Multi-Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón is a surprise late addition to the 32nd edition of the EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival, the Polish cinema event honoring excellence in cinematography. Camerimage organizers revealed Friday — on the eve of the festival’s opening ceremony — that Cuarón will take part in a public seminar at the event, sharing the behind-the-scenes process of creating his acclaimed Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, “as well as discussing the future of cinema, television series, and the evolution of the visual language of film.”
The visit will unite Cuarón with his Disclaimer star-executive producer, Cate Blanchett, who is serving as the president of Camerimage’s main competition jury this year.
In many ways, Cuarón is an ideal figure for Camerimage. Along with his best director Oscars for Gravity and Roma, he took full responsibility for the visual composition of Roma, winning the best cinematography Oscar and Camerimage’s Bronze Frog honor in 2018. As Camerimage put it, “He combines artistic sensitivity with an innovative approach to film technology.”
The 2024 Camerimage festival opens Saturday, Nov. 16 with a screening of Steve McQueen’s World War II epic Blitz. The festival has long been an industry favorite, especially among directors and their craft collaborators, but it has come under scrutiny this year after its founder and CEO Marek Zydowicz published an editorial last week attempting to explain the event’s dearth of female cinematographers at past editions. In his somewhat muddled column, the festival head seemed to argue that pushing for greater female representation could result in a lineup of diminished artistic quality. The reaction from the international film community was swift, with several leading cinematography guilds publicly condemning the remarks and Oscar-winning director McQueen, who was scheduled to attend the opening-night screening of Blitz, canceling his appearance.
Blanchett has stood by the festival, though. The actress put out a statement with her fellow jurors after McQueen’s exit, saying, “We look forward to being part of meaningful discussions with our peers at the festival about greater inclusion and recognition of excellence in all its forms in our industry.”
Other highlights to come at Camerimage next week include a special honor for Shogun star Hiroyuki Sanada and the world premiere of Alec Baldwin’s indie Western Rust. A special panel discussion will be held after Rust‘s first screening to honor the memory of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was tragically killed in an on-set accident during production.
Blanchett and her fellow jurors will unveil the winners of the festival’s Golden Frog awards at a ceremony on Nov. 23.
