The Hans Hass Fifty Fathoms
Award Committee
CHAIRMAN
The Honourable
Krov Menuhin (Australia)
03
In 2003, James again hired the Russian MIR
submersibles and journeyed back to the wreck
of Titanic to film and direct Ghosts of the Abyss.
Using state-of-the-art 3D technology developed
expressly for the expedition, James and his
crew could explore virtually all the wreck, inside
and out, as never before. The movie was made
especially for IMAX 3D theatres and specially
outfitted 35mm 3D theatres.
In recognition of his superior body of deepsea exploratory work, the Hans Hass Award
Committee selected James Cameron as their
2004 award recipient.
With his hectic Hollywood schedule, it proved
very difficult for the Committee to co-ordinate
both a venue and time for the presentation.
Fortunately, the Committee’s Executive Director
had arranged for Professor and Lotte Hass to
attend New York’s Beneath the Sea show and
arrangements were made with the management
for the award to be presented there.
As the world’s most successful film director,
James was in very high demand, and closely
followed by the media. To ensure his presence
was as low key as possible, the Beneath the Sea
management agreed no publicity would be given
to the award or James’ appearance at the show.
Beneath the Sea fully honoured this and it was
an extremely surprised and thrilled audience that
watched as James Cameron took to the stage on
Saturday, March 25, 2006, to receive the 2004
Hans Hass Award from Professor Hans Hass
himself. Speaking to the sold-out audience,
James thanked Hans for recognising his
career, and mentioned his heart was with the
02 Receiving the
Scripps Institution
of Oceanography
Nierenberg Prize for
Science in the Public
Interest in 2013. L–R:
Dr. Doug Bartlett,
James Cameron,
Scripps Acting
Director Dr. Catherine
Constable, Kevin Hardy
03 James Cameron
emerging from the
single-seat Deepsea
Challenger
Krov is internationally known for his lengthy
career in underwater film and photography,
working with the BBC and Channel 4 in
the UK, and 25 years with the French
programme Ushuaia, among others. His
diving background includes both military
and commercial diving and he is the author
of numerous maritime articles published
internationally. He was a longtime friend of
Professor Hass, who personally appointed
him as Chairman of the Committee.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Leslie Leaney (England)
The founder of the Hans Hass Fifty
Fathoms Award and one of the industry’s
few recognised diving historians, Leslie
learnt to dive in Singapore in 1969. In 1992
he co-founded the Historical Diving Society
USA and in 1993, he founded the Journal of
Diving History. The recipient of numerous
industry awards for his historical work, he
was inducted into the International Scuba
Diving Hall of Fame in 2012.
DIRECTOR
Ernest Brooks II (USA)
As the owner of the Brooks Institute of
Photography, Ernie pioneered course-taught
underwater photography. His extensive
portfolio was highlighted in his book, Silver
Seas, and his work is displayed in galleries
and museums around the globe. Following
the art of black a