For those of us who follow this category closely, last Sunday was a night worth remembering.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography at the 98th Academy Awards for Sinners, becoming the first woman and first Black person to ever win the award. She is also of Filipino and Creole descent, and had already made history simply by being the first woman of color nominated in the category. Only three women had ever been nominated before her -- Rachel Morrison for Mudbound in 2018, Ari Wegner for The Power of the Dog in 2021, and Mandy Walker for Elvis in 2022 -- and none had won. Until now.
The win was also a technical milestone. Sinners is the first film ever produced and released in both IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision 70, making Arkapaw the first female cinematographer to shoot a feature using both formats.
Her acceptance speech was one of the most memorable of the night. She acknowledged the women who had been nominated before her and had not won, and at one point asked every woman in the Dolby Theatre to stand.
This is the kind of win that means something beyond the trophy. For anyone working in cinematography -- especially those still building their careers -- it is a reminder that the field is changing, even if it has taken far too long.
What did you think of her work in Sinners? And for those who saw the film in IMAX or on the large format presentation -- how did the visual experience land for you?
