna 500T 8573, and Native Son was shot on 35mm Fujicolor Eterna 400T 8583. Prizes include: £2,000 worth of Fujifilm Motion Picture stock, plus an expenses-paid trip to the Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, in Poland; a rushes processing package from Technicolor, and a 35mm print of the winning films from Technicolor Creative Services; a five-day lighting hire package courtesy of Panalux; a 35mm or 16mm camera and dolly hire package from Panavision; and subscriptions to British Cinematographer Magazine. The 2011 Shorts competition will launch this autumn, and further details will be posted on www.fujifilmshorts.com.

Camerimage pulls out of Lodz.

The organisers of Plus Camerimage, the annual international festival of the art of cinematography, have made the decision to move the festival out of the city of Lodz, Poland. Political activities by the city authorities resulted in suspension of a proposed new festival and congress centre project, designed by architect Frank Gehry and unveiled at last year’s festival, effectively blocking future development of the festival.

“Given the existing situation I made the decision to leave Lodz. Staying there, without any chance of building a festival centre designed by Frank Gehry, means no chance for the development of Plus Camerimage,” said festival director, Marek Zydowicz.

A new venue of this year’s festival, as well as the “call for entries”, are expected to be announced within a few weeks.

“We hope people will continue to attend the festival this year, no matter what city it will be held in,” added Zydowicz. “After all, it is not the location, but the people and the atmosphere of creativity that make the Plus Camerimage Festival a unique gathering place for the film community from all over the world. Let’s stand together to make the Plus Camerimage story a continued success,”

A unanimous resolution, supporting the festival and calling for its preservation, was passed at the recent IMAGO conference in Rome, and sent to the minister of culture in Warsaw and representatives of the City of Lodz.

Frost ends with 8.3m.

Long-running ITV1 crime drama A Touch Of Frost bowed out with an audience of 8.3m in April. David Jason’s swansong picked up more than a million extra viewers on the opening episode of Frost’s final two-part investigation on Sunday April 4th. Frost averaged 7.2m, but with the series coming to an end after 18 years, and with no UK dramas playing out on other channels, more viewers wanted to satisfy their curiosity. It was the drama’s best performance since 5 November 2006, when 9.4m tuned in to see a new case. The series was shot by two British cinematographers – Peter Jackson BSC, who shot 35 episodes between 1992 and 2006, and Robin Vidgeon BSC, who lit five episodes during 2008-10.

UKFC new £15M fund champions British film.

The UK Film Council has published its three-year plan and launched a new £15m Film Fund to champion British filmmaking. In developing the final plan, the UK Film Council spent three months consulting on the proposals, engaging with hundreds of people from across the film sector, facilitating more than a dozen consultation sessions and attracting almost 1,000 responses.

The plan specifically opens up a £15m-a-year Film Fund (topped up further by film recoupment) for emerging, experimental and world class filmmakers. It will ring-fences money for development, and sees the establishment of a think-tank, chaired by Tim Bevan, to identify new policy initiatives to grow independent UK film companies of scale. It also proposes a national web-based talent showcase, to be launched in autumn 2010, confirms the allocation of £5m to the new Innovation Fund, which will launch in autumn 2010, and provides £500,000 for film exports for each year of the plan. Furthermore, it confirms that 100% of recoupment from the Prints & Advertising Fund, which widens and supports the distribution of selected specialised films and British films, will, like the Film Fund, top up that fund’s budget.

Alongside this plan, the DCMS has been leading merger discussions between the UK Film Council and the BFI. These discussions have been underway since August 2009 and continue.

Tim Bevan CBE, chairman of the UK Film Council, said, “We’ve set out a renewed mission, a new set of priorities, and a new way of working. With the right level of support, a successful British film industry can continue to help get the UK out of recession, drive innovation and create more highly-skilled jobs. Further tough choices probably lie ahead, but having reduced our overheads by 20% and positively responded to the needs of British filmmakers we’re now in the best place we can be to support and promote UK film in the years ahead.”

The new Film Fund will be managed by former Harry Potter producer Tanya Seghatchian, with a a new team of experienced senior production and development executives – Natascha Wharton, Lizzie Francke, and Chris Collins – who each have production successes under their belts.

Wharton, who will focus on development, has been at Working Title Films for most of her film career, and set up its low-budget film division responsible for Billy Elliot. She was also Executive Producer including Shaun of the Dead and Ali G Indahouse.

Francke will focus on experimental feature length films, national engagement and showcasing new talent. She began her career as a film critic in the early 1990s, was artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and as executive producer for EM Media worked on Control, And When Did You Last See Your Father?, A Complete History of My Sexual Failures and Better Things.

Collins, will focus is on ideas for future film practices for both emerging and established filmmakers, from micro / low budget features and shorts, through to 3D blockbusters. Starting in television documentaries, he joined BFI Productions in 1997 as a development and production executive, where he oversaw films such as John Maybury’s Love is the Devil and Jasmin Dizdar’s Beautiful People. As an independent producer he worked with filmmakers such as Pawel Pawlikowski, Francesca Joseph and Sarah Gavron on critical successes Last Resort, My Summer Of Love, Tomorrow La Scala! and Brick Lane.

Method Studios hires VFX talents.

Visual effects company Method Studios is expanding its feature film VFX offerings with the appointment of three major talents: Dan Glass, Drew Jones and Stephane Ceretti.

As senior creative director, Glass will oversee both feature and commercial projects at Method. On the production side, Jones will lead film projects globally as Method’s vice president of feature films. Ceretti will serve as visual effects supervisor for feature projects in the UK, working out of parent company Ascent Media’s London facility Ascent 142.

Glass, has a long list of film credits that includes Batman Begins, Speed Racer and V For Vendetta. Jones joins Method from MPC, where as executive producer he worked on such features as Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Ceretti has also had a long and prestigious career in visual effects. Prior to joining Method, he served as visual effects supervisor at MPC in London, where he recently completed work on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

“London is one of the world’s key creative cities for this type of work.” Jones observed. “It makes sense to leverage the infrastructure already in place via Ascent Media. Operating alongside sister facilities such as Company 3 and Ascent 142 provides a flexible and scalable global offering.”

Ascent’s Creative Services division includes Company 3, Method, Beast and Rushes UK.

Euro Media acquires Aerial Camera Systems.

Euro Media Group, the largest television facilities company in Europe, has acquired Aerial Camera Systems (ACS), a leading supplier of specialised camera equipment. The move will enable Euro Media to expand its operations and offer a new, specialist service to customers, not only across Europe, but also on an international scale.

Founded by the late cinematographer Peter Allwork, ACS has been designing and supplying specialist cameras to the film and broadcast industry for over thirty years. Since its beginnings the company has built up an award-winning reputation for quality and expertise in providing innovative camera systems, featuring aerial stabilised technology. Production credits include Vancouver Olympics 2010, Beijing 2008, Premiership Football coverage for Sky Sports and the BBC, 33rd America’s Cup, Euro 2008, the BBC’s Life and MTV’s Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro.

The current ACS management team, led by Phillip Beckett, will continue to run the company as an autonomous member of the Euro Media Group. While continuing to operate independently, ACS will work closely the other members of the Euro Media Group. In particular it will have a close relationship with sister company CTV OBs, whch supplies outside broadcast facilities in the UK and Europe.

ACS’s rental inventory includes remote heads and compact cameras, railcams, wirecams, tracking vehicles, underwater systems and tethered airships, as well as over 20 helicopter camera systems. The company is headquartered in the UK with a satellite office in Melbourne and joint ventures in Los Angeles, Dubai, Cape Town and Hong Kong.

Panavision’s Panascout iPhone app.

Panavision Inc. has launched Panascout, a new location scout application for the iPhone, which simulates the cinematographer’s viewpoint from a professional cinema camera. The workflow allows filmmakers to capture the cinematic qualities of any location and record the true metadata including GPS, compass heading, date/time, voice notes and a sunrise/sunset readout for the present location. Photos can be framed in widescreen 2.40 (anamorphic), 1.85 (Super 35mm), 1.78 (16x9 HD) and 1.33 (4x3) aspect ratios with Panaframe.

The Panascout app allows users to upload directly to Final Cut with Final Cut Server, MobileMe, SmugMug or e-mail directly to colleagues. Users can also find Panavision suppliers anywhere in the world, purchase Panavision apparel through the Panastore, review the complete Panavision equipment reference library in the technical centre, or visit the online screening room in the media centre. Panascout is available for $9.99 USD and can be purchased through iTunes.

Kodak’s new Super 8 motion picture stock.

