Elvis DP Mandy Walker elected first female president of American Society of Cinematographers

Mandy Walker's ascension to the position follows the ASC's increased recognition of female cinematographers. 

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  May 25, 2025 | 2:32pm
Photo by Caroline McCredie (Getty Images for AFI)
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Elvis DP Mandy Walker elected first female president of American Society of Cinematographers
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For the first time in the organization’s 106-year history, the American Society of Cinematographers has elected a woman president. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Mandy Walker, the director of photography on Elvis, Hidden Figures, and Snow White, has been elected 48th president of the ASC, in a long overdue glass-ceiling shattering for female DPs. “It is a great honor to be the president of the ASC, and an even bigger privilege to be the first woman to hold the position,” Walker said. “I am so humbled to take on the responsibility of representing a society that has carved out an inspiring, inclusive space to meet and support other cinematographers. I am proud of our century-old legacy to advance the art and science of cinematography, and I’m excited for the future of our organization.”

It’s a testament to how slow the ASC has been in recognizing the achievements of non-male cinematographers. It took nearly as long for a woman to win an ASC Award for a feature film, another ceiling Mandy “the Destruction Unit” Walker shattered in 2023, when she became the organization’s inaugural female winner for Elvis. That well-deserved win highlights the lack of opportunities and recognition for female cinematographers. Walker was the second woman ever nominated for an ASC award for features. The first was Rachel Morrison, who received a nod for 2017’s Mudbound. Since then, three other women, including Walker, have received nominations: Ari Wegner for The Power Of The Dog and Alice Brooks for Wicked.

 
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