International Women’s Day takes place Sunday March 8, so to celebrate, we are marking the occasion a few days early with an inspiring evening event at Cooke London.
Cooke will be joined by a special guest panel of female cinematographers for a conversation on authorship, leadership, filmmaking from a female perspective and what needs to shift in the next decade within the industry.
The panel includes some incredible women, including renowned Directors of Photography Birgit Dierken, BSC and Ula Pontikos, BSC. Both women have worked on some fantastic projects and will provide invaluable insights for the evening.
This will be followed by drinks, nibbles and networking.
Don’t miss out – register now below.
Ula Pontikos BSC
Ula Pontikos BSC
Ula Pontikos, BSC is an award-winning cinematographer known for her artistic eye in telling stories with emotional resonance as well as her accomplishments as a master technician.
Upcoming from Pontikos is the psychological thriller, “The Man in My Basement,” directed by Nadia Latif and starring Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe and Anna Diop. From Disney’s Andscape, the film based on Walter Mosley’s novel will World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before opening in select theaters on Friday, September 12 and on Hulu and Disney+ this fall.
Pontikos also recently completed work on the anticipated upcoming series, “Blade Runner 2099,” for Prime Video. The series will premiere on the platform in 2026.
Among Pontikos’ other recent credits as cinematographer include her work on Season 2 of “Russian Doll,” which she received an Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series and an ASC Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography of a Half-Hour Television Series. The season revolved around Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) after escaping their time loops, discovering a time portal that jumps from the 1940s, 1980s and present day. Pontikos was also cinematographer on multiple episodes including the pilot on the series, “Three Women,” based on Lisa Taddeo’s acclaimed novel for Starz.
Pontikos made her feature film debut on acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh’s “Weekend.” The film garnered her Rising Star recognition by BBC Film in 2012. Since her impressive feature debut, her range of credits include “Lilting,” directed by Hong Khao and starring Ben Whishaw, Cheng Pei Pei and Andrew Leung, which Pontikos won the 2014 Sundance World Cinematography Award; and “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool,” directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Vanessa Redgrave and Julie Walters. Based on Peter Turner’s memoir, the film follows the relationship between Turner and Academy Award®-winning actress Gloria Grahame in 1978 Liverpool. Among the technical achievements of the film, it became the Guinness World Record holder for the largest cinematic rear projection used in a film at 1,283 feet while recreating the techniques used in film noir during the height of Grahame’s career. The film received three BAFTA Award nominations including Best Actress.
Bebe Dierken BSC
Bebe Dierken BSC
Bebe brings over 20 years of industry experience. She has risen through the ranks, working alongside esteemed cinematographers such as Robert Richardson and Benoît Delhomme.
Her journey to becoming a cinematographer included years as a focus puller on major international productions such as Blood Diamond, V for Vendetta, The Bourne Ultimatum, Inglourious Basterds, Hugo Cabret, United 93, and A Most Wanted Man, learning from some of the most accomplished cinematographers in the industry.