Janusz Kamiński
Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński is a Polish cinematographer and director.
He is known for his frequent collaborations with Steven Spielberg.
He has been nominated for and won several awards, including one Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on his holocaust drama Schindler's List, and another one for the World War II epic Saving Private Ryan.
Aside from a total of seven Academy Award nominations, he has also received five nominations from the BAFTA Awards, and six from the American Society of Cinematographers.
In addition to his collaborations with Spielberg, he has also worked with Cameron Crowe, James L. Brooks, Julian Schnabel and John Krasinski.
Kamiński has also worked in the field of directing, first with the horror film [Lost Souls (2000 film)|Lost Souls], and the NBC series The Event and WE TV series [The Divide (TV series)|The Divide].
In 2019, the American Society of Cinematographers included Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, both shot by Kamiński, on the list of the best-photographed films of the 20th century.
Early life and education
Kamiński was born in Ziębice, Poland, the son of mother, Jadwiga Celner, and father, Marian Kamiński.In 1981, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 21 after Prime Minister Jaruzelski imposed martial law.
He attended Columbia College in Chicago from 1982 to 1987, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, taking up filmmaking as a profession before attending to the AFI Conservatory, where he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree.
He would then take his first opportunity filming and helping direct the music video for Club of Rome’s smash hit ‘Why Can't I Dance With Phil Donahue’.
Career
He worked under cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, first as a gaffer, and eventually as second unit director of photography. He shot numerous B-movies for directors Roger Corman and Katt Shea, as well as the romantic musical comedy Cool as Ice, starring Vanilla Ice.Kamiński was first discovered by Steven Spielberg in 1991. After seeing the television film Wildflower, Spielberg hired Kamiński to shoot Class of '61, a television film in which Spielberg served as producer.
He won twice the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in the 1990s, for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. He has been nominated five additional times for Amistad, The [Diving Bell and the Butterfly (film)|The Diving Bell and the Butterfly], War Horse, Lincoln, and West Side Story. In 2010, he was awarded the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal by the AFI Conservatory.
Kamiński became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers in 1994, but resigned in 2006.
In 2018, Kamiński worried that professional cinematographers were digitally losing control of their own images. In 2010, Kamiński abandoned the Chris Curling female fighter pilot World War II project The Night Witch, and in 2012, Kamiński discussed directing a Los Angeles-based version of the drama "XXXXXX" but nothing became of it.
Personal life
Kamiński was married to actress Holly Hunter from 1995 until 2001. In 2004, he married ABC reporter Rebecca Rankin; they divorced in 2010.Filmography
Director
Short film- Making a Scene
- Lost Souls
- Hania
- American Dream
| Year | Title | Episode |
| 2011 | The Event | "Face Off" |
| 2014 | The Divide | "Never Forget" |
Cinematographer
Short film| Year | Title | Director |
| 1989 | Drowning | Juan Carlos Valdivia |
| 2004 | Jumbo Girl | Daniel Curran |
| 2007 | Mission Zero | Kathryn Bigelow |
| 2013 | Broken Night | Guillermo Arriaga |
Feature film
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
| 1991 | Wildflower | Diane Keaton |
| 1993 | Class of '61 | Gregory Hoblit |
| 2021 | Oslo | Bartlett Sher |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
| 2006 | Wonder Pets! | Josh Selig | Episode "Save the Crane" |
| 2014 | The Divide | Tony Goldwyn | Episode "The Ways Men Divide" |
| 2025 | The Savant | Matthew Heineman | 6 episodes |