Autumn Durald Arkapaw becomes first woman to win Oscar for cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history Sunday as the first woman to win the Academy Award for best cinematography, earning the honor for her work on Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” The 46-year-old American cinematographer was celebrated for her visually striking and innovative approach to the film.
“I’m so honored to be here, and I really want all the women in the room to stand up because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys,” Arkapaw said during her acceptance speech. Holding her Oscar, she added, “I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign. I feel like moments like this happen because of people like you guys.”
Arkapaw has built a diverse body of work, including “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “The Last Showgirl,” and a music video for Rihanna. Despite her accomplishments, she noted that women in cinematography have long been underrepresented. Before her, only three women had ever been nominated in the category: Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound” in 2018, Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog,” and Mandy Walker for “Elvis.” Arkapaw is also the first woman of color to be nominated and the first Black person to win in the category.
As she made her way to the stage, she greeted several colleagues from “Sinners” and praised Coogler. “Whenever I say thank you to Ryan, he replies and says, ‘No, thank you for believing in me and trusting me,’” she said. “He’s a very honorable person, and he means it, he really truly means it.” She also thanked her husband and parents, and called her young son Aidan forward so he could be closer to the stage.
“Sinners” was historic beyond Arkapaw’s win. It marked the first time a woman had ever shot a feature film on IMAX film, a format known for its large, loud cameras and technical challenges. Drawing on her experience shooting “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” on IMAX digital, she consulted cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who encouraged her to treat the equipment like any other camera. She and her team ultimately used a combination of IMAX film and Ultra Panavision 70, a rare large-format system previously revived by Quentin Tarantino for “The Hateful Eight.”
One of her favorite sequences in the film was a scene introducing Jack O’Connell’s Irish vampire Remmick and the Choctaw pursuing him. Although it was initially considered too dialogue-heavy for IMAX, Arkapaw and Coogler decided to shoot it in the large format, blending crane shots, Steadicam work, and intimate framing to create a cinematic Western-style sunset sequence. “I can’t see that scene in any other format now,” she said.
A Northern California native, Arkapaw studied art history at Loyola Marymount University before attending the American Film Institute for graduate studies, where she leveraged her background in photography to pursue cinematography. Reflecting on her groundbreaking achievement, she told reporters backstage, “A lot of little girls that look like me will sleep really well tonight,” underscoring the significance of representation in a field long dominated by men.
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