Kodak has introduced a new Super 8mm colour reversal filmstock. Kodak Ektachrome 100D Colour Reversal Film 7285 is a daylight-balanced, 100-speed film, incorporating bright, saturated colours and fine grain with excellent sharpness.

“Super 8 mm film is a versatile, affordable option for filmmakers who require the image quality and flexibility of film,” said Chris Johnson, product manager for Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging Division. “Quantum leaps in film emulsion technology have made Super 8, once considered a hobbyist’s format, a viable option for professional filmmakers and students.”

Many of today’s great cinematographers and directors began their careers at the counter of their local photo shop, buying a cartridge of Super 8 film, said Johnson. But the new stock offers filmmakers image quality far beyond that of the familiar home movie format of the 1960s.

“Kodak’s commitment to R&D continues to raise the bar for image quality. One benefit is that Super 8 is now a terrific option for students who want to hone their skills, as well as for professional filmmakers who want to craft a distinctive look for their project.”

The Super 8 film format is supported by a network of dedicated laboratories that process and digitise the output, including Wittner-Cinetec in Hamburg.

“The increased saturation of the 100D film makes colors just pop,” said company president Daniel Wittner. “We are glad to see Kodak continuing to support this important format.”

Prime Focus launches View-D.

Prime Focus, one of the world’s largest visual entertainment services groups, has introduced View-D, a proprietary process for the conversion of 2D to 3D stereoscopic images in the UK. The View-D offering has been implemented into Prime Focus’ 3D stereoscopic pipeline at is Soho facilities, and will be available to film as well as broadcast and commercials clients.

Following its US launch earlier this year, Prime Focus Los Angeles has been working on View-D tests for all the major studios, and completed the conversion of Clash Of The Titans for Warner Bros in eight weeks.

“View-D has been a hit in Hollywood and we’ve had great feedback on the picture quality from the client. The time is right to introduce it to the UK,” said Anshul Doshi, global COO and group managing director UK, Prime Focus. “Following Channel 4’s week of 3D programming last year, major broadcasters are investing in 3D channels in 2010. And with all the major manufacturers recently introducing 3D screens 3DTV is finally on its way into people’s homes.”

The London View-D team will be led by Martin Hobbs, an experienced VFX producer whose credits include Batman Begins and X-Men: The Last Stand. Hobbs, formerly of MPC, is supported by former MPC chief operating officer and executive director, Michael Elson, who has joined Prime Focus as a global consultant.

Cinecittá extols its virtues.

Further to the report in the IMAGO News section in this edition, regarding IMAGO’s Rome Conference, which took place at Cinecittá Studios in March, delegates representing 28 cinematographic societies worldwide were given a tour of the studio facilities and a breakdown of the current tax incentives available from the Italian government.

Established in 1937, Cinecittá has grown in the last few years into an extensive studio complex. With three facilities in and around Rome, and a brand new studio in Morocco, Cinecittà has become of the world’s biggest production centres, providing a total of 30 stages, and 300 acres of various backlots.

Cinecittá’s main studio facility in Rome has 22 stages, extensive permanent sets, such as an Ancient Roman set, equipped with set dressing items, a 70,000 square foot outdoor tank and a 25-acre backlot, all located within 99 acres of parkland estates. Recent international productions include the HBO series Rome, Spike Lee’s Miracle At St. Anna and, appropriately, Rob Marshall’s Nine, the remake of Feillini’s legendary 8 And a Half, as well as dozens of Italian films, such as Il Postino, La Vita è Bella, La Sconosciuta and Baarìa.

In addition to its main studio, Cinecittá owns and operates Dino Studios, built in 1962 by internationally-acclaimed producer Dino De Laurentiis. The studio has a 175-acre backlot, and five stages. Cinecitta’s third location is the 22-acre facility Umbria Studios, renovated by Oscar-winning actor/director Roberto Benigni, with a water tank amongst a trio of stages. Cinecittá also runs CLA Studios in the city of Ouarzazate, Morocco, developed in partnership by De Laurentiis and the Moroccan entrepreneur Said Alj. CLA Studios has two 18,000 square foot, sound-proofed, air-conditioned stages, 90 offices and four workshops.

In 2009, Cinecittá launched Cinecitta Digital Factory, a comprehensive post-production service, including film developing and printing, DI, VFX, DCP and HD mastering, plus sound mixing and dubbing services. Through an agreement with Italian dealer Panalight, Cinecitta customers can rent Panavision and ARRI camera and lighting equipment.

