Janusz Kamiński | |
|---|---|
 Kamiński in 2014 | |
| Born | Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński (1959-06-27)June 27, 1959 (age 65) |
| Alma mater | Columbia College Chicago (B.A., 1987)[1] AFI Conservatory (M.F.A., 1987)[2] |
| Occupation(s) | Cinematographer,film director,television director |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Organization | American Film Institute |
| Spouses | |
| Awards | See full awards |
Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński (Polish:[ˌjanuʂkaˈmiɲskʲi]; born June 27, 1959) is a Polish[3]cinematographer anddirector.
He established a partnership withSteven Spielberg, working as a cinematographer of all of his films since 1993,[4] winning oneAcademy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on hisholocaust dramaSchindler's List, and another one for theWorld War II epicSaving Private Ryan.
Aside from a total of seven Academy Award nominations, he has also received five nominations from theBAFTA Awards, and six from theAmerican Society of Cinematographers.
In addition to his collaborations with Spielberg, he has also worked withCameron Crowe,James L. Brooks,Julian Schnabel andJohn Krasinski.
Kamiński has also worked in the field of directing, first with the horror filmLost Souls (2000), and theNBC seriesThe Event (2011) andWE TV seriesThe Divide (2014).
In 2019, theAmerican Society of Cinematographers includedSchindler's List andSaving Private Ryan, both shot by Kamiński, on the list of the best-photographed films of the 20th century.[5]
Kamiński was born inZiębice, Poland, the son of mother, Jadwiga Celner, and father, Marian Kamiński.[6]
In 1981, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 21 afterPrime MinisterJaruzelski imposedmartial law.
He attendedColumbia College in Chicago from 1982 to 1987, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree,[1] taking up filmmaking as a profession before attending to theAFI Conservatory, where he graduated with aMaster of Fine Arts degree.
He would then take his first opportunity filming and helping direct the music video for Club of Rome’s smash hit ‘Why Can't I Dance With Phil Donahue’.
He worked under cinematographerPhedon Papamichael,[7] first as agaffer, and eventually assecond unit director of photography. He shot numerousB-movies for directorsRoger Corman andKatt Shea, as well as the romantic musical comedyCool as Ice, starringVanilla Ice.
Kamiński was first discovered bySteven Spielberg in 1991. After seeing the television filmWildflower, Spielberg hired Kamiński to shootClass of '61, a television film in which Spielberg served as producer.[8]
He won twice the Academy Award forBest Cinematography in the 1990s, forSchindler's List andSaving Private Ryan. He has been nominated five additional times forAmistad,The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,War Horse,Lincoln, andWest Side Story. In 2010, he was awarded the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal by the AFI Conservatory.[9]
Kamiński became a member of theAmerican Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in 1994,[10] but resigned in 2006.[10][11][12]
In 2018 Kamiński worried that professional cinematographers were digitally losing control of their own images.[13] In 2010 Kamiński abandoned the Chris Curling female fighter pilotWorld War II projectThe Night Witch,[14] and in 2012 Kamiński discussed directing a Los Angeles-based version of the drama"XXXXXX" but nothing became of it.[15]
Kamiński was married to actressHolly Hunter from 1995 until 2001. In 2004, he marriedABC reporter Rebecca Rankin; they divorced in 2010.[16]
Short film
Feature film
Television
| Year | Title | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Event | "Face Off" |
| 2014 | The Divide | "Never Forget" |
Short film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Drowning | Juan Carlos Valdivia |
| 2004 | Jumbo Girl | Daniel Curran |
| 2007 | Mission Zero | Kathryn Bigelow |
| 2013 | Broken Night | Guillermo Arriaga |
Feature film
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Wildflower | Diane Keaton |
| 1993 | Class of '61 | Gregory Hoblit |
| 2021 | Oslo | Bartlett Sher |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Wonder Pets! | Josh Selig | Episode "Save the Crane" |
| 2014 | The Divide | Tony Goldwyn | Episode "The Ways Men Divide" |
| 2024 | The Savant | Matthew Heineman | 6 episodes |
