Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1476724
L O C AT I O N M A N A G E R S G U I L D I N T E R N AT I O N A L 9 t h A N N U A L L M G I A W A R D S 4 3 A cademy Award®-winning director Martin Scorsese is one of the most influential filmmakers in entertainment history, with a rich body of creative work that defines the cutting edge of groundbreaking cinema. As this year's recipient of the Eva Monley Award, he has shown a deep appreciation for the location professionals who have helped him transport generations of awed moviegoers to the mean streets of New York City, Las Vegas, Boston, 1920s Hollywood, and modern Wall Street with an iconic blend of precision and flair. Monley was a pioneer location professional, scouting and logistically paving the way for such filmmaking icons as John Huston, David Lean, and Otto Preminger to realize their big-screen epics in some of the most dramatic and remote landscapes on the planet. Her credits include Lawrence of Arabia, Exodus, The African Queen, and The Man Who Would Be King. Her ingenuity, resourcefulness, and creative instincts set a high bar for her craft and the recipients of the award that bears her name have embraced their location colleagues as true collaborators. Scorsese's film canon is a monument of genre- crossing genius that continues to shape modern film, including award winners such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and The Departed. There's also the Peabody- and Emmy-winning music documentaries and the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. He recently completed a documentary about New York Dolls singer David Johansen and is currently in post-production on Killers of the Flower Moon, where he traveled to Osage County to scout locations with supervising location manager Mike Fantasia/LMGI. Fantasia was tasked with finding 1920s Oklahoma with still--standing original locations to capture the cultural and economic shifts that drives the narrative. "Marty wanted to feel the story, he wanted to make sure that the characters fit in the locations that we brought him to," says Fantasia. "He wanted vistas—we had to find him vistas to match the scope of what he imagined in his mind from a hundred years ago. He pushed us hard, but we found some great locations for him. He always wanted the best thing for the movie, for the story, for the characters. He recognized hard work, he recognized how difficult some of the things he was asking for were, and when we found them, he got this little glimmer in his eye. 'Great. Perfect. What's next?'" Scorsese is meticulous about his creative vision, advising up-and-coming directors to "insist on what you want." For the legendary director, learning how to scout locations is a vital part of a filmmaker's education in capturing the look and feel of their story. He recently led a Masterclass segment where he instructed students on how to turn location limitations into advantages. Mike Burmeister/LMGI, location manager on Scorsese's 1995 Las Vegas gangster classic Casino, recalls the risks and roadblocks Scorsese faced to portray the rise of the mafia in Sin City. "He's a very good storyteller—and it was a story that Vegas did not want told." Burmeister recalls facing stonewalling and intimidation in his efforts to nail the locations Scorsese was aiming for—and making it all come together to create Casino's gritty, glittery look. "He's a very talented and exacting filmmaker, and I worked really hard to get him the locations that he wanted." Location manager Robin Citrin/LMGI echoes the scope and depth of Scorsese's vision that inspires his production team. "I had the honor and privilege to work with Marty Scorsese on both The Aviator and Shutter Island as location manager. Marty's vision and attention to detail were awe-inspiring. Both films were period films—one fictional and one historical—and locations were chosen by how accurately they could represent the time period. Working alongside his longtime production designer, Dante Ferretti, was a consummate pairing with the ultimate maestro at the helm." Scorsese continues to advocate for the film industry as the founder and chair of The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting motion picture history. The Film Foundation recently launched the Restoration Screening Room, a virtual theater showcasing an array of restored classic and independent films, documentaries, and silent films from around the world. For his more than 50 years of extraordinary storytelling and his support of location professionals helping to build unforgettable worlds that shine on screen, the LMGI is honored to present Martin Scorsese with the 2022 Eva Monley Award.