Brian Richard Tufano BSC (1 December 1939 – 12 January 2023) was an English cinematographer, best known for his work on the films of Danny Boyle and Menhaj Huda. Tufano was admitted to the British Society of Cinematographers and won the 2001 BAFTA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television.[3] His most well-known works include Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary and Billy Elliot.

Brian Tufano
Born(1939-12-01)1 December 1939[1][2]
Died12 January 2023(2023-01-12) (aged 83)
NationalityEnglish
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1963–2011
OrganisationBritish Society of Cinematographers
Known forTrainspotting
A Life Less Ordinary
Billy Elliot

Life and career

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Tufano began his career at the BBC as a projectionist, working his way up to become a cameraman with the BBC film department in 1963.[1] During his time at the BBC, Tufano worked with directors including Stephen Frears and Alan Parker. In 1992 he was assigned to the series Mr. Wroe's Virgins and worked with director Danny Boyle.[4]

Tufano went freelance in the mid-1970s - his first feature was the 1978 film The Sailor's Return with director Jack Gold.

During the 1980s, Tufano spent time working in the United States,[5] including additional cinematography for Jordan Cronenweth on Blade Runner.[6]

Boyle worked with Tufano on his feature debut, Shallow Grave,[7] and continued to work with Tufano on the 1996 films Trainspotting and the 1997 film A Life Less Ordinary. Boyle and Tufano also worked together on the 2008 short film Alien Love Triangle.[4]

Tufano worked with director Menhaj Huda on his first feature film, Jump Boy, in 1999, and they went on to work together on the 2006 feature film Kidulthood.[8] Tufano also shot the 2008 sequel Adulthood, which was directed by Noel Clarke. Huda and Tufano worked together on the 2011 feature, Everywhere and Nowhere.[9]

From 2003 to 2016, Tufano was Head of Cinematography at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield.[10] Before his death, he was a Teaching Fellow at the school.[11]

Tufano died on 12 January 2023, at the age of 83.[2][12]

Awards and nominations

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For his work on Late Night Shopping, Tufano was nominated for the Technical Achievement Award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.[13]

Tufano won the Special Jury Prize at the 2002 British Independent Film Awards.[14] Tufano received the BSC ARRI John Alcott Memorial Award in 2015,[15] and went on to receive the British Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.[10][16]

BAFTA Awards

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Year Nominated work Category Result Ref
1995 Middlemarch Television: Best Photography and Lighting (Fiction/Entertainment) Nominated [17]
2001 Billy Elliot Film: Best Cinematography Nominated [18]
n/a Television Craft: Special Award Won [3]

Filmography

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Year Title Director Notes
1966 A Few Castles in Spain Kevin Billington
1967 Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World Ken Russell
1968 The Big Switch Pete Walker
1969 Out of the Unknown Peter Cregeen Series 3, Episode 13: Get Off My Cloud
1969 Take Three Girls John Matthews Series 1, Episode 2: Avril: Devon Violets
1970 Thirty-Minute Theatre Michael Tuchner Series 5, Episode 22: All My Own Army
1971 The Search for the Nile Fred Burnley TV mini-series
1971 The Lie Alan Bridges
1976 Three Men in a Boat Stephen Frears
1978 The Sailor's Return Jack Gold
1979 Quadrophenia Franc Roddam
1981 Riding High Ross Cramer
1982 The Wall Robert Markowitz
1982 Blade Runner Ridley Scott Additional Photographer
1983 The Lords of Discipline Franc Roddam
1984 Dreamscape Joseph Ruben
1988 War Party Franc Roddam
1989 Windprints David Wicht
1993 Mr. Wroe's Virgins Danny Boyle TV mini-series; first collaboration with Boyle
1994 Middlemarch Anthony Page BAFTA nomination
1994 Shallow Grave Danny Boyle
1994 Common As Muck Metin Hüseyin Series 1, Episode 1–3
1995 The Choir Ferdinand Fairfax TV mini-series
1996 Trainspotting Danny Boyle
1996 Silent Witness Harry Hook, Mike Barker, Noella Smith Series 1, Episode 1-6
1996 True Blue Ferdinand Fairfax
1996 Element of Doubt Christopher Morahan
1997 The Life of Stuff Simon Donald
1997 A Life Less Ordinary Danny Boyle
1998 What Rats Won't Do Alastair Reid
1999 East is East Damien O'Donnell
1999 Virtual Sexuality Nick Hurran
1999 Women Talking Dirty Coky Giedroyc
1999 Tube Tales Various Alongside Sue Gibson and David Johnson
1999 Jump Boy Menhaj Huda First collaboration with Huda
2000 Billy Elliot Stephen Daldry
2001 Late Night Shopping Saul Metzstein
2001 Last Orders Fred Schepisi
2002 Once Upon a Time in the Midlands Shane Meadows
2006 Kidulthood Menhaj Huda
2007 I Could Never Be Your Woman Amy Heckerling
2008 Alien Love Triangle Danny Boyle
2008 Adulthood Menhaj Huda
2008 My Zinc Bed Anthony Page
2010 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll Mat Whitecross
2011 Everywhere and Nowhere Menhaj Huda
2011 Gymnast Anthony Wonke

References

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  1. ^ a b "Brian Tufano BSC". British Cinematographer. 6 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b Gilbey, Ryan (26 January 2023). "Brian Tufano obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Television Craft Special Award in 2001". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b Matt Glasby (15 July 2019). BRITPOP CINEMA: TRAINSPOTTING ENGLAND DG: From trainspotting to this Is England. Intellect Books. pp. 63, 99. ISBN 978-1-78938-035-4.
  5. ^ "Tufano, Brian (1939-) Biography". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  6. ^ Sweeney, Kenneth. "DVD Playback: Blade Runner". American Cinematographer (February 2008). Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  7. ^ Pulver, Andrew (Summer 2015). "The Many Sides of Danny Boyle". www.dga.org. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  8. ^ Psarias, Vicki (10 April 2008). "Menhaj Huda : Keeping it Real with Kidulthood". Netribution. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  9. ^ Gant, Charles (4 May 2011). "Everywhere & Nowhere". Variety. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  10. ^ a b "NFTS Cinematography Awarded Prestigious BSC Award". NFTS. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Honorary Fellows". NFTS. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  12. ^ Rigotti, Alex. "Renowned UK cinematographer Brian Tufano dies aged 83". Screen. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Brian Tufano, BSC". McKinney Macartney Management Ltd. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  14. ^ "2002 Winners Announced 5th British Independent Film Awards". British Independent Film Awards. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  15. ^ "Deakins, Pope and Tufano garner BSC 2015 awards". British Cinematographer. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  16. ^ "BSC Awards Night 2020 .......and the Winners are". British Society of Cinematographers. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  17. ^ "1995 Television Craft Photography And Lighting - Fiction/Entertainment". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  18. ^ "Film Cinematography in 2001". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
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