Cinematographer
Nancy Schreiber, ASC is an award-winning cinematographer based in both New York and Los Angeles.
She was the fourth woman ever voted into membership into the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers. In February 2017, Schreiber was recipient of the ASC President’s Award, the first woman ever to receive this award. She recently received the Susan B. Anthony "Failure is Impossible" Award at the High Falls Film Festival for her extensive work and her contribution in supporting women in the film and television industries.
Schreiber was honored with the Best Dramatic Cinematography Award at Sundance for the film November, directed by Greg Harrison starring Courteney Cox. She also shared the Best Cinematography Award at Sundance for My America...Or Honk If You Love Buddah, and she garnered an Emmy nomination for Best Cinematography on the acclaimed Celluloid Closet for HBO. In addition, Schreiber was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Chain of Desire and was recognized in 2000 by Variety magazine as one of "10 DPs to Watch." Well regarded in the industry, Schreiber was chosen as director of photography for Visions of Light, a stunning documentary on the art of cinematography, an early high definition film.
Schreiber’s work in television was recently seen on ABC’s The Family with Joan Allen and Alison Pill, and the FX show, Better Things, staring and co-created by Pamela Adlon. She also was the Director of Photography on the series, The Comeback, with Lisa Kudrow, and numerous pilots including USA's In Plain Sight.
Schreiber has filmed countless features, including Folk Hero & Funny Guy, directed by Jeff Grace, which premiered in competition at Tribeca, 2016 and released theatrically in May 2017, starring Alex Karpovsky, Wyatt Russell, David Cross and Melanie Lynskey. Three new narrative films are about to be released, Mapplethope, lensed in New York, for director Ondi Timoner, Moving Parts for director Emilie Upczak, photographed in Trinidad, and Kepler’s Dream, filmed in New Mexico for director Amy Glazer.
She photographed numerous films premiering at Sundance including: The Nines, for John August, with Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy, Hope Davis and Octavia Spencer; Motherhood with Uma Thurman; and Loverboy directed by Kevin Bacon, with Kyra Sedgwick, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon and Marissa Tomei. Additional independent films she shot include: Serious Moonlight with Meg Ryan, Tim Hutton, Justin Long and Kristin Bell (Tribeca), Everyday, directed by Richard Levine, with Helen Hunt, Liev Schreiber, Brian Dennehy, Carla Gugino and Eddie Izzard (Tribeca); as well as Neil La Bute’s Your Friends and Neighbors, with Ben Stiller, Catherine Keener, Aaron Eckhart, Amy Brenneman, Jason Patric and Natasha Kinski.
Schreiber still enjoys shooting the occasional documentary, including the critically acclaimed film Eva Hesse, directed by Marcie Begleiter, now in theatrical release worldwide. She also shot additional photography on Woody Allen for PBS’ American Masters, as well as Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, and Paradise Lost 2 and 3, directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, for HBO.
Schreiber taught advanced cinematography at the American Film Institute in 2010-2011 and has guest lectured at all the film schools in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. She also served on the board of the ASC for seven years, was on the foundation board of Women In Film, is a huge supporter and member of Film Independent, IFP and IDA, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
"In an honor that combines artistic and female achievement, The High Falls Film Festival will present DP Nancy Schreiber with its Susan B. Anthony 'Failure is Impossible' Award in recognition of her contributions to the art of filmmaking as one of the few female cinematographers working today in film and television."
"To this day, Schreiber still meets people who have never worked with a woman cinematographer."
"When I was starting off in New York as a film electrician and gaffer with aspirations to be a cinematographer, I would devour every issue of American Cinematographer magazine that was published. It never occurred to me that I could become a member."
"As the fourth female member in ASC’s history, out of only 15 total... Nancy Schreiber, ASC has forged a singular path in the industry — not just with talent and persistence, but also visibility and a willingness to take on positions of responsibility."
"In fact, because the ASC has previously only bestowed one of its many awards unto a woman a single time in its three-decade-long history, Schreiber was shocked to even receive the call."
"Over three decades, the American Society of Cinematographers has given its coveted Presidents Award to a long list of distinguished artists... never has the honor gone to a woman — until this year. At the 31st annual ASC Awards, DP Nancy Schreiber will take home the trophy. Indeed, Schreiber will become only the second woman to receive any ASC prize at all."
Fugly - Movie Review. "Alfredo De Villa, who worked with Leguizamo on Nothing Like the Holidays, directs the unwieldy mix with energy, and the accomplished director of photography Nancy Schreiber gives the New York locations a low-key freshness. The sporadic use of animation by Bill Plympton is more whimsical-decorative than edgy."
Fugly - Movie Review. "Alfredo De Villa's felicitous direction has a beautiful, improvisatory looseness to it, and also incorporates animated drawings, lending it a graphic comic immediacy. Nancy Schreiber's very handsome, deep-toned cinematography gives Fugly! a rich look, rare in indie comedy."
It's A Disaster - LAFF Film Review. "This movie makes the most of it's single location, thanks to the fluent camerawork of accomplished cinematographer, Nancy Schreiber."
Every Day - Movie Review. "Set in New York with Ned split between work in the city and life in the burbs, cinematographer Nancy Schreiber ("Your Friends & Neighbors," "Serious Moonlight") intensifies the distance between them - moving in close to capture the claustrophobia at home, and pulling back to create space and breathing room at work, with Ned awash in open space as things heat up with Robin (Gugino)."
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“Schreiber's extraordinary sharp lensing captures the distinctive yellow-brown palette of the Southwest.”Scorpion Spring, VARIETY
“Nancy Schreiber's slick and dark cinematography fuses the emotional electricity...”Kiss Me a Killer, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Her impressive long shots convey the vastness of the land...and her sensuous camera contributes immensely to the pic's sexual allure.”Girl in the Cadillac, Emanuel Levy, VARIETY
“Tech credits are fine down the line...Nancy Schreiber's camera, alert and textured.”Lush Life, Derek Elley, VARIETY
“There are mmoments of exquisite, sombre half-lighting, just right for the uncertain needs of its characters and one link up, of voyeurs at their windows is both the loneliest and funniest sex scene of the year.”Chain of Desire, A.L., THE NEW YORKER
“Nancy Schreiber's camera, her astute eye for color and composition lending a slick visual panache that puts the thrifty but amply-functional 1960's production design in a good light.”Deadbeat, David Rooney, VARIETY
“Nancy Schreiber's lensing superbly captures the colors and moods of Gotham...”Chain of Desire, Todd McCarthy, VARIETY
“With luminious, inventive cinematography by Nancy Schreiber, one of the few female cinematographers toiling in features...Lopez's first non-experimental feature film is audience-friendly, but determinedly provocative.”Chain of Desire, The Art of Film, LA READER
“[The film] possesses a flowing, graceful style and cinematographer Nancy Schreiber brings a burnished, moody glow to his sleek, sensual images of Manhattan.”Chain of Desire, Kevin Thomas, LA TIMES
“A disquieting power to the work - visual compositions are striking and well-photographed by Nancy Schreiber.”Chain of Desire, David Kronke, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER