John Wick: Chapter 4 (filmed throughout Berlin, Paris, New York City, Japan and Jordan) and All Quiet on the Western Front (filmed in Czech Republic and Germany) won top feature film honors at the 10th annual Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) Awards. The TV series winners were 1923 (filmed in Montana, South Africa, Malta and Kenya), The White Lotus: Season 2 (filmed in Sicily, Italy) and The Last of Us (filmed around Alberta, Canada). Icelandair Stopover’s “Easy to Stop, Hard to Leave” (shot in Iceland) topped the commercials category, and The Alberta Film Commissions and Calgary Economic Development earned the Outstanding Film Commission Award for The Last of Us (filmed around Alberta, Canada). The awards ceremony and reception took place on Saturday night (8/26) at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica before an audience of 400, including LMGI members, industry executives and press. This year also marks the LMGI’s 20th anniversary.
The LMGI Awards spotlight international features, television and commercials in which the creative use of filming locations set the tone, enrich the character and enhance the narrative. The LMGI is a professional international non-profit organization of location managers and not a labor union or guild.
Academy Award®-winning director, producer and writer Steven Spielberg, the master storyteller and legendary pioneer of the modern blockbuster motion picture, received the prestigious Eva Monley Award virtually, honoring his more than four decades of extraordinary award-winning work. Presenting the award to Mr. Spielberg was longtime Spielberg collaborator and Oscar-winning production designer Rick Carter (Jurassic Park, Lincoln, The Fablemans).
The Creative Coalition was honored with the Humanitarian Award for its dedication to utilizing arts and entertainment to promote social change. The organization leverages its diverse membership from all sectors of the entertainment industry to make a meaningful impact on the world. The award was presented by Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Flight Attendant), and Steven Weber (Chicago Med, 13 Reasons Why). Accepting on behalf of The Creative Coalition were CEO Robin Bronk and president Tim Daly.
Academy Award-winning director Taylor Hackford (An Officer and a Gentleman, Proof of Life) presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran location manager Dow Griffith (Bourne Legacy, Contagion, Jumanji), honored for his lifetime career of over 65 motion pictures whose locations span the globe.
The 2023 Trailblazer Award was awarded to location scout and LMGI co-founding member Beth Tate (Twilight, Beverly Hills 90210), spotlighting her trailblazing work in the inception, formation and continued support of the LMGI as it celebrates its 20th anniversary, as well as her stellar location scouting career. Presenting Tate with the award were location managers JJ Levine (Eternals, Loot, The Company You Keep) and Diane Friedman (Star Trek: Generations, The Circle).
Additional presenters included Jaclyn Philpott (AFCI executive director), Academy Award-nominated production designer Stefan Dechant (The Tragedy of Macbeth, Kong: Skull Island, Pacific Rim: Uprising), Academy Award-nominated production designer Jeannine Oppewall (L.A. Confidential, Catch Me if You Can, Seabiscuit), director Patrick Cady (Interrogation, Bosch), director Hanelle M. Culpepper (Star Trek: Discovery, Big Sky, True Story), and Emmy-nominated filmmaker David Freid (Guns Found Here, High Chaparral).
2023 LMGI AWARDS HONOREES:
EVA MONLEY AWARD
Steven Spielberg
HUMANITARIAN AWARD
The Creative Coalition
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Dow Griffith, LMGI
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Beth Tate, LMGI
2023 LMGI AWARDS WINNERS:
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD TELEVISION SERIES
1923
D. Zachary Heine, LMGI
Johan Van Der Walt
Joseph Formosa Randon, LMGI
James Crowley
Eduard Klarenbeek
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
The Last of Us
Jason Nolan, LMGI
Mohammad Qazzaz, LMGI
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A TV SERIAL PROGRAM, ANTHOLOGY, MOW OR LIMITED SERIES
The White Lotus – Season 2
Piernicola Pinnola, LMGI
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD FEATURE FILM
All Quiet on the Western Front
Petr Růčka, LMGI
Marek Řídel
Jan Ondrovčák, LMGI
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY FEATURE FILM
John Wick: Chapter 4
Simon Daniel, LMGI
Pascal Ricuolt
Antonin Depardieu
Ghaith Al-kurdi
Daisei Susami
Morgan Roche
OUTSTANDING FILM COMMISSION
The Last of Us
The Alberta Film Commissions
Calgary Economic Development
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A COMMERCIAL
Icelandair Stopover “Easy to Stop, Hard to Leave”
Jón Ólafur Lindsay
This year’s awards were produced by Erick Weiss, Honeysweet Creative and IngleDodd Media. Co-chairs of this year’s LMGI Awards were LMGI president John Rakich (See, Shadowhunters, The Expanse) and supervising location manager Robin Citrin (Barbie, The Gray Man, Shutter Island).
