Mandy Walker AM ASC ACS became the first woman in history to take home the AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) Best Cinematography award for her work on “ELVIS”. Now it is the time for Walker to accomplish her next dream —Shooting the next James Bond movie.

First Female Cinematographer to Win AACTA

Congratulations to Mandy Walker AM, ASC, ACS on her historic achievement as the first woman to win Best Cinematography at the AACTA awards for “Elvis”. “I am honored to be the first woman to have won this award and I hope it’s opened the door to many more in the future,” Walker said in her acceptance speech. “A huge thank you to Baz Luhrmann for taking me on this amazing creative journey that has led to me standing up here accepting this award”, she added. Walker didn’t just shoot ELVIS but helped to develop a dedicated anamorphic T-Series glass with a vintage look to be paired with the ALEXA 65 and LF, that the film would remind the audience of the American culture.

Shot on Panavision “ELVIS” lenses

ELVIS was shot on the ARRI ALEXA 65, and LF, paired with a unique glass called the Panavision T-Series “Elvis” Lens. The ‘Elvis’ lenses were born after mutual research between Walker and Panavision. For the look & feel of the movie, Walker wanted pure and precise vintage imagery —Not too sharp, and even a bit ‘dirty’ and with extra aberration, so it would remind the good old anamorphic glass from the seventies. Hence, Panavision developed two sets of lenses, one for the first half of Elvis’ life, and then the second was the T-Series anamorphic with a classic flare and aberrations on the edges. Walker emphasized that modern lenses could not constitute a good fit for ELVIS, since they are too pristine and crisp. To mark these beautifully ‘dirty’ lenses, Panavision put little Elvis icons on them.

Walker’s dream: Shooting the next James Bond film

Mandy Walker ACS ASC (42) is an acclaimed cinematographer that is known for many masterpieces. Born in 1963, the Australian camera-woman has been a director of photography in major Hollywood films including Mulan, Hidden Figures, and Australia. She studied film criticism and cinema studies with John Flaus, who introduced her to several people working in the industry.

My dad made me a little dark room in the back yard and I loved going to movies, so I decided to join those two things together.

Cinematographer Mandy Walker

She apprenticed as an unpaid assistant on several documentaries and music videos before shooting her first feature film, Return Home, at the age of twenty-five. As one of the movie industry’s very few female cinematographers, she decided at age 13 to become a DP. “My dad made me a little dark room in the back yard and I loved going to movies, so I decided to join those two things together” she stated. Walker’s most recent project is Disney’s Snow White (in the post-production phase). Walker’s dream is to shoot the next James Bond movie. We wish her the best of luck.

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