Spike Lee at Location Managers Guild Awards: “God Willing We’ll All Be Back Working Together”
“God willing we’ll all be back working together,” said Spike Lee as he accepted the Trailblazer Award on Saturday during a virtual presentation of the 7th annual Location Managers Guild International Awards.
Lee saluted location managers, saying without them, “I would not be able do what I do” as he rarely shoots on sets. “I’m out in the streets; I love shooting in the streets of New York City, especially the people’s republic of Brooklyn, New York. And I’m looking forward to going back. I know we all are. … Wear a mask, be safe.”
On Saturday, the Guild held a virtual ceremony that lasted just one hour and (held at 2 p.m. PT) attracted an international group of award recipients as well as an audience. The chat room was abuzz with guests greeting each other from cities around the U.S, as well as international destinations including Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Mallorca, Poland and the UK. “Guten Abend aus Berlin” wrote one and “Ciao a tutti da Roma” posted another guest.
During the presentation, Gary Sinise received the Humanitarian Award for establishing the Gary Sinise Foundation that serves America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, Gold Star families and those in need. “America’s families defend us all,” he said. “We owe a great debt to our freedom protectors, and we can never do enough to support them. They and their families sacrifice so much.”
Sinise read a quote from President Calvin Coolidge — “The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten” — and pledged to work so that we “remember where our precious freedom comes from and that the sacrifices made to protect that freedom are never forgotten or taken for granted.”
Christopher McQuarrie received this year’s Eva Monley Award, which he accepted from on location in Norway where he’s working on Mission: Impossible 7.
Veteran location manager Veronique Vowell was bestowed the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Winners included the location managers of productions including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Perry Mason. The award for outstanding film commission was presented to the commission in Toscana.
Isaiah Mustafa hosted the ceremony, and presenters include Noah Wyle, Tim Williams, Joe Mantegna, Damaris Lewis, Sylvia Hoeks, Jim Cashman, Graham McTavish, Edgar Wright and Blair Underwood.
Guild president Mike Fantasia welcomed viewers while dressed in a tuxedo shirt, tie, jacket and shorts while outdoors on a Montana location.
The live stream of the event began with a half-hour pre-show hosted by location manager David Doumeng (sitting in an empty bar with a martini and Biden/Harris mask) that included stills and video from past ceremonies.
The complete list of winners follows:
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD FEATURE FILM
WINNER Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Columbia Pictures, Rick Schuler /LMGI, Steve Mapel /LMGI
1917 – DreamWorks Pictures, Emma Pill /LMGI
Dolemite is My Name – Netflix , David B. Lyons /LMGI, Russel Hadaya
A Hidden Life – Fox Searchlight Pictures, Markus Bensch /LMGI, Leo Baumgartner
Jojo Rabbit – Fox Searchlight Pictures, Jan Adler /LMGI
Little Women – Sony Pictures, Douglas Dresser /LMGI, Kyle “Snappy” Oliver /LMGI
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY FEATURE FILM
WINNER The Last Black Man in San Francisco – A24 Daniel Lee /LMGI
6 Underground – Bay Films, Skydance Media, Netflix, Enrico Latella /LMGI, Simon Crook /LMGI
Da 5 Bloods – 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Netflix, Nui Voradet Emeam
Extraction – Netflix, Mary Barltrop /LMGI
Peanut Butter Falcon – Armory Films, Roadside Attractions, Jody Schiesser
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD TELEVISION SERIES
WINNER Perry Mason – HBO Jonathan Jansen /LMGI, Alexander Georges /LMGI, Brian Kinney /LMGI, Alex Moreno /LMGI
Babylon Berlin:Season 3– X Filme Creative Pool, Netflix: David Pieper /LMGI
The Crown: Season 3 – Netflix, Pat Karam /LMGI, Pedro “Tate” Aråez /LMGI
See: Season 1 – Apple TV+, Trevor Brokop, Nick Bergstedt, Michael Gazetas /LMGI (posthumous)
Westworld: Season 3 – HBO , Mandi Dillin /LMGI, Michael Wesley /LMGI
Wu-Tang: An American Saga – Hulu, Rob Coleman, Mike Mizrahi, Dexter Wiseman
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
WINNER Killing Eve: Season 3 – BBC America Jamie Parsons, Jordi Utset, Lucian Asan
Gigi/Haji – Netflix, Antonia Grant, Idris Ahmed, Tooru Hayakawa, Katsumasa Morita
Goliath: Season 3 – Amazon Prime Video, Scott Poole, Errol Reichow /LMGI
Messiah – Netflix, Wendell Hinkle, Marco Giacalone /LMGI, Hilton Clay Peres /LMGI
Treadstone – Captivate Entertainment, USA Network, Imre Légmån /LMGI, Rosita Cannata, Bong Cho, Wesker Hsing
White Lines – Netflix, Germån Traver, Leon Seth
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A LIMITED ANTHOLOGY TELEVISION
WINNER-TIE Little America – Apple TV+ Mike Hartel, Rocco Nisivoccia, Adrian Knight /LMGI
WINNER-TIE ZeroZeroZero – Amazon Prime Video Gianni Antonio Grazioli, Christian Peritore, Juan Pablo Noval, Lily Flaschner, Virginia McCollam, Babacar Seck, Zoubir Belgsir, Hicham Jamaledine
Belgravia – Epix, Mark “Sparky” EllisCatherine the Great – HBO, Vytautas Riabovas, Kestas Cicenasas, Svetlana Lukash
The Plot Against America – HBO, Matthew Kania
The Spy – Netflix , Rabi El Bakki, Zsuzsa Gregua, Zsolt Valkony
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A COMMERCIAL
WINNER Mask of the Zodiac (Stink Shanghai) Ben Qian, Allen Cao
Ford: Human Power (Primo) Alejando Bresciani
Georgetown Optician: Eyes Say More Than Words (Design Army) Dean Alexander
Gucci: Of Course A Horse (GE-Projects) Beau Bright
Renault Clio: The French Exchange (Academy Films) Mark Jones, Eugene Strange
Sprite “You Are Not Alone” (Primo) Hernan Dal Maso
OUTSTANDING FILM COMMISSION
WINNER Toscana Film Commission
Abu Dhabi Film Commission
Berlin Brandenberg Film Commission
The Municipality of Port Hope Marketing & Tourism Office, Port Hope, Ontario
New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission
