"Roma," "Mission Impossible: Fallout" Take Feature Honors At LMGI Awards
LMGI Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Michael J. Meehan (l) and presenter Duncan Henderson.
"Chernobyl," "Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan" top television portion of competition
  • SANTA MONICA, Calif.
  • --

Roma and Mission Impossible: Fallout were the marquee feature winners at the sixth annual Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) Awards held Saturday night (9/21) at The Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

Roma and its location managers Claudia Puebla Monge, Horacio Rodriguez de Zamacona, LMGI, won for Outstanding Locations in a Period Film. Roma was shot at locations throughout Mexico City.

Mission Impossible: Fallout and its location managers David Campbell-Bell and Ben Piltz earned distinction for Outstanding Locations in a Contemporary Film. Mission Impossible: Fallout was lensed in locations in the U.K., France, Abu Dhabi, Norway and New Zealand.

On the television front, Chernobyl and location manager Jonas Spokas, LMGI, won for best locations in a period TV series. Chernobyl was filmed at locations in Lithuania. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan won for locations in a contemporary TV series; Lori Balton, LMGI, Arnaud Kaiser, LMGI, Christian McWilliams, LMGI, Peggy Pridemore, LMGI, and Michelle St. Arnaud, LMGI, were location managers on Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan which was shot in Montreal, Morocco, France and Washington, D.C.

Winning for best locations in a commercial was National Geographic’s “Nujeen Mustafa” from 72andSunny Los Angeles; location managers were Jose Aragao and Luis Santos. The spot introduces us to wheelchair-bound Syrian refugee Nujeen Mustafa, born with cerebral palsy. She and her sister fled Syria, successfully making an arduous 3,500-mile expedition to present-day Germany.

Rounding out the LMGI competition’s category winners was Film Otago, Southland, New Zealand which was named Outstanding Film Commission. K.J. Jennings is film Otago Southland’s film commissioner.

Special honors
Acclaimed Oscar®-nominated director Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) received the Eva Monley Award which recognizes and honors industry members who support the work of location professionals. Accepting in person on Weir’s behalf was Emmy® winning actress Holland Taylor (The Practice, Two and a Half Men, Legally Blond, The Truman Show). 

Oscar-nominated producer Duncan Henderson (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Master and Commander, Dead Poets Society) bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award to location manager Michael J. Meehan (Dead Poets Society, The Perfect Storm, Pirates of the Caribbean, Master and Commander). 

And actor Michael Ealy (Barbershop, Think Like a Man,  2 Fast 2 Furious) presented the Humanitarian Award to Hidden Empire Film Group for its philanthropic reach across the globe, deep compassion and active engagement in raising awareness of human rights and social issues. Executive Producer Roxanne Taylor accepted in person on behalf of herself, and management partners Deon Taylor and Robert F. Smith.

Meehan received the evening’s lone standing ovation. He offered thanks to three people in particular: his wife, and collaborators Weir and Henderson. Meehan described Weir as the kind of director “most of us got in this business to work with.” He cited the pleasure he’s had of teaming with Weir on “four wonderful films,” including Witness and Master and Commander

Meehan described Henderson first and foremost as a friend, as well as the “very definition of a man who has your back.” Meehan affirmed that Henderson and his team “tackled films that most people would shy away from” due to their daunting challenges.

As for his wife, Meehan related, “I’m sorry I put you second to the harsh mistress we call film production” but added that ultimately “you need to know you are always first in my heart.”

Meehan has traveled the world for 30 years scouting for major studios everywhere from Canada to Venezuela, with countries such as Mongolia, China, Russia, Bulgaria, Morocco, India and the Galapagos in between. Meehan has worked on over 38 movies and scouted more than 40 countries. His credits include Witness, Dead Poets Society, Arachnophobia, Toys, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3, Master and Commander, Poseidon, Spaceballs, Syriana, Patch Adams, Grease 2 and Star Trek IV. He has worked with such directors as not only Weir but also Sam Fuller, Mel Brooks and Barry Levinson, among others.

While Weir was overseas working on a film and couldn’t attend the LMGI Awards ceremony, he was present in the form of two videos--one expressing gratitude for being named recipient of the Eva Monley Award; the other paying tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Meehan. Weir noted that Meehan made integral contributions to his films, citing Master and Commander in particular, for which the location manager successfully negotiated access to the Galapagos Islands for filming. Weir said that precedent-setting accomplishment was a testament to Meehan’s diplomatic skills, quipping that he should be deployed in the Middle East to help bring opposing sides together.

The LMGI awards ceremony drew an audience of 500, including LMGI members, industry executives, film commissioners and press. AJ Gibson, talk show host on Hollywood Live Today, served as the evening’s emcee. Lori Balton, Mike Fantasia and John Rakich served as committee co-chairs and producers of this year’s LMGI Awards. 

Here’s a full rundown of the night’s winners:

LMGI AWARDS HONOREES:

EVA MONLEY AWARD
Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, Master and Commander)
 
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Location manager Michael J. Meehan (Dead Poets Society, The Perfect Storm, Pirates of the Caribbean, Master and Commander)
 
HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Hidden Empire Film Group’s Deon Taylor, Roxanne Taylor and Robert F. Smith
 
LMGI AWARDS WINNERS:
 
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Amazon Prime Video)  
Michele St-Arnaud, Arnaud Kaiser, Peggy Pridemore, Christian McWilliams, Lori Balton
 
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD TELEVISION SERIES
Chernobyl (HBO)
Jonas Spokas

OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY FEATURE
Mission Impossible: Fallout (Paramount Pictures)
Ben Piltz, David Campbell-Bell
 
OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A PERIOD FEATURE
Roma (Netflix)
Horacio Rodriquez de Zamacona, Claudia Puebla Monge

OUTSTANDING LOCATIONS IN A COMMERCIAL
"Nujeen Mustafa" (National Geographic - 72andSunny) 
Jose Aragao, Luis Santos
 
OUTSTANDING FILM COMMISSION
Film Otago Southland
KJ Jennings, executive manager

Credits:

Client National Geographic Agency 72andSunny Los Angeles Production Pulse Films Reed Morano, director. Editorial Cut+Run, Hecho Studios Finishing Jogger Music Human

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