Romanian gets cinematography prize at 2019 Hollywood Film Awards

Romanian cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. received the Hollywood Cinematography Award at this year’s edition of the Hollywood Film Awards.

He received the prize for his work on the film Jojo Rabbit, directed by Taika Waititi. This September, the film received the People’s Choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), a prize considered a predictor of a production’s Oscar chances.

The film, based on Christine Leunens's book Caging Skies, follows a Hitler Youth who finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. The title character must then question his beliefs, while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend, an idiotic version of Adolf Hitler.

Mihai Malaimare Jr. is the son of Romanian actor Mihai Malaimare. He worked as a cinematographer for Francis Ford Coppola’s Youth Without Youth, and went on to receive a Best Cinematography nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards for his work. He has shot two more films for Coppola, including Tetro and Twixt, starring Val Kilmer, Bruce Dern, Ben Chaplin and Elle Fanning. He also worked on Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Joaquin Phoenix.

The Hollywood Film Awards marks the official launch of the awards season. This year’s winners included Charlize Theron, who won the Hollywood Career Achievement Award; Antonio Banderas, who won the Hollywood Actor Award for Pain and Glory; and Renée Zellweger, who won the Hollywood Actress Award for Judy.

The full list of winners is available here.

(Photo: Hollywood Awards Facebook Page)