International Cinematographers Guild Celebrates 75 Years; Ron Howard, Tom Short, George Spiro Dibie to be Honored at Nov. 8 Ceremony.

HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) will commemorate its 75th anniversary during the opening of its new national headquarters here on November 8. ICG will mark the occasion with a festive street gala where ICG Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Oscar(R)-winning filmmaker Ron Howard, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees International President Thomas C. Short and National Guild President George Spiro Dibie, ASC.

"Ron Howard is being recognized for his lifetime commitment to excellence," said Stephen Lighthill, ASC, chairman of the event. "He is a complete filmmaker who has excelled as an actor, writer, producer and director. This is an appropriate occasion for us to recognize and thank those remarkable individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking.

"The opening of our new headquarters in Hollywood marks our continuing commitment to the future of this great industry," Lighthill continues, "and to our members who are often unsung heroes in this uniquely collaborative art of filmmaking."

"We want to recognize Tom Short for being a tireless and amazingly effective advocate for the rights of our members," said Bruce Doering, national executive director of ICG. "He understands and appreciates what they bring to this art form, and in just a few years has transformed the IATSE into an international economic and political force."

Dibie is being honored for both his achievements as a cinematographer who has earned six Emmy(R) awards as well as for his dedication to the Guild. He will mark his 20th anniversary as ICG president in 2004. His notable body of work, including such memorable television series as Barney Miller, Night Court, Growing Pains, Just the 10 of Us and Mr. Belvedere.

During Dibie's tenure, the Guild has considerably expanded its membership, partially by pioneering diversity outreach programs that have become a model for the rest of the industry. He also led a successful effort to forge a merger of three regional camera guilds into one national organization.

The new ICG national headquarters will be located at 7755 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

There are some 6,000 ICG members, including cinematographers and camera crews, still photographers and publicists. For additional information about the 75th anniversary celebration, visit http://www.cameraguild.com/ .

CONTACT: Lisa Muldowney, or Sally Christgau, [phone], [e-mail], both for International Cinematographers Guild

Web site: http://www.cameraguild.com/