Medina Receives Cinematography Honors At WIF Lucy Awards

Teresa Medina, AES was presented with the Kodak Vision Award at the Women in Film (WIF) Lucy Awards luncheon Friday, September 17, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The award is presented annually to a cinematographer in recognition of extraordinary achievements in theatrical or television programming, including narrative and documentary content, commercials and music videos. ""It is important to encourage diversity and recognize the artistic achievements of women cinematographers,"" says WIF President Iris Grossman. ""Teresa Medina is a talented cinematographer and a great role model in this important field where women have historically been under-represented."" Medina was born and raised in Madrid, Spain, where she studied cinematography and earned a bachelor' s degree from Complutense University. She began her career as a camera assistant in Spain and migrated to Los Angeles in 1990 after she was accepted in the American Film Institute graduate program. Medina was the first female cinematographer to produce a thesis film at AFI. She is also the first and only female member of the Association of Spanish Cinematographers (AES). ""I was fortunate to intern with Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, during the production of Sliver and Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC, on Little Buddha, early in my career,"" she says. ""I feel blessed to have had opportunities to observe and learn from those great artists at work. Those experiences were an important part of my progress as a cinematographer.""The Vision Award has been sponsored by Kodak since 1996. Previous recipients include Judy Irola, ASC, Linda Brown and Liz Zeigler. Medina was selected by a peer group based on her body of work. The jurists also considered her contributions as a role model for other women seeking or pursuing careers as cinematographers. ""We initiated and sponsor this award because it is important for cinematographers to get the recognition they deserve as artists,"" says Kathy Mazza, a sales and marketing manager at Kodak's Hollywood office and a WIF board member. ""The contributions they make to the art of filmmaking are incalculable. This is our way of thanking and encouraging women who have helped set the standards for artistic excellence in this important field."" Medina says that a childhood interest in still photography, painting and poetry led her to cinematography as a form of creative expression. She credits a cousin with introducing her to the works of such artists as Julia Cameron, Isabel Bishop and Rosalia de Castro. Their works influenced Medina to follow her own muse. ""I truly believe that every movie has a unique look and my mission as a cinematographer is to create the look the director and producer are trying to portray through the written word,"" she says. ""It is magical to be at the point in the creative process where the printed page comes to life through light in the physical world."" Medina's narrative credits include The 24 Hour Women, Todo Esta Oscuro, Female Peversions, Things I Never Told You, Final Vendetta (Sweet Evil), Unconditional Love, Reflections in the Dark, Come Tu Quieras, and The Blue Diner film project, various documentaries and TV commercials. Medina was recently approached by a young Spanish woman, who confided, ""I want to be just like you."" She says that made her realize how much her work can influence other people's lives, and ""how important it is to keep focused, to grow and develop as a human being and professional in a way that we mentor or become an example to future generations.... As artists, we have the ability to make the world better.""