George Spiro Dibie to Receive ASC Television Career Achievement Award
 George Spiro Dibie, ASC will receive the 2008 American Society of Cinematographers Career Achievement in Television Award. The tribute will be presented to Dibie during the 22nd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration in Los Angeles on January 26 at the Hollywood and Highland Grand Ballroom.
Dibie earned five Emmy Awards and seven additional nominations for multi- camera, episodic television series between 1985 and 1998. His award-winning programs were Mr. Belvedere (1985), Growing Pains (1987 and 1991), Just the Ten of Us (1990) and Sister, Sister (1995). The other nominations were for Night Court (1986 and 1988), Growing Pains (1992), Dudley (1993) and Sister, Sister (1996, 1997, and 1998).
Dibie worked on six television series, which broke through the 100-episode barrier, beginning with Barney Miller in 1975. He also shot every Warner Bros. pilot for multi-camera series over a 10-year span, including My Sister Sam, Head of the Class, Murphy Brown, Driving Miss Daisy and The Trouble With Larry.
“George Dibie broke all the rules because he understood that there can be drama in comedy, and comedy in drama,” says Russ Alsobrook, chairman of the ASC Award Committee. “He ignored the broadcast engineers mandate to make all multi-camera shows look bright. George knew how to photograph beautiful actresses but he didn’t hesitate to use darkness and create gritty images when that was the right visual grammar.”
Dibie compiled between 1,500 and 2,000 hours of situation comedy credits on primetime television. He also shot between 60 and 70 television movies, including a number of programs for a regular, late-evening drama series called The ABC Armchair Mysteries.
“George earned this tribute from his peers in recognition of his artistry as a cinematographer,” says ASC President Daryn Okada. “I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that he overcame daunting odds to achieve a seemingly impossible dream. George has also dedicated himself to helping many other people achieve their dreams.”
Dibie was born and raised in Jerusalem, in Palestine, before Israel was a nation. His father was Greek and his mother came from Lebanon. He was a dedicated movie fan and an avid still photographer during his youth. After completing high school, he was hired by the United States Information Agency (U.S.I.A.) in Amman, Jordan. His job was translating reports written by members of the army in Jordan. One day, Dibie told his boss that his dream was to go to school in the United States and become a director or cinematographer in Hollywood. Seven days later, he had a U.S.I.A. scholarship and was on his way to Los Angeles.
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