Each year, the stories we love are quietly anchored to real places — deserts, city blocks, foreign neighborhoods — by professionals whose craft rarely earns applause. The Location Managers Guild International held its annual ceremony to change that, honoring the teams behind films like Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' and Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme,' alongside television productions spanning continents and eras. In recognizing these artists, the guild reminds us that setting is never merely backdrop — it is the first decision that makes belief possible.
Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' Wins Top LMGI Award
The places where cameras roll shape every frame audiences watch
Mark
Why does location management matter enough to have its own guild and awards ceremony?
Mimi
Because where you shoot changes everything about what you're shooting. A contemporary story needs real neighborhoods that feel lived-in; a period piece needs places that can convincingly stand in for another time. That's not decoration—that's the foundation.
Mark
Anderson's film shot across seven different places in California and Texas. That seems logistically brutal.
Mimi
It is. You're coordinating permits, housing crews, equipment transport, local relationships. But sometimes the story demands it. You can't fake Humboldt County's particular light or Sacramento's particular streets. The location managers have to find those places and then make it possible to actually shoot there.
Mark
What's the difference between a location manager and a location scout?
Mimi
A scout finds the places. A manager makes it happen—they secure permits, negotiate with property owners, manage logistics, solve problems on set. It's the difference between showing up with a photograph and actually getting the camera there.
Mark
Vince Gilligan got an award for his "dedication to storytelling through location." What does that mean?
Mimi
It means he doesn't treat locations as backdrops. He chooses them because they matter to the story. "Breaking Bad" was famous for that—the New Mexico landscape wasn't just where the show happened, it was part of what the show was about.
Mark
Mike Fantasia's been location manager on three massive films. What does that kind of consistency suggest?
Mimi
That he solves problems. "Top Gun: Maverick" needed to shoot on aircraft carriers. "Killers of the Flower Moon" needed Oklahoma locations that could stand in for the 1920s. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" needed New York to feel like New York. Those aren't easy asks. He delivers.
O Pulso
- Two films dominated the night: Anderson's sprawling California-to-Texas epic and Safdie's Northeast-rooted period piece claimed the top feature film honors, signaling a year of ambitious geographic storytelling.
- Television location work proved equally expansive, with winners pulling from Albuquerque, Montana, Spain, California's Mojave, and the streets of New York — a reminder that screens now demand the whole world as their stage.
- The evening's career tributes carried weight: Vince Gilligan's Eva Monley Award and Mike Fantasia's Lifetime Achievement recognition elevated location craft from logistical necessity to artistic legacy.
- Beneath the awards lies a quiet tension — location managers shape every frame audiences see, yet their contributions remain largely invisible, making nights like this both celebration and correction.
Each year, the stories we love are quietly anchored to real places — deserts, city blocks, foreign neighborhoods — by professionals whose craft rarely earns applause. The Location Managers Guild International held its annual ceremony to change that, honoring the teams behind films like Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' and Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme,' alongside television productions spanning continents and eras. In recognizing these artists, the guild reminds us that setting is never merely backdrop — it is the first decision that makes belief possible.
The Location Managers Guild International gathered on Saturday night to honor the professionals who find and secure the real-world places where filmed stories take root. The evening's two standout film winners reflected contrasting approaches to geography: Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' sent its location team — Michael Glaser, Michael Wesley, and Rich Heichel — across a vast corridor stretching from Humboldt County through Sacramento, Stockton, and San Diego before crossing into El Paso, Texas. The Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission also received recognition for its support of the production. Josh Safdie's A24 period film 'Marty Supreme' took a more concentrated path, with Matthew Kania and Ross Brodar working through New York City, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, then extending the film's world with a single international stop in Tokyo.
Television honors were spread across three categories. Apple TV+'s 'Pluribus' won for contemporary locations, having been filmed across Albuquerque, Montana, Nevada, and Spain by a six-person team. Amazon's 'Fallout' Season 2 claimed the period television award for its work in California's Dumont Dunes, Mojave Desert, and Antelope Valley. Netflix's 'Black Rabbit' took the limited series prize for its New York City location work across Brooklyn and Manhattan.
The ceremony's second half turned toward legacy. Vince Gilligan, four-time Emmy winner and creative force behind 'Pluribus,' received the Eva Monley Award for a career defined by purposeful location-driven storytelling. Mike Fantasia, whose credits span 'Top Gun: Maverick,' 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' and 'Spider-Man: Homecoming,' was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. LMGI Awards Chair Nancy Haecker framed the night as both celebration and acknowledgment — a public moment of recognition for work that shapes every frame audiences watch, yet almost never receives their notice.
The Location Managers Guild International held its annual awards ceremony on Saturday night, recognizing the craft of finding and securing the places where stories come to life. Two films emerged as the evening's major winners: Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" took the award for outstanding locations in a contemporary feature film, while Josh Safdie's "Marty Supreme" claimed the prize for period feature film locations.
Anderson's film, a Warner Bros. Pictures release, required location scouts to work across a sprawling geography of California and Texas. The production moved through Humboldt County, Sacramento, Stockton, Eureka, and Arcata in Northern California, then south to San Diego, before crossing state lines to El Paso. The location managers credited for the work—Michael Glaser, Michael Wesley, and Rich Heichel—navigated the logistics of shooting across such distance while maintaining visual and narrative coherence. The Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission received its own recognition for outstanding film commission work on the project, with Cassandra Hesseltine acknowledged for her role.
Safdie's "Marty Supreme," distributed by A24, took a different geographic approach, concentrating its location work in the Northeast and a single international stop. Matthew Kania and Ross Brodar sourced locations across New York City, the greater New York region, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, then traveled to Tokyo for sequences that required the film's period setting to extend across continents.
Television awards were distributed across three categories. "Pluribus," an Apple TV+ series, won for contemporary television locations after being filmed in Albuquerque, Montana, Nevada, and Spain. The location team included Christian Diaz de Bedoya, John O'Connor, Priscila Calero, Jorge Noguerales, Yanira De Armas, and Will Brewster. "Fallout" Season 2, produced for Amazon Prime Video, took the period television award for its work in California's Dumont Dunes, Mojave Desert, Antelope Valley, and Santa Clarita. Mandi Dillin and David Park received credit for that effort. Netflix's "Black Rabbit" won the limited series category, with Paul Eskenazi and Joel McGlumphy recognized for sourcing locations around New York City, including Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Two career recognitions marked the evening's second half. Vince Gilligan, a four-time Emmy winner known for his work as director and writer, received the Eva Monley Award in recognition of his career-long commitment to storytelling through location selection, with particular mention of his recent work on "Pluribus." Mike Fantasia, whose location management credits include "Top Gun: Maverick," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Spider-Man: Homecoming," was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nancy Haecker, the LMGI Awards Chair, reflected on the evening in a statement, describing it as a celebration of achievement and a recognition of the talent and dedication that location managers bring to filmmaking. The awards ceremony itself served as a reminder that the places where cameras roll—whether a desert in California, a street in New York, or a neighborhood in Tokyo—are not incidental to storytelling but central to it, chosen and secured by professionals whose work often goes unseen by audiences but shapes every frame they watch.
Citações Notáveis
The ceremony was a powerful celebration of achievement, filled with inspiring moments and well-deserved recognition— Nancy Haecker, LMGI Awards Chair
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