Donald M. McAlpine ACS, ASC is an Australian cinematographer.
Early life and education Donald McAlpine was born in Quandialla, New South Wales.
Career McAlpine was a physical education teacher in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. He began using a 16mm camera to film athletes preparing for the Melbourne Olympic Games.
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.
In Australia, from 1972 to 1981, McAlpine collaborated with Bruce Beresford. In 1974 he left Film Australia to work as a freelance DOP. McAlpine filmed many of Beresford's early films, including The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, 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.
Paul Mazursky offered McAlpine work on the film Tempest, released in 1982, and after that, his career took off. In 90s he worked with Chris Columbus in many movies, as Mrs Doubtfire.
Recognition and awards 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, and in 2009 honoured him with its International Achievement Award.
In 2001, he was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for his service to Australian society and Australian film production. In the same year, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Moulin Rouge!.
In 2011, he was honoured with the AACTA Lifetime Achievement Award, the Longford Lyell Award.
In 2016 McAlpine received an honorary doctorate in arts from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia.
In October 2024, he received the Adelaide Film Festival's Don Dunstan Award.
Filmography
Feature film Year Title Director Notes1972 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 Beresford1976 Surrender in Paradise Peter Cox Also made a cameo as "Raw Meat" Don's PartyBruce Beresford1978 The Getting of Wisdom Patrick Richard Franklin Money Movers Bruce Beresford1979 The Odd Angry Shot Tom Jeffrey My Brilliant Career Gillian Armstrong The Journalist Michael Thornhill1980 Breaker Morant Bruce Beresford The Earthling Peter Collinson The ClubBruce Beresford 1981 Puberty Blues1982 Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder Peter Werner Tempest Paul Mazursky1983 Now and Forever Adriane Carr Blue Skies Again Richard Michaels1984 Harry & Son Paul Newman Moscow on the Hudson Paul Mazursky1985 King David Bruce Beresford My Man Adam Roger L. Simon1986 Down and Out in Beverly Hills Paul Mazursky The Fringe Dwellers Bruce Beresford1987 Predator John McTiernan Orphans Alan J. Pakula1988 Moving Alan Metter Moon over Parador Paul Mazursky1989 See You in the Morning Alan J. Pakula Parenthood Ron Howard 1990 Stanley & Iris Martin Ritt1991 The Hard Way John Badham With Robert Primes Career Opportunities Bryan Gordon1992 Medicine Man John McTiernan Patriot Games Phillip Noyce1993 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 Wells2003 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 Doyle2012 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 Yadav2022 A Stitch in Time Sasha Hadden Also credited as executive producer Black Site Sophia Banks 2023 The Portable Door Jeffrey Walker
Television TV movies Year Title Director Notes 1980 The Children of An Lac John Llewellyn Moxey 2009 Mega Piranha Eric ForsbergStuart 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 Year Award Category Title Result2001 Academy Awards Best CinematographyMoulin Rouge! BAFTA Awards Best Cinematography 1979Australian Academy of Cinema and Television ArtsBest Cinematography My Brilliant Career 1980 Breaker Morant 2001 Moulin Rouge! 1996Satellite AwardsBest Cinematography Romeo + Juliet 2001 Moulin Rouge!
References
External links