Shortly to be shown in competition at the 66th Cannes International Film Festival (May 15-26) is La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty), a feature film written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. The film is the fifth collaboration between Sorrentino and cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, and coincidentally the fifth Sorrentino movie to be invited to participate in the Cannes Film Festival.

La Grande Bellezza is set and filmed in Rome and looks at the Eternal City through the jaded eyes of writer/journalist Jep Gambardella (Tony Servillo), whose personal stories about Roman nobility, actors, fallen aristocrats, intellectuals, social climbers and high-class criminals come to life in the most beautiful villas, sumptuous apartments and verdant terraces of Rome, rather like a modern-day Babylon. Rome is a silent protagonist in this film, brooding and beautiful, like a quiet heroine.

Javier Aguirresarobe, AEC, ASC brings a unique sensibility to his work. A master with more than 100 narrative films and six GOYA Awards to his credit, the Basque-born cinematographer has collaborated with Pedro Almodóvar (Talk to Her), Milos Forman (Goya’s Ghosts), John Hillcoat (The Road), James Ivory (The City of Your Final Destination), and Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside).

In 2007, Aguirresarobe teamed with Woody Allen on Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The collaboration clicked, and the duo recently reunited for Blue Jasmine. “Prior to Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I studied the light and camera movement in Woody’s films,” says Aguirresarobe. “I found that almost all of them distilled to a similar style and way of storytelling. I saw a preference for warm tones. All of them obey a similar visual concept.

Adriano Goldman, ABC, the Brazilian cinematographer behind the images in Sin Nombre, City of Men, 360, and Jane Eyre, began his career in television, so he understands electronic imaging. “I’m not nostalgic,” he says. “But today, even the producers understand that while video cameras have improved, they are not better than film, and they are not cheaper and not faster.”

Goldman’s most recent project is Closed Circuit, which he photographed for director John Crowley (Intermission, Boy A, Is Anybody There?). The story, a thriller set in London’s legal world, follows a team of lawyers who are also ex-lovers. The duo is forced to work together on a terrorist’s legal defense, and soon find their lives threatened. The cast features Rebecca Hall, Eric Bana, Ciarán Hinds, Anne-Marie Duff and Jim Broadbent.

On HBO‘s True Blood, vampires are just another misunderstood minority. And the visuals are one key to success.

Producer Gregg Fienberg’s credits include some of the most visually innovative and memorable television productions of the last two decades, including Twin Peaks, Deadwood, John from Cincinnati and Carnivàle. His current production, True Blood, is the latest in his 13-year association with HBO. Every show he has done at HBO has been originated on film.

When he read the script for his latest project, The Spectacular Now, Jess Hall, BSC felt an instant connection with the material. “The story had a kind of resonance,” he says. “It reminded me of situations that I’ve been in throughout my real life. I thought it stood out. It’s quite rare that you read something that really touches you in that way.”

Hall’s background includes fine art still photography as well as eye-catching music videos and commercials, along with the feature films Hot Fuzz, Brideshead Revisited, Creation, The Switch, and 30 Minutes or Less. He studied film at Central Saint Martins University for the Arts and Design in London.