Anna Foerster
Anna Foerster | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 (age 53–54)[1] Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Cinematographer, television director, film director |
| Years active | 1994–present |
Anna J. Foerster (born 1971) is a German-born American film and television cinematographer and director. She is best known for pioneering the use of the ARRI Alexa camera system.
Career
As a second unit cinematographer, Foerster worked on the films Alien Resurrection (1997), Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002), Johnson Family Vacation (2004), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Æon Flux (2005) and 10,000 BC (2008), also working as a second unit director on the latter four films.[2]
She was the cinematographer for the visual effects and/or miniature unit on Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), Pitch Black (2000) and Stuart Little 2 (2002).[2]
As a director, she directed five episodes of the television series Criminal Minds, an episode of its spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, three episodes of Unforgettable, and four episodes of the Starz series Outlander.[2]
In 2008, she was reported to be developing Secret Hunter, based on the Ranulph Fiennes novel The Secret Hunters (2002).[3]
She served as director of photography on Anonymous (2011) and White House Down (2013). On Anonymous, she was one of the first directors to use the ARRI Alexa camera system, using a prototype provided by ARRI.[4][5]
Foerster made her feature film directing debut with the action horror film Underworld: Blood Wars (2016).
In 2016, J. J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot hired Foerster to direct Lou, a thriller about a mother trying to recover her abducted child.[6] Lou would release in 2022.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Anonymous | Winner of Lola for Best Cinematography. |
| 2013 | White House Down |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Underworld: Blood Wars | feature directorial debut |
| 2022 | Lou |
Television
| Year | Title | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-2011 | Criminal Minds | "Cold Comfort" |
| "The Uncanny Valley" | ||
| "Reflection of Desire" | ||
| "With Friends Like These..." | ||
| "From Childhood's Hour" | ||
| 2011 | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | "Strays" |
| 2011-2012 | Unforgettable | "Trajectories" |
| "Heartbreak" | ||
| 2012 | Army Wives | "The War at Home" |
| 2014-2015 | Outlander | "The Wedding" |
| "Both Sides Now" | ||
| "Wentworth Prison" | ||
| "To Ransom a Man's Soul" | ||
| 2015 | Madam Secretary | "Face the Nation" |
| 2018 | Jessica Jones | "AKA Start at the Beginning" |
| 2019 | Carnival Row | "Kingdoms of the Moon" |
| "The Joining of Unlike Things"[a] | ||
| 2020 | Westworld | "Genre" |
| 2024 | Dune: Prophecy | "The Hidden Hand" |
| "In Blood, Truth" | ||
| "The High-Handed Enemy" |
References
- ^ Co-directed with Thor Freudenthal
- ^ Iain Blair (February 13, 2012). "Foerster: Gives Shakespeare a modern edge". Variety. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Renaissance Woman: Anna J Foerster". HD Magazine. August 16, 2011.
- ^ Mitchell, Wendy (May 19, 2008). "Anna J Foerster to direct Secret Hunter". ScreenDaily.
- ^ Lehane, Scott (2013-06-21). "Foerster and Emmerich Choose Codex on White House Down - M&E - Media and Entertainment". mande.net. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
- ^ Fice, Alex. "Renaissance Woman: Anna J Foerster". Definition. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (Nov 29, 2016). "Exclusive: J.J. Abrams hires 'Outlander' director Anna Foerster for thriller 'Lou'". Mashable.