SEAMUS McGARVEY ASC, BSC has collected two Academy Award nominations for his cinematography: on Joe Wright’s 2007 WWI drama “Atonement,” and his 2012 adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic, “Anna Karenina.”

            In addition to the Oscar nominations, McGarvey won the British Society of Cinematographers award for “Anna Karenina” and “Nocturnal Animals” as well as a nomination for “Atonement,” and also earned BAFTA and A.S.C. nods for both projects.  “Atonement” also earned him nominations for the British Independent Film Award, the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Online Film Critics Society, while walking off with the top honor from the Phoenix Film Critics Society.   

            McGarvey has also won three Evening Standard British Film Awards for “Atonement,” “Anna Karenina” and Stephen Daldry’s “The Hours”; and six Irish Film & Television Awards for “Atonement,” “Anna Karenina,” “Sahara” “We Need to Talk About Kevin” ,  “Nocturnal Animals” and “The Greatest Showman”. He was Emmy nominated in 2017 for the dystopian TV drama “Black Mirror: Nosedive” Dir. Joe Wright. In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Photographic Society's prestigious Lumière medal for contributions to the art of cinematography, sharing the company of such pioneers as Jack Cardiff, Freddie Francis, Roger Deakins and Sir Ridley Scott,

            McGarvey comes from Armagh, Northern Ireland, and began his career as a stills photographer before attending film school at the University of Westminster in London. Upon graduating in 1988, he began shooting short films and documentaries, including “Skin,” which was nominated for a Royal Television Society Cinematography Award, and “Atlantic,” directed by Sam Taylor-Wood.  The latter project, an experimental, three-screen projected film created in 1997, earned Taylor-Wood a nomination for the 1998 Turner Prize, and would lead to an ongoing collaboration between McGarvey and the director.

            His four dozen credits as director of photography include Joss Whedon’s superhero epic “Marvel’s The Avengers,” the industry record holder for highest opening weekend box office upon its release in May 2012, and the fourth highest-grossing film of all time; Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin”; Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center,” which earned an IFTA nomination; Gary Winick’s “Charlotte’s Web”; John Hamburg’s “Along Came Polly”; Stephen Frears’ “High Fidelity”; Mike Nichols’ “Wit”; Michael Apted’s “Enigma”; Michael Winterbottom’s “Butterfly Kiss,” McGarvey’s first feature film credit; and two projects marking actors’ directorial debuts: Tim Roth’s “The War Zone” and Alan Rickman’s “The Winter Guest.”  He also served as cinematographer on the pilot for the BBC/HBO TV series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency,” directed by Anthony Minghella. 

            He reunited with director Wright for his 2009 drama “The Soloist,” and filmmaker Sam Taylor-Wood (now Sam Taylor-Johnson) on her acclaimed 2008 drama, “Nowhere Boy,” her 2011 short, “James Bond Supports International Women’s Day” and the “Death Valley” segment of the 2006 erotic drama “Destricted.”  Following his work on “Godzilla”  Dir. Gareth Edwards he reteamed with Taylor-Johnson on her big screen adaptation and Hollywood directorial debut of the bestselling phenomenon “Fifty Shades of Grey.” “The Accountant,” from director Gavin O’Connor. “Nocturnal Animals”, from director Tom Ford. “LIFE” dir. Daniel Espinosa. “The Greatest Showman” Dir Michael Gracey and “Bad Times at the El Royale” Dir: Drew Goddard and pilot episodes of the HBO series “The Nevers” Dir Joss Whedon are his latest projects.

            His documentary work includes “Lost Angels: Skid Row Is My Home,” which followed his work on Wright’s “The Soloist,” and filmed in the same locales; “Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction”; “Rolling Stones: Tip of the Tongue”; and “The Name of This Film Is Dogme95.”

            Supplementing his work on features and telefilms, McGarvey has also photographed and directed over 100 music videos, for such artists as PJ Harvey, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield, The Rolling Stones, U2, Stereophonics and Robbie Williams.