Fil-Am cinematographer Autumn Arkapaw wins Oscar for her work in 'Sinners'
Filipino pride is on display in Hollywood as Filipino American Autumn Durald Arkapaw took home an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for her work in the film Sinners.
During the 98th edition of the ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre on March 16 (Philippine time), Arkapaw made history as the first woman—and woman of color—to ever win the Oscar for best cinematography.
She was up against Dan Laustsen of Frankenstein, Darius Khondji of Marty Supreme, Michael Bauman of One Battle After Another, and Adolpho Veloso of Train Dreams.
Throughout the Oscars’ history, only three women have received nominations in the category, namely, Rachel Morrison in 2018 for Mudbound, Ari Wegner in 2021 for The Power of the Dog, and Mandy Walker in 2022 for Elvis.
During her speech, Arkapaw expressed her gratitude to Sinners director Ryan Coogler, saying, “Whenever I say thank you to Ryan, he replies and says, ‘No, thank you, thank you for believing in me and thank you for trusting me,’ and that’s the kind of guy that I get to make films with.”
She went on to make a powerful statement by inviting every woman in the Dolby Theatre to stand up as she "wouldn't get here without you guys."
"I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and gotten to meet so many people, and I just feel like moments like this happen because of you guys, and I want to thank you for that," Arkapaw highlighted.
Born to a Filipino mother and Creole father, Arkapaw majored in art history at Loyola Marymount University and later entered the AFI Conservatory’s cinematography program.
Her work on Sinners marked a significant milestone, as it was the first film shot by a female cinematographer using IMAX 65mm and large-format 65mm film cameras.
Aside from Sinners, Arkapaw has been making her mark in the industry, having worked in films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Palo Alto, and The Last Showgirl.
Helmed by Ryan Coogler, Sinners is a horror-drama that follows twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) whose plans unravel into chaos when a rogue vampire appears.
The film set a new record in the award-giving body after bagging 16 nominations. It won four Oscars: Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Original Screenplay.