Svetlana Cvetko

Last updated
Svetlana Cvetko, 2020 Svetlana Cvetko Director.jpg
Svetlana Cvetko, 2020

Svetlana Cvetko is an American cinematographer and film director. She is most notable for being the cinematographer of several critically acclaimed documentaries including: Oscar winning Inside Job (2010), Oscar nominated Facing Fear (2010), and Sundance US Documentary Special Jury Prize-winning Inequality For All (2013). In addition, she was the first cinematographer on films such as Oscar winning OJ: Made In America and Sundance documentary Miss Representation.

Contents

Cvetko was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2019 because of her contribution to feature motion pictures and distinguishing herself as an artist in the film industry. [1] She is a member of the Cinematographers Branch and on its executive committee. [2]

Background and education

Cvetko came to the United States as an expatriate of the former Yugoslavia in the late 1980s to pursue a career in filmmaking. Originally a still photographer, Cvetko was inspired by the work of Agnès Godard to become an established female cinematographer. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. [3] While attending classes at the University of California, Berkeley extension program, Cvetko met film professor Larry Clark. [3] [4] Clark became Cvetko's mentor and gave her access to her first production set.

Career

Cvetko began her career with No War, a documentary film about the conflict in Bosnia. [3] [5] Directed and shot by Cvetko, No War was shown in over 15 festivals around the world and won the Grand Prix du Public in Films de Femmes in 2001. [5] [6]

Cvetko was also the cinematographer of Miss Representation , directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and premiering at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in the documentary competition, and the Sundance 2013 Special Jury Prize winner Inequality For All. [6] [7] She was the cinematographer for Inside Job, directed by Charles Ferguson. Premiering at Cannes Film Festival in 2010, Inside Job won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. She shot the 2014 documentary Red Army , which premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. [7] She also shot the narrative films (Untitled) and The Architect directed by Jonathan Parker and On a Tuesday directed by David Scott Smith. [3] [5] [6]

She shot On a Tuesday on Kodak 35 mm film in the Super 35 format. [3] Cvetko and director David Scott Smith created a panoramic, widescreen 3.18:1 aspect ratio to shoot in the San Francisco City Hall. Discovered by accident while scouting locations there, Cvetko said "It was breathtaking. The space was just asking to be seen that way." [3]

In 2016, Cvetko directed a short, Yours Sincerely, Lois Weber, about the trailblazing silent-film director, starring Eilizabeth Banks, who is also the film's Executive Producer. (Variety) [8]

Cvetko directed her first feature-length film, award-winning Show Me What You Got . A story of three people in their twenties who form a ménage à trois and struggle to prove themselves worthy to their families and the world. The film was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at Taormina Film Festival which Oliver Stone handed to Cvetko and team at the world premiere.

Critical recognition

Cvetko's cinematography has been praised. The New York Times called her work "clean wide-screen cinematography [that] provides an aesthetic polish," and Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood called her cinematography "perfect". [7]

"In director-cinematographer Svetlana Cvetko’s ambitious indie drama “Show Me What You Got,” three soulful twentysomethings bare their hearts and bodies to one another in sleek, polyamorous European-flavored style." (LAtimes)

"With her stylish, dynamic and affecting feature Show Me What You Got , the co-writer/director/DOP captures the malaise of today’s generation through a classic cinema lens; even Phillip Noyce thought it was dynamite." (Film Ink) [9]

“Show Me What You Got” is an homage to films such as “Jules and Jim” (and “Willie and Phil,” that film's loose reimagining). Cvetko shoots this gorgeous film — and the gorgeous actors — in arty black and white as the characters grapple with sex and love, as well as family and loss. (Gay City News) [10]

Two become three when the pair meet Christine (Cristina Rambaldi), an artist grieving her grandfather, at the coffee shop where she works. The three eventually fall in love, and Svetlana Cvetko, the director and cinematographer, renders their courtship beautifully. (New York Times) [11]

