Canadian directors of photography Rene Ohashi and Robert McLachlan have been nominated for American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards. The compatriot Canucks will be up against one another at the 15th annual tv competition in the category of movie-of-the-week/miniseries/pilot for cable or pay-tv.

The Toronto-based Ohashi has been recognized for his work on The Crossing, a production of the A&E Network/ Columbia TriStar Television Production in association with Chris/Rose Productions. The mow, starring Jeff Daniels and directed by Robert Harmon, tells the story of George Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River to attack British-hired Hessian mercenaries in one of the defining events of the Revolutionary War.

Ohashi is no stranger to trophies, having won Canadian Society of Cinematographers awards for best feature in 1989 and 1990, best commercial in 1993 and 1998, best tv drama in 1993 and 1997, and best music video in 1986. He has also won eight Gemini Awards and counts Anne of Green Gables, The Wonder Years and the Party of Five pilot among his series credits. Features include the Quebec hit La Florida.

McLachlan, who resides in North Vancouver, has been nominated for the TBS Superstation mow High Noon, starring Tom Skerritt and directed by Australian Rod Hardy. High Noon is a remake of the 1952 black-and-white Western classic featuring Gary Cooper as Will Kane, a sheriff unable to gather the townsfolk to combat an arriving band of outlaws.

The new version was shot last April in Alberta, and McLachlan, currently in l.a. shooting the us$60 million Jet Li actioner The One, admits he had to fight to get his way.

‘The network had a lot of initial misgivings about the way I was photographing it but eventually totally came onside,’ McLachlan says. ‘It doesn’t look like your average tv movie, which was the idea. I had a great crew headed by gaffer Burton Kuchera and key grip Rick Schmidt.’

McLachlan was nominated for asc awards in each of the past three years for the tv series Millennium, which also won him a csc award. He has won seven csc awards in various categories in the past.

The competition for McLachlan and Ohashi includes Anghel Decca for Witchblade (tnt), Donald M. Morgan for For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (hbo), and Vittorio Storaro for Dune (Sci-Fi Channel/USA Network). The Italian-born Storaro is a particularly daunting challenger, having won Oscars for The Last Emperor, Reds and Apocalypse Now.

The approximately 225 active members of the asc, which is entering its 82nd year, select the awards finalists.

‘We judge whether the cinematographer succeeded in establishing a sense of place and time, evoking emotions and moods that support the intentions of the director, writers and performers,’ asc president Victor J. Kemper said in a statement. ‘That requires innate talent and skilful execution of a demanding and constantly evolving craft.’

The ASC Awards winners will be announced at a dinner Feb. 18 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. •

-www.cinematographer.com