---
name: "Dean Semler"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/dean-semler"
fi1m_id: "dean-semler"
imdb_id: "nm0005871"
tmdb_id: 4501
wikidata_id: "Q648611"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "26 May 1943"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 14
average_fi1m_score: 62
average_over: 14
updated: "2026-10-05T13:07:09.672396+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dean Semler

## Identity

Dean Semler

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/dean-semler
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** dean-semler
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005871
- **TMDB ID:** 4501
- **Wikidata ID:** Q648611
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Semler, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q648611, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005871/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4501

Cinematographer. Born 26 May 1943 in Renmark, South Australia, Australia.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 26 May 1943, Renmark, South Australia, Australia
- **Active:** 1981–2014
- **Frequently works with:** [George Miller](https://film.one/person/george-miller.md), [Mel Gibson](https://film.one/person/mel-gibson.md), [Terry Hayes](https://film.one/person/terry-hayes.md), [Adam Sandler](https://film.one/person/adam-sandler.md), [Bruce Spence](https://film.one/person/bruce-spence.md), [Dennis Hopper](https://film.one/person/dennis-hopper.md), [Jack Giarraputo](https://film.one/person/jack-giarraputo.md), [Joe Roth](https://film.one/person/joe-roth.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 66 (4), 1990s 64 (5), 2000s 56 (4), 2010s 55 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 62 to 57 across 14 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 7 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 7, Adventure 7, Comedy 6, Drama 5, Fantasy 5, Science Fiction 4
- **Screen time:** 28 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $3,818m across 14 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Semler, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q648611, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005871/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4501

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*City Slickers*](https://film.one/film/city-slickers.md) (76), [*Last Action Hero*](https://film.one/film/last-action-hero.md) (62), [*Click*](https://film.one/film/click.md) (58)
- **Disney+:** [*2012*](https://film.one/film/2012.md) (57), [*Maleficent*](https://film.one/film/maleficent.md) (55)
- **AMC+:** [*Dances with Wolves*](https://film.one/film/dances-with-wolves.md) (80)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Dead Calm*](https://film.one/film/dead-calm.md) (73)
- **Hulu:** [*Waterworld*](https://film.one/film/waterworld.md) (61)
- **Netflix:** [*xXx*](https://film.one/film/xxx.md) (52)
- **HBO Max:** [*Cocktail*](https://film.one/film/cocktail.md) (38)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Dean Semler is an Australian cinematographer. He began his career as a television cameraman in Adelaide before joining Film Australia, where he shot documentaries and educational films. He later worked as a camera operator on feature films and went freelance in the early 1980s.

Semler is known for his work on *Mad Max 2* (1981), *Dances with Wolves* (1990), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and *City Slickers* (1991). Other credits include *Waterworld* (1995), *Apocalypto* (2006) and *Maleficent* (2014). He has received multiple Australian Film Institute Awards for cinematography.

Semler is a member of the Australian Cinematographers Society and the American Society of Cinematographers. In 2002 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the arts.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, cinematographer.org.au.*

