Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made history, becoming the first woman to clinch the Oscar for Best Cinematography. The 46-year-old American was recognised for her groundbreaking work on Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners.
Her win underscores a remarkable journey in a profession historically underrepresented. Arkapaw, whose diverse credits include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Last Showgirl and a Rihanna music video, once struggled to find many women in the field beyond Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).
While more women work in cinematography today, Oscar nominations have remained rare. Only three women preceded her: Rachel Morrison for Mudbound (2018), Ari Wegner for The Power of the Dog and Mandy Walker for Elvis. Arkapaw was also the first woman of colour nominated.
Sinners itself was already a landmark project for women in cinematography, as Arkapaw was the first woman to shoot a feature film on IMAX film. Reflecting on the importance of representation, she told The Associated Press last year, "I heard a phrase that said you need to see you to be you. I think for us females in business, the more women are able to shoot on large format, it will inspire the younger girls who maybe don’t think that they can get there."
A native of Northern California, Arkapaw pursued art history at Loyola Marymount University before honing her craft at the American Film Institute, leveraging her photography background to specialise in cinematography. While she had previously shot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever using IMAX digital, working with IMAX film presented unique challenges due to the cameras' size, noise, and perceived limitations. Before embarking on the project, she sought advice from Oppenheimer cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who encouraged her not to be deterred by the equipment's bulk.
"Hearing that straight off was inspiring and encouraging and we took that advice and just told our story," Arkapaw recounted, adding, "It was very freeing." Ultimately, the production opted for a blend of IMAX film and Ultra Panavision 70, an even rarer format famously revived by Quentin Tarantino for The Hateful Eight.
One particular scene in Sinners stands out for Arkapaw, a sequence they initially hesitated to shoot on IMAX film due to its dialogue-heavy nature and the cameras' notorious noise. However, her experience with director Ryan Coogler on Wakanda had taught her his penchant for pushing creative boundaries.
The scene introduces Jack O’Connell’s Irish vampire, Remmick, and the Choctaw hunters pursuing him, framed like a Western against a setting sun. "We had a lot of beautiful crane work in that and some intimate stuff. Ryan loves a hallway, so there’s a Steadicam shot inside. It’s very eerie," she explained. "I can’t see that scene in any other format now."
Arkapaw's historic win not only celebrates her exceptional talent but also paves the way for future generations of female cinematographers, proving that artistic vision can overcome technical and historical barriers.
