The forthcoming Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, independent film The Greatest Hits and limited series Daisy Jones & The Six were among the top winners at the 2023 California On Location Awards, presented Friday.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley received awards for location manager of the year (Dan Cooley) and location team of the year in the studio feature category. In the independent feature category, The Greatest Hits received awards for location manager (Justin Hill) and location team. Daisy Jones & The Six location manager Jay Traynor won in the television episodic one-hour category. In the same category, Winning Time won for location team. Daisy Jones‘ second award went to assistant location manager Courtney Ochoa.
Other noteworthy projects represented among the winners include High Desert (Stacey Brashear) and Minx (location team), both in the episodic half-hour location manager category. And Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Sheila Ryan-Cruz was named assistant location manager of the year – feature.
Numerous public employee of the year winners were also named.
The 28th annual California on Location Awards, presented by Film Liaisons in California Statewide, recognize location managers and teams as well as public employees and production companies that help facilitate on-location filming across California.
“The COLAs celebrate the incredible endurance, flexibility and creativity that location managers and other professionals bring to diverse projects filmed in California,” FLICS president and Film Shasta film commissioner Sabrina Jurisich said in a statement. “We are also grateful for the jobs and economic opportunity such projects bring to communities statewide.”
The 2023 COLAs took place at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City and were hosted by actor and comedian Chinedu Unaka and produced by Dyana Carmella.
Finalists and winners are determined by FLICS members, a steering committee of Teamsters Local 399 members and a panel of industry experts.
A complete list of the 2023 California On Location Awards winners follows.
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – STUDIO FEATUREBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley: Dan Cooley
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR – STUDIO FEATUREBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley: Dan Cooley, Supervising Location Manager, Rick Surad, Location Manager 2nd Unit, Bryan Diaz, Location Manager, Leslie Stout Glennon, Key Assistant Location Manager, Ben McCrea, Key Assistant Location Manager, Ahmet Elez, Key Assistant Location Manager, Tony Rizza, Key Assistant Location Manager, Brian Deming, Key Assistant Location Manager, John Blake, Key Assistant Location Manager, Hannah Dorfman, Assistant Location Manager, Jonathan Diaz, Assistant Location Manager, Kevin Danchisko, Key Assistant Location Manager 2nd Unit, Omar Masmoudi, Key Assistant Location Manager 2nd Unit
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – INDEPENDENT FEATUREThe Greatest Hits: Justin Hill
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR – INDEPENDENT FEATUREThe Greatest Hits: Justin Hill, Supervising Location Manager, Justin Louie, Key Assistant Location Manager, Jill Naumann, Key Assistant Location Manager, Clay Dodder, Key Assistant Location Manager, Norman Galeas, Key Assistant Location Manager, Brittany Anders, Key Assistant Location Manager, Michael Bryant, Key Assistant Location Manager, Paul Brady, Key Assistant Location Manager, Lucien Unruh, Assistant Location Manager, Sarah Hwang, Assistant Location Manager, Guy Morrison, Key Assistant Location Manager, Dana Reiko Barenfeld
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – EPISODIC TV – ONE HOURDaisy Jones & The Six: Jay Traynor
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR – EPISODIC TV – ONE HOURWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Season 2: Gregory H. Alpert, Supervising Location Manager, Brian S. Kalata, Location Manager, Matthew Bolin, Key Assistant Location Manager, J.P. O’Connor, Key Assistant Location Manager, Sam Gomez, Key Assistant Location Manager, Miles Beal-Ampah, Key Assistant Location Manager, Shelly Armstrong, Location Department Coordinator, André Balderamos, Key Assistant Location Manager, Shaka Terry, Key Assistant Location Manager, Shawn Hueston, Key Assistant Location Manager, Julian Stephens, Assistant Location Manager, Whitney Breite, Assistant Location Manager
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – EPISODIC TV – HALF-HOURHigh Desert: Stacey Brashear
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR– EPISODIC TV – HALF-HOURMinx: Jason Kaplon, Supervising Location Manager, Mike Parisi, Key Assistant Location Manager, J. Hanna, Location Manager, Taylor Moore, Key Assistant Location Manager, Brielle Fraser, Assistant Location Manager, Jessica Aichs, Key Assistant Location Manager, Michael Holmes, Key Assistant Location Manager, John Nabet, Key Assistant Location Manager, Jasmin Paris, Key Assistant Location Manager
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – COMMERCIALSVisit California “Kidifornia Family Vacation”: Weston Marsh
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR – CITYCity of Palm Springs: Janice Lopez, Program Coordinator & Film Permit Officer
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR – COUNTYRiverside County Transportation Department: Melissa Martinez
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR – FEDERALBureau of Land Management: John Thomas, Park Ranger
ASSISTANT LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – FEATUREJoker: Folie à Deux: Sheila Ryan-Cruz
ASSISTANT LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – TELEVISIONDaisy Jones & the Six: Courtney Ochoa