In July 2009, the Italian government launched a tax credit incentive, enabling international production to save 25% on the production costs spent in Italy, with a ceiling for each film of 5m Euros. Productions have to pass a cultural test covering content, creative talent, and production/post production. On January 1st 2010, the incentive was sweetened by VAT exemption.

The tax credit is be based on the production expenses, incurred in Italy, which do not exceed 60% of the overall film production budget. Expenses incurred in another EU member country can also be treated as expenses incurred in Italy up to a maximum of 30% of the overall film production budget.

First examples of productions to take advantage of the tax credit include Nine (budget 1.4m Euros, tax credit 359,000 Euros), The American, (budget 10.8m Euros, tax credit 2.7m Euros) and Letters To Juliet (9.2m Euros, tax credit 2.3m Euros).

What’s Shooting on Kodak?

Motion pictures shot using Kodak stocks include… Harry Potter VII/VIII, DP Eduardo Serra, dir. David Yates; Chikku Bukku, DP Gurudhev Rangaswamy Bee, dir. Manikandan Govindarasulu Kesavan; Peter, DP Michael Miles, dir. Sanjay Kumar; John Carter Of Mars, DP Daniel Mindel ASC, dir. Andrew Stanton; BEL AMI, DP Stefano Falivene, dirs. Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod; Flutter, DP Christopher Ross BSC, dir. Giles Borg; Burke & Hare, DP John Mathieson BSC, dir. John Landis; Transformers 3, DP Amir M Mokri, dir. Michael Bay. TV programmes include… Any Human Heart (Carnival/C4) DP Wojciech Szepel; Merlin III (Shine West/BBC), DPs Dale McCready and Peter Greenhalgh BSC; New Tricks VII (Wall To Wall/BBC), DP Sean Van Hales. Commercials shot on Kodak include… Barclays (Blink), DP Tim Maurice Jones; VW (Partizan), DP Tim Maurice Jones; Jamie Does… (C4), DP Luke Scott; Facejacker U10FACE (C4), DP Bob Pender Hughes; Deutchbahn, (Flynn). DP Franz Lustig; Kingsmill (Moon Films), DP Zubin Mistry; Muller (Moxie), DP Richard Mott; National Express (Nice Shirt), DP Theo Garland; KFC (Outsider), DP Danny Cohen BSC; Morrison’s (Outsider), DP Federico Alfonso; Felix (Park Village), DP Keith Goddard BSC; Kwik Fit (Rattling Stick), DP Stuart Graham; BBC General Elections (Red Bee), DP Magni Augustsson; Actimel (Rogue Films), DP Alex Melman; Dyson (Rogue Films), DP Simon Richards; Audi (Rogue Films), DP Damien Morisot; Barclaycard Pick Ups (Sonny London), DP Simon Richards; Renault (Stink), DP Olivier Cariou; ITV (Stink), DP Steve Blackman; Toyota (Tantrum), DP Jason Lehel; and Activia (2AM), DP Tat Radcliffe.

What’s shooting on Fuji?

The latest of features and TV dramas shooting on Fujifilm include… Coriolanus, DP Barry Ackroyd BSC, dir. Ralph Fiennes; Untitled Joshua Marston Albanian Project, DP Rob Hardy, dir. Joshua Marston; Attack The Block,  DP Tom Townend, dir. Joe Cornish; Africa United,  DP Sean Bobbitt BSC, dir. Debs Gardner-Paterson; Age of Heroes , DP Mark Hamilton, dir. Adrian Vitoria; Jane Eyre, DP Adriano Goldman, dir. Cary Fukunuga; and Waking the Dead - Series 9, DP Mike Spragg. Commercials and promos using Fuji, supplied via Island Studios and Panavision include… Money Supermarket.com (Outsider) DP Danny Cohen BSC; Halifax (Feel Films) DP John Lynch; Carlsberg (Sonny London) DP Simon Richards; Barry M Cosmetics  (Gloss Media) Malcolm McLean; Dulux (Knucklehead) DP Robbie Ryan BSC; Aldi (Itch) DP Pete Ellmore; Samsung (Itch) DP Pete Ellmore; Specsavers (Mustard) DP David Kerr; Audi (Rogue Films) DP Damien Morisot; Chipmunk (Between The Eyes) DP Magni Agustsson; The XX (Partizan) DP Will Bex; and The Joy Formidable  (Partizan) DP Robbie Ryan BSC.