"We want to catch talent early [Svetlana], and I feel like this is the best chance to build a relationship with a soon to be great filmmaker. The projects we do are low to micro-budget, and that daredevil aspect of filmmaking I absolutely love. So to answer your question it’s because it’s fun to make films with great people." Nikolay Sarkisov (Variety) [12]

"'Show Me What You Got' is an elegant black-and-white art-house film by cinematographer and director Svetlana Cvetko. (ABS-CBN News) [13]

Selected filmography

Director

Cinematography

Awards and nominations

Related Research Articles

James Bertrand Longley is an American filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Frei</span> Swiss filmmaker and film producer

Christian Frei is a Swiss filmmaker and film producer. He is mostly known for his films War Photographer (2001), The Giant Buddhas (2005) and Space Tourists (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geetu Mohandas</span> Indian actress, director (born 1981)

Gayatri Das known professionally as Geetu Mohandas is an Indian former actress and director known for her works in Malayalam cinema. In 2013, she directed the socio political film Liar's Dice which has received two National Film Awards, was premiered at Sundance Film Festival, and was chosen by the Government of India as India's entry for the U.S. 87th Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, but was not shortlisted or nominated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Kuras</span> American cinematographer (born 1959)

Ellen Kuras is an American cinematographer whose work includes narrative and documentary films, music videos and commercials in both the studio and independent worlds. One of few female members of the American Society of Cinematographers, she is a pioneer best known for her work in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). She has collaborated with directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Lee, Sam Mendes, Jim Jarmusch, Rebecca Miller, Martin Scorsese and more. She is the three-time winner of the Award for Excellence in Dramatic Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival, for her films Personal Velocity: Three Portraits, Angela and Swoon, which was her first dramatic feature after getting her start in political documentaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanna Polak</span> Polish director, cinematographer and producer

Hanna Polak is a Polish director, cinematographer and producer. For her short documentary film, The Children of Leningradsky, about a community of homeless children living in the Leningradsky railway station in Moscow, she was nominated for an Academy Award and an Emmy Award. In 2003, she was awarded Best Producer of Documentary Movies at the Kraków Film Festival for Railway Station Ballad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirsten Johnson</span> American film director

Kirsten Johnson is an American documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. She is mostly known for her camera work on several well-known feature-length documentaries such as Citizenfour and The Oath. In 2016, she released Cameraperson, a film which consists of various pieces of footage from her decades of work all over the world as a documentary cinematographer. Directed by Johnson herself, Cameraperson went on to be praised for its handling of themes about documentary ethics interwoven with Johnson's personal reflection on her experiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Sundance Film Festival</span>

The 26th annual Sundance Film Festival was held from January 21, 2010, until January 31, 2010, in Park City, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Sundance Film Festival</span>

The 27th annual Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20, 2011 until January 30, 2011 in Park City, Utah, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Utah, and Sundance, Utah.

Maryse Alberti is a French cinematographer who mainly works in the United States on independent fiction films and vérité, observational documentaries. Alberti has won awards from the Sundance Film Festival and the Spirit Awards. She was the first contemporary female cinematographer featured on the cover of American Cinematographer for her work on the Todd Haynes-directed Velvet Goldmine (1998).

Lindsey Dryden is a British film director, producer and writer.

Rachel Morrison is an American cinematographer and director. For her work on Mudbound (2017), Morrison earned a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, making her the first woman ever nominated in that category. She has twice worked with director Ryan Coogler, working on the films Fruitvale Station (2013) and Black Panther (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi</span> American film director

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi is an American documentary filmmaker. She was the director, along with her husband, Jimmy Chin, for the film Free Solo, which won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film profiled Alex Honnold and his free solo climb of El Capitan in June 2017. Their first scripted film venture was Nyad, a biopic chronicling Diana Nyad's quest to be the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida.

Reed Morano is an American film director and cinematographer. Morano was the first woman in history to win both the Emmy and Directors Guild Award for directing a drama series in the same year for the pilot episode of The Handmaid's Tale. Morano is known for her cinematography work on feature films such as Frozen River (2008), Kill Your Darlings (2013) and The Skeleton Twins (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Heineman</span> American documentary filmmaker

Matthew Heineman is an American documentary filmmaker, director, and producer. His inspiration and fascination with American history led him to early success with the documentary film Cartel Land, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, a BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, and won three Primetime Emmy Awards.

