The 33rd EnergaCamerimage Film Festival will showcase a selection of prominent cinematic works, including Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, and Joseph Kosinski’s F1: The Movie. The festival, renowned for its focus on cinematography, revealed its main competition lineup on November 1, 2023. These films are among the key contenders for the prestigious Golden Frog award.
Highlighting the festival’s commitment to the art of cinematography, Sinners features the work of Autumn Durald Arkapaw, while Hamnet is photographed by Łukasz Żal, and F1 boasts the lensing of Claudio Miranda. Other notable entries include A Complete Unknown, a biopic of Bob Dylan directed by James Mangold and shot by Phedon Papamichael, and Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear attack thriller A House of Dynamite, filmed by Barry Ackroyd.
In addition to these major titles, the European competition includes films such as Chopin, a Sonata in Paris, directed by Michał Kwieciński and shot by Michał Sobociński, and Mother by Teona Strugar Mitevska, with cinematography by Virginie Saint Martin. The lineup also features Sound of Falling, 12 Paintings of Enslavement, Franz, and Late Shift, showcasing the diversity of cinematic talent.
Notably, of the thirteen competition titles, only three films are shot by female cinematographers: Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners, Virginie Saint Martin for Mother, and Judith Kaufmann for Late Shift. This gender imbalance is expected to reignite discussions about the festival’s support for women directors of photography, particularly following past controversies.
Last year, the festival faced criticism after founder and CEO Marek Żydowicz published an opinion piece suggesting that increasing the representation of female cinematographers could compromise artistic quality. This response came after a petition from the international union Women in Cinematography, urging the festival to enhance support for female cinematographers.
The backlash was swift, with professional organizations such as the British Society of Cinematographers and the American Society of Cinematographers calling for reform. Director Steve McQueen, who was set to open the 2024 festival with his film Blitz and receive a director award, withdrew from the event in protest. French director Coralie Fargeat also pulled her film The Substance from the festival as a form of protest against the controversy.
The EnergaCamerimage Film Festival will take place in Toruń, Poland, from November 15 to 23, 2023, continuing its tradition of celebrating the artistry of cinematography while navigating complex discussions about diversity and representation in the industry.