## On Fi1m (14)

- *Maleficent* (2014), Fi1m 55, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/maleficent.md)
- *2012* (2009), Fi1m 57, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/2012.md)
- *Click* (2006), Fi1m 58, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/click.md)
- *Bruce Almighty* (2003), Fi1m 55, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/bruce-almighty.md)
- *xXx* (2002), Fi1m 52, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/xxx.md)
- *Waterworld* (1995), Fi1m 61, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/waterworld.md)
- *Last Action Hero* (1993), Fi1m 62, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/last-action-hero.md)
- *Super Mario Bros.* (1993), Fi1m 42, Second Unit Director, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/super-mario-bros.md)
- *City Slickers* (1991), Fi1m 76, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/city-slickers.md)
- *Dances with Wolves* (1990), Fi1m 80, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/dances-with-wolves.md)
- *Dead Calm* (1989), Fi1m 73, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/dead-calm.md)
- *Cocktail* (1988), Fi1m 38, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/cocktail.md)
- *Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome* (1985), Fi1m 65, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome.md)
- *Mad Max 2* (1981), Fi1m 88, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-2.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Summer Gold* (2023), Director of Photography
- *Playing with Fire* (2019), Director of Photography
- *Sandy Wexler* (2017), Director of Photography
- *The Do-Over* (2016), Director of Photography
- *The Ridiculous 6* (2015), Director of Photography
- *The Last Witch Hunter* (2015), Director of Photography
- *Mad Max: Fury Road* (2015), Thanks — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-fury-road.md)
- *Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2* (2015), Director of Photography
- *Maleficent* (2014), Director of Photography — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/maleficent.md)
- *Heaven Is for Real* (2014), Director of Photography
- *Grudge Match* (2013), Director of Photography
- *Parental Guidance* (2012), Director of Photography
- *In the Land of Blood and Honey* (2011), Director of Photography
- *Secretariat* (2010), Director of Photography
- *Date Night* (2010), Director of Photography
- *2012* (2009), Director of Photography — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/2012.md)
- *Appaloosa* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Get Smart* (2008), Director of Photography
- *I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry* (2007), Director of Photography
- *Apocalypto* (2006), Director of Photography
- *Click* (2006), Director of Photography — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/click.md)
- *Just My Luck* (2006), Director of Photography
- *Stealth* (2005), Director of Photography
- *The Longest Yard* (2005), Director of Photography
- *The Alamo* (2004), Director of Photography
- *Bruce Almighty* (2003), Director of Photography — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/bruce-almighty.md)
- *xXx* (2002), Director of Photography — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/xxx.md)
- *We Were Soldiers* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Dragonfly* (2002), Director of Photography
- *D-Tox* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Heartbreakers* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Nutty Professor II: The Klumps* (2000), Director of Photography
- *The Bone Collector* (1999), Director of Photography
- *The Patriot* (1998), Director
- *Firestorm* (1998), Director
- *Trojan War* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Gone Fishin'* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Waterworld* (1995), Director of Photography — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/waterworld.md)
- *The Cowboy Way* (1994), Director of Photography
- *The Three Musketeers* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Last Action Hero* (1993), Director of Photography — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/last-action-hero.md)
- *Super Mario Bros.* (1993), Director of Photography, Second Unit Director — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/super-mario-bros.md)
- *The Power of One* (1992), Director of Photography
- *City Slickers* (1991), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/city-slickers.md)
- *Baruya Muka Archival* (1991), Cinematography
- *Dances with Wolves* (1990), Director of Photography — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/dances-with-wolves.md)
- *Young Guns II* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Impulse* (1990), Director of Photography
- *K-9* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Dead Calm* (1989), Director of Photography — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/dead-calm.md)
- *Farewell to the King* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Young Guns* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Cocktail* (1988), Director of Photography — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/cocktail.md)
- *The Clean Machine* (1988), Director of Photography
- *The Lighthorsemen* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Going Sane* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Bullseye* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Passion Flower* (1987), Director of Photography
- *The Coca-Cola Kid* (1985), Director of Photography, Additional Dialogue
- *Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome.md)
- *The Coolangatta Gold* (1984), Additional Photography
- *Bodyline* (1984), series, Director of Photography
- *Razorback* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Human Face of Russia* (1984), Camera Operator
- *Return to Eden* (1983), series, Director of Photography
- *The Dismissal* (1983), series, Cinematography
- *Kitty and the Bagman* (1983), Cinematography
- *Mad Max 2* (1981), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-2.md)
- *Hoodwink* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Stepping Out* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Saturday* (1979), Director
- *A Good Thing Going* (1978), Cinematography
- *Do I Have to Kill My Child?* (1976), Director of Photography
- *A Steam Train Passes* (1974), Director of Photography
- *The Fifth Facade: The Making of the Sydney Opera House* (1973), Camera Operator

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1991: Best Cinematography (won), for *Dances with Wolves*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Member of the Order of Australia 2002: Member of the Order of Australia (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/dean-semler