<i>Unrest</i> (2017 film) 2017 American documentary film by Jennifer Brea

Unrest is a 2017 documentary film produced and directed by Jennifer Brea. The film tells the story of how Jennifer and her new husband faced an illness that struck Jennifer just before they married. Initially dismissed by doctors, she starts filming herself to document her illness and connects with others who are home- or bedbound with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Emily Kassie is a filmmaker, investigative journalist, and cinematographer. Her debut feature documentary Sugarcane (film) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024 where it won the Grand Jury Directing Award.

<i>Hale County This Morning, This Evening</i> 2018 American film

Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a 2018 American documentary film about the lives of black people in Hale County, Alabama. It is directed by RaMell Ross and produced by RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, Su Kim, and is Ross's first nonfiction feature. The documentary is the winner of 2018 Sundance Film Festival award for U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision, 2018 Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. After its theatrical run, it aired on the PBS series Independent Lens and eventually won a 2020 Peabody Award.

<i>For Sama</i> 2019 film by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts

For Sama is a 2019 documentary film produced and narrated by Waad Al-Kateab, and directed by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts. The film focuses on Waad Al-Kateab's journey as a journalist and rebel in the Syrian uprising. Her husband is Hamza al-Kateab, one of the few doctors left in Aleppo, and they raise their daughter Sama Al-Kateab during the Syrian Civil War.

Jon Shenk is an Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary film director and director of photography, known for his films Lead Me HomeAthlete A, An Inconvenient Sequel, Audrie & Daisy,The Island President, Lost Boys of Sudan. He is the co-founder, with his wife Bonni Cohen, of Actual Films, a documentary film company based in San Francisco, CA. He co-directed and photographed Lead Me Home which premiered in 2021 at the Telluride Film Festival, was acquired by Netflix, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2022.

<i>Show Me What You Got</i> (film) 2021 indie film

Show Me What You Got is a Black and white American independent film shot in Los Angeles, Italy and Joshua Tree that follows three millennials as they meet and form a ménage à trois. With the restless energy of a French New Wave film, the story follows the three as they join political protests and make art while falling deeper in love. When one has to leave for Italy, their experience there threatens their relationship.

References

  1. ↑ "ACADEMY INVITES 842 TO MEMBERSHIP". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  2. ↑ "Film Academy Board of Governors Elections Underway, Full List of Candidates Revealed". www.yahoo.com. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stasukevich, Iain (July 2008). ""On a Tuesday" Exploits Panoramic Format". American Cinematographer. 98 (7): 14–17. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  4. ↑ "OConner Helps Svetlana Cvetko Build "The Architect"". ocon.com. 19 September 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Filmmaker, Cast & Crew: Cinematographer". Dorme. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Wright, Steve (2011). Compositing visual effects: essentials for the aspiring artist (2nd ed.). Focal Press. p. 15.4. ISBN   978-1136039218.
  7. 1 2 3 "She's Beautiful When She's Angry Filmmaker Bios: Cinematographer" (PDF). International Film Circuit. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2016-11-11). "Wally Lamb Digital Book 'I'll Take You There' to Feature Elizabeth Banks Short Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  9. ↑ Kornits, Dov (2022-05-17). "Svetlana Cvetko Shows Us What She's Got". FilmInk. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  10. ↑ Kramer, Gary M. (12 February 2021). ""Show Me What You Got" Sheds Labels in a Three-Way Relationship – Gay City News". gaycitynews.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  11. ↑ Gyarkye, Lovia (2021-02-11). "'Show Me What You Got' Review: Modern Love in Black and White". The New York Times . Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  12. ↑ McNary, Dave (2019-11-10). "Facetime: Nikolay 'Nick' Sarkisov Explains Blitz Films". Variety. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  13. ↑ Hawson, Fred (2021-07-30). "Movie review: 'Show Me What You Got' is one gorgeous art film". news.abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.