'Sawan Baan Na' (Agrarian Utopia) Thailand
Cinematography: Uruphong Raksasad
Uruphong Raksasad was born in 1977 to a farming family in the district of Terng, outside of Chiang Rai in Thailand’s north. He moved to Bangkok when he was 18 to further his study at Thammasat University's Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications, where he majored in film and photography. After graduating in 2000, he worked as a film editor and post-production supervisor on several Thai feature films. In 2004, he moved away from working on large scale feature films to focus on grassroots filmmaking through the story of his home village.
Nanjing! Nanjing! (City of Life and Death) People's Republic of China
Cinematography: Cao Yu
City of Life and Death is the second film on which Cao Yu has collaborated with director, Lu Chuan. He was the cinematographer for Chuan’s 2004 film, Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, which was widely acclaimed and received both a Golden Horse and a Golden Rooster Award for Best Feature Film. Cao Yu’s credits include Run Away (2001) and Love in the Internet Generation (1998). In 2009 he received the San Sebastian Film Festival’s award for Best Cinematography for City of Life and Death.
'Cheraghi Dar Meh' (A Light in the Fog) Islamic Republic of Iran
Cinematography: Ali Mohammad Ghasemi
Born in 1970 in Malayer, Iran, Ali Mohammad Ghasemi’s cinematic career began in 1985 with a series of 8mm short films for the Iranian Young Cinema Society. He developed his craft by experimenting with short films in 8mm, 16mm and 35mm format and has also been involved in several productions as a photographer, editor and camera operator. In 2001, his short film, Stranger and Native, which he wrote, directed and shot, was selected for the Cannes Film Festival Critics Week and the 6th Pusan International Film Festival.
'Bumaznyj Soldat' (Paper Soldier) Russian Federation
Cinematography: Alisher Khamidhodjaev and Maxim Drozdov
Born in Tashent, Uzbekistan, Alisher Khamidhodjaev graduated from Moscow’s prestigious Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in 1992. His credits include Tale in the Darkness (2009), Everybody Dies but Me (2008), Four Ages of Love (2008) and Four (2004). Maxim Drozdov was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan and began his career as an editorial photographer. In 2004 he completed his studies in cinematography at the Saint Petersburg University for Film and Television where he was DOP on several shorts and documentaries and then went on to shoot The Lighthouse (2006), Paper Soldier (2008) and Bibinur (2009). Together, they have received the award for Best Cinematography at the 2008 Venice International Film Festival and Russia’s 2009 NIKA Awards for their work on Paper Soldier.
'Volchok' (Wolfy) Russian Federation
Cinematography: Alexei Arsentiev
Alexei Arsentiev is nominated for his work on Wolfy, the debut feature film from renowned playwright, Vassily Sigarev. His work on the film has been highly acclaimed at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Portugal's Douro Film Harvest and the Sochi International Film Festival whose Jury unanimously awarded it the Grand Jury Prize. Wolfy is Alexei’s debut feature film.