Donald McAlpine

Australian cinematographer

For the Ontario politician, see Donald McAlpine (politician).

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|

Donald McAlpine

Born|

Quandialla, New South Wales, Australia

Years active| 1972–present

Donald M. McAlpine ACS, ASC is an Australian cinematographer.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Donald McAlpine was born in Quandialla, New South Wales.[1]

## Career

[edit]

McAlpine was a physical education teacher in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia.[2] He began using a 16mm camera to film athletes preparing for the Melbourne Olympic Games.[2]

In 1962 he resigned from his teaching job and joined ABC Television as a camera assistant, and was promoted to cameraman in 1965. In 1968 he left the ABC to take up a position at the Commonwealth Film Unit (later Film Australia). There, he started to learn that there was art in cinematography and filmmaking, and was soon promoted to chief cameraman.[3]

In Australia, from 1972 to 1981, McAlpine collaborated with Bruce Beresford.[4] In 1974 he left Film Australia to work as a freelance DOP.[3] McAlpine filmed many of Beresford's early films, including The Adventures of Barry McKenzie,[5] Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, Don's Party, The Getting of Wisdom, Money Movers, Breaker Morant and The Club. McAlpine also worked with director Gillian Armstrong on My Brilliant Career.[citation needed]

Paul Mazursky offered McAlpine work on the film Tempest, released in 1982, and after that, his career took off.[3]

## Recognition and awards

[edit]

McAlpine is a member of both the Australian Cinematographers Society (ASC) and the American Society of Cinematographers. In 1997, the ASC inducted him into its hall of fame, [3] and in 2009 honoured him with its International Achievement Award.[6]

In 2001, he was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for his service to Australian society and Australian film production.[1] In the same year, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Moulin Rouge!.[1]

In 2011, he was honoured with the AACTA Lifetime Achievement Award, the Longford Lyell Award.[7]

In 2016 McAlpine received an honorary doctorate in arts from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia.[4]

In October 2024, he received the Adelaide Film Festival's Don Dunstan Award.[1]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Feature film

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Director  | Notes

|
|
|

1972  | The Adventures of Barry McKenzie | Bruce Beresford |
Gentle Strangers | Cecil Holmes | With Kerry Brown, Bruce Hillyard,
David Sanderson and Mick von Bornemann
1974  | Barry McKenzie Holds His Own | Bruce Beresford  |
1976  | Surrender in Paradise | Peter Cox  | Also made a cameo as "Raw Meat"
Don's Party | Bruce Beresford  |
1978  | The Getting of Wisdom |
Patrick | Richard Franklin |
Money Movers | Bruce Beresford  |
1979  | The Odd Angry Shot | Tom Jeffrey |
My Brilliant Career | Gillian Armstrong |
The Journalist | Michael Thornhill |
1980  | Breaker Morant | Bruce Beresford  |
The Earthling | Peter Collinson |
The Club | Bruce Beresford  |
1981  | Puberty Blues |
1982  | Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder | Peter Werner |
Tempest | Paul Mazursky |
1983  | Now and Forever | Adriane Carr |
Blue Skies Again | Richard Michaels |
1984  | Harry & Son | Paul Newman |
Moscow on the Hudson | Paul Mazursky  |
1985  | King David | Bruce Beresford  |
My Man Adam | Roger L. Simon |
1986  | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | Paul Mazursky  |
The Fringe Dwellers | Bruce Beresford  |
1987  | Predator | John McTiernan | [8]
Orphans | Alan J. Pakula |
1988  | Moving | Alan Metter |
Moon over Parador | Paul Mazursky  |
1989  | See You in the Morning | Alan J. Pakula  |
Parenthood | Ron Howard |
1990  | Stanley & Iris | Martin Ritt |
1991  | The Hard Way | John Badham | With Robert Primes
Career Opportunities | Bryan Gordon |
1992  | Medicine Man | John McTiernan  |
Patriot Games | Phillip Noyce |
1993  | The Man Without a Face | Mel Gibson |
Mrs. Doubtfire | Chris Columbus |
1994  | Clear and Present Danger | Phillip Noyce  |
1995  | Nine Months | Chris Columbus  |
1996  | Romeo + Juliet | Baz Luhrmann |
1997  | The Edge | Lee Tamahori |
1998  | Stepmom | Chris Columbus  |
2001  | Moulin Rouge! | Baz Luhrmann  |
2002  | The Time Machine | Simon Wells |
2003  | Anger Management | Peter Segal |
Peter Pan | P. J. Hogan |
2005  | The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Andrew Adamson |
2009  | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Gavin Hood |
2010  | Main Street | John Doyle |
2012  | Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu | Shakun Batra | With David MacDonald
Mental | P. J. Hogan  |
2013  | Ender's Game | Gavin Hood  |
2015  | The Dressmaker | Jocelyn Moorhouse |
2016  | Kapoor & Sons | Shakun Batra  | With Jeffery F. Bierman
2017  | Ali's Wedding | Jeffrey Walker |
2018  | Rajma Chawal | Leena Yadav |
2022  | A Stitch in Time | Sasha Hadden  | Also credited as executive producer
Black Site | Sophia Banks  |
2023  | The Portable Door | Jeffrey Walker  |

