Cinematographers
Interviews - Cinematographers
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“Draw the Audience into Johan’s World”: DP Nicolai Lok on Sauna
In Sauna, the care-free Johan falls for a transgender man, forcing him to confront his societal position with regard to gender and love. The film is the feature debut of Mathias Broe and screens as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Nicolai Lok served as the film’s cinematographer. Below, he explains his choice of camera and lenses and how Sauna‘s story provided room to explore visual ideas. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors […]
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“We Weren’t Looking To Trick the Audience”: DP Michael Latham on SALLY
The first American woman to enter space is the subject of SALLY, Cristina Costantini’s documentary about the astronaut Sally Ride. The film also delves into an aspect of the maverick’s personal life: her 27-year-long relationship with her partner Tam O’Shaughnessy and the immense burden of keeping their love hidden from the public. DP Michael Latham talks about how he came aboard the project, the team’s mission of “serving the archive” from NASA and the difficulties inherent to the film’s interview shoots. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]
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“A Constant Atmosphere of Uncertainty and Caution”: DPs Anas Saeed, Ibrahim Snoopy & Phil Cox on Khartoum
Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy, and Timeea Ahmed are among the 10 million+ people who have been displaced by the ongoing Sudanese Civil War. In Khartoum, they work with British director Phil Cox and five displaced Sudanese to reenact their stories. The film combines studio recreations with documentary footage shot in Sudan. Below, Snoopy, Saeed, and Cox, all of whom served as cinematographers, talk both about the logistical difficulties and the aesthetic goals of Khartoum. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were […]
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“Forgetting the Camera Was Rolling, It Hit Me”: DPs Neema Sadeghi & Nicholas Bupp on Serious People
In Serious People, a music video director hires a doppelganger to take his place at work after he learns that his wife is pregnant. The film, co-directed by Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson, is inspired by Gutierrez’s own expectant fatherhood and is a 2025 Sundance Film Festival NEXT selection. Neema Sadeghi (Noel Miller: Stop Crying) and Nicholas Bupp (Aporia, Salam) served as co-cinematographers. Below, they talk about working without a crew and contrasting a calm visual style with a mounting sense of narrative tension. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being […]
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“Balancing the Cultural Context with the Story’s Essence”: DP Mohammadreza Eyni on Cutting Through Rocks
Sara Shahverdi was the first elected Iranian councilwoman in her village, Cutting Through Rocks documents how she uses her power and resources to empower and protect women and girls. The film is the debut feature documentary of co-directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni. Eyni also served as the World Documentary Competition entry’s director of photography. Below, explains how he earned the trust of his subjects and, alongside Khaki, was able to shoot in women-only spaces. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors […]
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“The Feeling of Triumph was Palpable”: DP Martin DiCicco on Heightened Scrutiny
Director Sam Feder’s first film, Disclosure, tackled the influence of Hollywood on the perception of transgender people. Now, Heightened Scrutiny follows ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio as he fights for trans rights in the courtroom. Cinematographer Martin DiCicco (Union) also worked on the Sundance Premieres section entry. Below, DiCicco talks about creating the perfect look for the film’s interviews and shooting a contentious rally outside the Supreme Court on a cold day. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes […]
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“Snapshots of a Memory of Our Character”: DP Mia Cioffi Henry on Sorry, Baby
In Eva Victor’s debut feature, a professor, played by Victor herself works to come to terms with her past trauma over a five-year period, which unfolds nonlinearly. The film screens as part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition. Mia Cioffi Henry, best known for The Surrogate and herself a professor, served as the film’s cinematographer. She explicates the challenges of shooting a scene when the director is in front of the camera and how she captured her protagonist’s isolation below. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up […]
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“I Don’t Want to Worry About Camera Settings”: DP Diego Tenorio on The Virgin of the Quarry Lake
The Virgin of the Quarry Lake takes place in Buenos Aires, 2001, when three teenage girls all for the same guy. Laura Casabé (The Returned) directs the tense, socioeconomically attuned coming-of-age story from a Benjamin Naishtat (Rojo) script. The film screens as part of the World Dramatic Competition Below, Cinematographer Diego Tenorio (Tótem) talks about the detailed tests and planning that contributed to The Virgin of the Quarry Lake‘s look and adjusting to a shorter workday. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were […]
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“Letting Brooklyn be a Constant but Subtle Presence”: DP Martim Vian on Love, Brooklyn
The U.S. Dramatic Competition entry Love, Brooklyn follows the lives of three Brooklynites as they navigate the trials and travails of everyday life. The film is the debut film by Rachael Handler, who has directed episodes for a number of streaming series. Serving as director of photography on Love, Brooklyn is Martim Vian. Below, Vian goes into detail about the film’s cinematographic principles and bringing its setting to life. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? See all responses to […]
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“Something That Felt Unadorned and a Bit Raw”: DP Doug Emmett on Hal & Harper
Hal & Harper charts the development two codependent siblings with a lifetime of inside jokes and their father. The series is directed by Cooper Raiff (Cha Cha Real Smooth), who plays Hal; Lili Reinhart; and Mark Ruffalo. The first four episodes of Hal & Harper will screen as part of Sundance’s Episodics sidebar. Doug Emmett (The Edge of Seventeen, Sorry to Bother You) the series’ cinematographer, describes the show’s naturalistic and raw feel below. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors […]
