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Vilmos Zsigmond Biography

Birth Name:Vilmos Zsigmond

Birth Place:Szeged, Hungary

Profession Cinematographer, Camera department, Actor, Director, Producer

Fast Facts

Earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Camerimage in 1997 and from the American Society of Cinematographers in 1999
Studied cinema at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest, where he would eventually earn his master's degree in cinematography
Shot over 30,000 feet of film of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution with friend and fellow filmmaker Laszlo Kovacs before the two fled the country
After fleeing Hungary during the late 1950s, he settled in Los Angeles and began working as a photo technician and on several independent films, until he finally got his big break during the mid-1970s
Best known as a cinematographer who worked on 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and 1978's "The Deer Hunter," both of which demonstrate well-known technique of utilizing natural light
Became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1962
Was a longtime member of the American Society of Cinematographers

Awards

1972NSFC Award-Best Cinematography: nominated
1973BAFTA Film Award-Best Cinematography: nominated
1973NSFC Award-Best Cinematography: nominated
1974NSFC Award-Best Cinematography: winner
1978Oscar-Best Cinematography: winner
1979Oscar-Best Cinematography: nominated
1979BAFTA Film Award-Best Cinematography: nominated
1980BAFTA Film Award-Best Cinematography: winner
1982NSFC Award-Best Cinematography: nominated
1985Oscar-Best Cinematography: nominated
1993ASC Award-Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movies of the Week/Pilots: winner
1993Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special: winner
1994CableACE-Direction of Photography and/or Lighting Direction in a Dramatic or Theatrical Special/Movie or Miniseries: winner
1997ASC Award-Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases: nominated
2002Best Film Adaptation of an Opera-: winner
2002Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie: nominated
2006Golden Frog-Main Competition: nominated
2006Hollywood Film Award-Cinematographer of the Year: winner
2006Satellite Award-Best Cinematography: nominated
2007Oscar-Best Achievement in Cinematography: nominated
2007ASC Award-Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases: nominated
2010Best of the Fests Award-The Official Best of Fest Award Winners, 2010 Releases: winner
2010Golden Frog-Main Competition: nominated
2011Audience Award-Special Screening: winner
2011Special Mention-Special Screening: winner
2012Maverick Movie Award-Best Cinematography: Feature: nominated
2014Golden Frog-Feature Documentary Films Competition: nominated