97 Years of Waiting
Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for Sinners, becoming the first woman and the first person of color to win the award in its 97-year history. She is of Filipino and African American Creole descent.
The Competition
| Nominee | Film | IMDb | RT | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Durald Arkapaw (WINNER) | Sinners | 7.5 | 97% | IMAX 65mm / Ultra Panavision |
| -- | Frankenstein | 7.4 | 85% | -- |
| -- | Marty Supreme | 7.8 | 93% | -- |
| -- | One Battle After Another | 7.7 | 98% | -- |
| -- | Train Dreams | 7.5 | 94% | -- |
The Historical Context
Before Arkapaw, only three women had ever been nominated for Best Cinematography:
- Rachel Morrison for Mudbound (2018)
- Ari Wegner for The Power of the Dog (2021)
- Mandy Walker for Elvis (2022)
None won. The category had been an all-male club for nearly a century. Arkapaw did not just break the barrier; she obliterated it, shooting on the most demanding film formats available (IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision) for a film that grossed $370M worldwide.
The Coogler Connection
This was Arkapaw's second collaboration with Ryan Coogler after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She is also the first female cinematographer to shoot on IMAX 65mm. The format choice was integral to the film's visual language: the Mississippi Delta landscapes, the interior juke joint sequences, and the horror set pieces all benefited from the expanded frame.
Data Verdict
Sinners had the highest commercial gross ($370M) and second-highest RT score (97%) in the category. The IMAX 65mm format gave it a technical edge in a category that rewards technical ambition. Historically, films shot on large-format film have a strong track record in this category (Dunkirk, Oppenheimer, 1917). This win is fully data-supported and historically overdue.