---
name: "Tom Stern"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/tom-stern"
fi1m_id: "tom-stern"
imdb_id: "nm0827869"
tmdb_id: 460
wikidata_id: "Q2063318"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "16 December 1946"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 14
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_over: 14
updated: "2026-10-09T19:23:53.508789+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."
---

# Tom Stern

## Identity

Tom Stern

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/tom-stern
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** tom-stern
- **IMDb ID:** nm0827869
- **TMDB ID:** 460
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2063318
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Stern_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2063318, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827869/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/460

Cinematographer. Born 16 December 1946 in Palo Alto, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 16 December 1946, Palo Alto, California, USA
- **Active:** 1984–present
- **Also known as:** Tom Stein, Thomas 'Iguana' Stern, Thomas E. Stern, Thomas Stern, Tom Stern ASC/AFC, Thomas Evans Stern, Thomas Evans Stern, ASC, AFC
- **Frequently works with:** [Clint Eastwood](https://film.one/person/clint-eastwood.md), [Robert Lorenz](https://film.one/person/robert-lorenz.md), [Morgan Freeman](https://film.one/person/morgan-freeman.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 73 (3), 1990s 74 (1), 2000s 76 (6), 2010s 59 (3), 2020s 55 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 68 across 13 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 8 at 60–79, 3 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Action 4, Crime 4, Thriller 4, Mystery 3, Adventure 2
- **Screen time:** 30 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $3,031m across 14 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Stern_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2063318, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827869/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/460

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*The Hunger Games*](https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games.md) (70), [*American Sniper*](https://film.one/film/american-sniper.md) (58)
- **Apple TV:** [*Million Dollar Baby*](https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby.md) (86)
- **Peacock:** [*The Last Voyage of the Demeter*](https://film.one/film/the-last-voyage-of-the-demeter.md) (55)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Meg*](https://film.one/film/the-meg.md) (49)

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

## Biography

Tom Stern is an American cinematographer. Born Thomas Evans Stern on 16 December 1946 in Palo Alto, California, he has been a member of the American Society of Cinematographers and the Association Française des Directeurs de la Photographie Cinématographique.

He worked as a gaffer from the 1970s before becoming director of photography on Clint Eastwood’s *Blood Work* (2002). Stern served as Eastwood’s primary cinematographer on subsequent films including *Mystic River* (2003), *Million Dollar Baby* (2004), *Flags of Our Fathers* (2006), *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006), *Changeling* (2008), *Gran Torino* (2008), *Invictus* (2009), *Hereafter* (2010), *J. Edgar* (2011), *American Sniper* (2014), *Sully* (2016) and *The 15:17 to Paris* (2018).

His other credits include *The Hunger Games* (2012), *The Meg* (2018) and *The Last Voyage of the Demeter* (2023). For *Changeling* he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography; he also won a Satellite Award for *Flags of Our Fathers* and the Vulcan Award at Cannes for *Mystic River*.

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

## On Fi1m (14)

- *The Last Voyage of the Demeter* (2023), Fi1m 55, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-voyage-of-the-demeter.md)
- *The Meg* (2018), Fi1m 49, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-meg.md)
- *American Sniper* (2014), Fi1m 58, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/american-sniper.md)
- *The Hunger Games* (2012), Fi1m 70, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games.md)
- *Invictus* (2009), Fi1m 61, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/invictus.md)
- *Changeling* (2008), Fi1m 68, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/changeling.md)
- *Gran Torino* (2008), Fi1m 76, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/gran-torino.md)
- *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006), Fi1m 84, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/letters-from-iwo-jima.md)
- *Million Dollar Baby* (2004), Fi1m 86, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby.md)
- *Mystic River* (2003), Fi1m 82, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/mystic-river.md)
- *A Perfect World* (1993), Fi1m 74, Chief Lighting Technician — [page](https://film.one/film/a-perfect-world.md)
- *Pale Rider* (1985), Fi1m 77, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/pale-rider.md)
- *The Goonies* (1985), Fi1m 76, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-goonies.md)
- *Tightrope* (1984), Fi1m 66, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/tightrope.md)

## Complete filmography (50)

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

- *Ice Road: Vengeance* (2025), Director of Photography
- *In the Land of Saints and Sinners* (2023), Director of Photography
- *The Last Voyage of the Demeter* (2023), Director of Photography — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-voyage-of-the-demeter.md)
- *Luther: The Fallen Sun* (2023), Director of Photography
- *The Almond and the Seahorse* (2022), Director, Director of Photography
- *The Ice Road* (2021), Director of Photography
- *The Meg* (2018), Director of Photography — Fi1m 49, [page](https://film.one/film/the-meg.md)
- *The 15:17 to Paris* (2018), Director of Photography
- *Ceasefire* (2017), Director of Photography
- *Sully* (2016), Director of Photography
- *Broken Horses* (2015), Director of Photography
- *American Sniper* (2014), Director of Photography — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/american-sniper.md)
- *Jersey Boys* (2014), Director of Photography
- *Trouble with the Curve* (2012), Director of Photography
- *The Hunger Games* (2012), Director of Photography — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games.md)
- *Sleepless Night* (2011), Director of Photography
- *J. Edgar* (2011), Director of Photography
- *Hereafter* (2010), Director of Photography
- *Invictus* (2009), Director of Photography — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/invictus.md)
- *Tsar* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Tenderness* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Gran Torino* (2008), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/gran-torino.md)
- *Changeling* (2008), Director of Photography — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/changeling.md)
- *Paris 36* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Things We Lost in the Fire* (2007), Director of Photography
- *Rails & Ties* (2007), Director of Photography
- *Midnight Son* (2007), Director of Photography
- *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/letters-from-iwo-jima.md)
- *Flags of Our Fathers* (2006), Director of Photography
- *The Last Kiss* (2006), Director of Photography
- *Romance & Cigarettes* (2005), Director of Photography
- *The Exorcism of Emily Rose* (2005), Director of Photography
- *Million Dollar Baby* (2004), Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby.md)
- *Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius* (2004), Director of Photography
- *Mystic River* (2003), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/mystic-river.md)
- *Blood Work* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Road to Perdition* (2002), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/road-to-perdition.md)
- *Space Cowboys* (2000), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *A Perfect World* (1993), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/a-perfect-world.md)
- *Unforgiven* (1992), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/unforgiven.md)
- *Spaceballs* (1987), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *Heartbreak Ridge* (1986), Gaffer
- *Pale Rider* (1985), Gaffer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/pale-rider.md)
- *The Goonies* (1985), Gaffer — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/the-goonies.md)
- *Tightrope* (1984), Gaffer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/tightrope.md)
- *All the Right Moves* (1983), Gaffer
- *Bad Boys* (1983), Gaffer
- *White Dog* (1982), Gaffer
- *Between the Lines* (1977), Best Boy Grip
- *Kung Fury 2*, Director of Photography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2009: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Changeling*

### Other awards — 1 won, 4 nominated

- César Award for Best Cinematography 2009: César Award for Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Paris 36*
- Satellite Award for Best Cinematography 2008: Satellite Award for Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Changeling*
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography 2006: Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Letters from Iwo Jima*
- Satellite Award for Best Cinematography 2006: Satellite Award for Best Cinematography (won), for *Flags of Our Fathers*
- Satellite Award for Best Cinematography 2004: Satellite Award for Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Mystic River*

*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/tom-stern