### Television

[edit]

TV movies

Year  | Title  | Director  | Notes

|
|
|

1980  | The Children of An Lac | John Llewellyn Moxey |
2009  | Mega Piranha | Eric Forsberg
Stuart Gillard | With Bryan Olinger

TV series

Year  | Title  | Director  | Notes

|
|
|

2019  | Lambs of God | Jeffrey Walker | Episode "The Devil into Paradise"
2022  | Savage River | Jocelyn Moorhouse | Miniseries

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Academy Awards

Year  | Category  | Title  | Result

|
|
|

2001  | Best Cinematography | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated

BAFTA Awards

Year  | Category  | Title  | Result

|
|
|

2001  | Best Cinematography | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts

Year  | Category  | Title  | Result

|
|
|

1979  | Best Cinematography | My Brilliant Career | Won
1980  | Breaker Morant | Won
2001  | Moulin Rouge! | Won

Satellite Awards

Year  | Category  | Title  | Result

|
|
|

1996  | Best Cinematography | Romeo + Juliet | Nominated
2001  | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "AFF 2024 Don Dunstan Award". Adelaide Film Festival. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
2. ^ a b "Don McAlpine". cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
3. ^ a b c d "Don McAlpine ACS ASC". Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). 14 March 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
4. ^ a b "Cinematographer Don McAlpine on his life behind the lens". Australia: ABC News. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
5. ^ "Donald Mcalpine". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
6. ^ "Cinematographers honor 'Slumdog': Anthony Dod Mantle wins big at ASC Awards". Winnipeg Free Press. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
7. ^ Bulbeck, Pip (22 November 2011). "Don McAlpine Wins Australian Academy Lifetime Achievement Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
8. ^ "Predator Dispenses Invisible Terror". American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved 9 April 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Donald McAlpine at IMDb

* v
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Longford Lyell Award

* Ian Dunlop (1968)
* Stanley Hawes (1970)
* Ken G. Hall (1976)
* Charles Chauvel (1977)
* Marie Lorraine, Paulette McDonagh, and Phyllis McDonagh (1978)
* Jerzy Toeplitz (1979)
* Tim Burstall (1980)
* Phillip Adams (1981)
* Eric Porter (1982)
* Bill Gooley (1983)
* David Williamson (1984)
* Don Crosby (1985)
* Barry Jones (1986)
* Paul Riomfalvy (1987)
* Russell Boyd (1988)
* John Meillon (1989)
* Peter Weir (1990)
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* Lee Robinson (1992)
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* John Politzer (1999)
* Anthony Buckley (2000)
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* Patricia Edgar (2002)
* Ted Robinson (2003)
* Patricia Lovell (2004)
* Ray Barrett (2005)
* Ian Jones (2006)
* David Hannay (2007)
* Dione Gilmour (2008)
* Geoffrey Rush (2009)
* Reg Grundy (2010)
* Donald McAlpine (2012)
* Al Clark (2013)
* Jacki Weaver (2014)
* Andrew Knight (2015)
* Cate Blanchett (2015)
* Paul Hogan (2016)
* Phillip Noyce (2017)
* Bryan Brown (2018)
* Sam Neill (2019)
* David Gulpilil (2021)
* Catherine Martin (2022)
* Working Dog Productions (2025)

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