Fil-Am becomes 1st woman of color to get Oscar nod for best cinematography

Filipino American cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw is breaking barriers at the 98th Academy Awards as she just earned a historic Best Cinematography nomination for “Sinners.”

With this recognition, Arkapaw becomes the first woman of color to be nominated in the category, marking a milestone in a field where female representation has been rare.

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Reflecting on the nomination, Arkapaw admitted the significance of the moment hasn’t fully sunk in. “You’re rooting on the sidelines for your family that you made the film with that meant so much to you, and you can only hope that people are recognized, but it’s not your main goal,” she told Variety.

Her nomination also places her among a very small group of women previously recognized in the category, following Rachel Morrison (Mudbound, 2018), Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog, 2021) and Mandy Walker (Elvis, 2022).

“I thought how special it would be for in the future someone to look up this nomination, because I’m the fourth woman. And I know the ones that came before me,” she added.

Pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling, “Sinners” also represents a technical first as Arkapaw became the first female cinematographer to shoot a feature on IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision. 

The project also reunited her with director Ryan Coogler, their second collaboration after “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Arkapaw previously shared with Variety how working with Coogler shaped her approach. “We support each other. I’ve learned how to read the story through [Ryan’s] eyes, to understand what he needs to tell it and what is important to him.”

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