Burbank International Film Festival to Present Tony Gaudio, ASC Award for Cinematography

This year, the Burbank International Film Festival — which runs September 23-28 — has partnered with the Tony Gaudio Foundation for the Cinematic Arts to present the festival's cinematography award. The honor has been renamed the Tony Gaudio, ASC Award for Cinematography, to commemorate the early-Hollywood pioneer's contributions to the craft of motion-image making.

Gaudio began his journey in the U.S. as an immigrant from Cosenza, Italy. His brother, Eugene Gaudio, co-founded the ASC in 1919 and passed away soon after, while Tony was elected president in 1924 and built a long and impactful career — serving as director of photography on such landmark films as Hell's Angels, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse and The Red Pony. Among Gaudio's industry achievements were his invention of the viewfinder used on the earliest Mitchell cameras and his role in introducing precision-lighting techniques.

The recipient of the award will be announced on the closing night of the festival, September 28. The honor will be co-presented by Gino Gaudio, Tony's grand-nephew and the president of the Tony Gaudio Foundation, and ASC member George Mooradian, a seven-time Emmy nominee who currently serves as co-chair of the Society's Education & Outreach Committee. The winner will also receive a two-year subscription to American Cinematographer; two years of the ASC's premier online-education subscription service, ASC+; a spot in an ASC Online Master Class; and $1,000 from Kodak.

"Through this meaningful collaboration with the Tony Gaudio Foundation and the American Society of Cinematographers, BIFF is able to both honor our mission of empowering and supporting emerging cinematographers and bring Tony’s historical achievements into the present," the festival said in a statement. "We are grateful for everyone's efforts in bringing this idea to life, and humbled by the generosity of the ASC and Kodak in providing prizes that will help the winner further their career and realize their dreams."

Find more information on BIFF here, and on the Tony Gaudio Foundation here.