About

Known credits:
82
Birthday:
1943-08-22
Place of birth:
Tolmezzo, Italia
Website:
N/A

Dante Spinotti

Overview

Dante Spinotti (born August 22, 1943) is an Italian cinematographer. He is known for his collaborations with directors such as Michael Mann, Michael Apted, Ermanno Olmi, Bruce Beresford, Curtis Hanson, and Brett Ratner. He received Academy Award nominations for L.A. Confidential (1997) and The Insider (1999) and won a BAFTA Award for The Last of the Mohicans (1992). He has also won two Italian David di Donatello Awards and two Nastro d'Argento Awards.

Spinotti was born in the commune of Tolmezzo, in the Northern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, near the Austrian border. At the age of 11, he began experimenting with still photography with a camera inherited from his uncle, a cinematographer and director who specialised in documentaries and newsreels. He left high school early to work in the film industry in Kenya, driven by his skills in freehand drawing.

His first work as a cinematographer was the 1972 television drama I Nicotera. His first film was Il minestrone (1981), directed by Sergio Citti. His early work included collaborations with noted Italian directors Lina Wertmüller (Softly, Softly) and Liliana Cavani (The Berlin Affair). He moved to the United States in 1986, entering a highly competitive Hollywood environment.

Among the more notable films he has worked on are The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, L.A. Confidential, The Insider, Public Enemies, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I Saw the Light, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Spinotti also was the cinematographer for many of Brett Ratner's films, such as Red Dragon (2002), After the Sunset (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and Hercules (2014).

Spinotti was the cinematographer on both adaptations of the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris: Michael Mann's 1986 adaptation (titled Manhunter) and Brett Ratner's 2002 adaptation.

Spinotti has highlighted the meticulous preparation and collaborative spirit essential to his work, particularly with director Michael Mann. He also discussed the process of remastering classics like Heat and adapting to new technologies, such as using digital cinematography and even iPhones for certain shots to enhance storytelling.

He is a member of the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won the Golden Camera 300 award at the Manaki Brothers Film Festival in North Macedonia for lifetime achievement. In 2012, he received the American Society of Cinematographers's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Dante Spinotti, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting

2016 Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond Actor Self 58
Average
2016 Borsalino City Actor Self - Cinematographer 58
Average
2010 Making The Last of the Mohicans Actor Self N/A
N/A
2009 Michael Mann: Making 'Public Enemies' Actor Self 59
Average
2008 Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential' Actor Self 58
Average
2008 Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of 'L.A. Confidential' Actor Self 58
Average
2008 Deception Actor Herr Kleiner / Mr. Moretti 58
Average
2005 Pacino and De Niro: The Conversation Actor Self 59
Average
2005 The Making of 'Heat' Actor Self 58
Average
2001 The 'Manhunter' Look: A Conversation with Dante Spinotti Actor Himself 59
Average
1998 Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs Actor Self N/A
N/A

Production

2022 Where Are You Production Producer 58
Average

Camera

2025 The Alto Knights Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
2023 Posso entrare? An ode to Naples Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
2022 Where Are You Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
2020 Fatale Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
2020 Elyse Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
2019 Black and Blue Camera Director of Photography 64
Fair
2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp Camera Director of Photography 68
Fair
2018 Traffik Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
2018 Freak Show Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
2016 I Saw the Light Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
2015 Edge Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
2014 Hercules Camera Director of Photography 57
Average
2013 Vinodentro Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
2011 Tower Heist Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
2010 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Camera Director of Photography 63
Fair
2009 Public Enemies Camera Director of Photography 66
Fair
2008 Flash of Genius Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
2008 Deception Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
2007 Slipstream Camera Director of Photography 57
Average
2006 X-Men: The Last Stand Camera Director of Photography 63
Fair
2006 The Contract Camera Director of Photography 57
Average
2004 After the Sunset Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
2002 Pinocchio Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
2002 Red Dragon Camera Director of Photography 69
Fair
2001 Bandits Camera Director of Photography 61
Fair
2000 The Family Man Camera Director of Photography 66
Fair
2000 Wonder Boys Camera Director of Photography 63
Fair
1999 The Insider Camera Director of Photography 71
Good
1999 Goodbye Lover Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1999 The Other Sister Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
1997 L.A. Confidential Camera Director of Photography 76
Good
1996 The Mirror Has Two Faces Camera Director of Photography 62
Fair
1995 Heat Camera Director of Photography 77
Good
1995 The Star Maker Camera Director of Photography 61
Fair
1995 The Quick and the Dead Camera Director of Photography 64
Fair
1994 Nell Camera Director of Photography 62
Fair
1993 The Secret of the Old Woods Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1993 Blink Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1993 La fine è nota Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A
1992 The Last of the Mohicans Camera Director of Photography 71
Good
1991 Frankie and Johnny Camera Director of Photography 63
Fair
1991 Hudson Hawk Camera Director of Photography 57
Average
1991 True Colors Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1990 The Comfort of Strangers Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1990 Cellini: A Violent Life Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1989 Torrents of Spring Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1988 Beaches Camera Director of Photography 61
Fair
1988 Fair Game Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1988 The Legend of the Holy Drinker Camera Director of Photography 60
Fair
1988 Illegally Yours Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1987 Aria Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1987 From the Hip Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1986 Crimes of the Heart Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1986 Manhunter Camera Director of Photography 67
Fair
1985 The Berlin Affair Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1984 The Dark Side of Love Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1984 Thus Spoke Bellavista Camera Director of Photography 63
Fair
1984 Voyage of the Rock Aliens Camera Additional Director of Photography 58
Average
1984 Sotto Sotto Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1984 Cinderella '80 Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
1983 Dream of a Summer Night Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1983 Hearts and Armour Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1983 The Basileus Quartet Camera Director of Photography 58
Average
1981 The Soup Camera Director of Photography 59
Average
Rose's Baby Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A
L'Inverno Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A
Assassination Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A
Don't Open the Door Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A
That's Amore! Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A
Cinderella '87 Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A