Up-and-coming cinematographer Halyna Hutchins passed away October 21, 2021 after an on-set shooting on the set of the feature film Rust, which is currently under investigation. The Hollywood Reporter described the 42-year-old as “a relentless talent, a creative visionary, a loving wife and mother devoted to husband Matthew and son Andros, and a life cut short by a senseless tragedy not seen in Hollywood in decades.
Born in Ukraine, Hutchins grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle before going on to study international journalism at Kyiv National University in Ukraine. Per her personal website, she transitioned from university to working as an investigative journalist with British documentary productions in Europe. After moving to the U.S., Hutchins studied at UCLA and cut her teeth in production by working on a number of short films across a variety of disciplines on set including second unit, camera operator, gaffer and key grip before transitioning to cinematography.
She graduated from the distinguished AFI Conservatory in 2015 and was honored as a Rising Star of 2019 by American Cinematographer. In addition to Rust, her credits include Adam Egypt Mortimer’s art house superhero pic Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello, Cate Devaney’s The Mad Hatter, Sidra Smith’s A Luv Tale: The Series, Michael Nell’s Blindfire, Pollyanna McIntosh’s Darlin’ and Olia Oparina’s Snowbound.”
