The Oscar Moment Nobody Is Talking About: First Woman Wins Best Cinematography
In 98 years of Academy history, no woman had ever won Best Cinematography. Autumn Durald Arkapaw changed that Sunday night — and the press room gave her a standing ovation. Here's why her win matters for every filmmaker.
The Oscar moment nobody is talking about enough.
I need to talk about what happened in that press room Sunday night.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for "Sinners." She walked into the press room. And the entire room; journalists, photographers, industry insiders, stood up.
Standing ovation.
Let me be honest with you. I have been following the Oscars for a long time. Press room standing ovations are not a common thing. I don’t know that I’ve ever even heard of one. That moment told you everything you need to know about the weight of what just happened.
Autumn is Filipino and Creole, from Oxnard and Danville, California. She is the first woman to EVER win Best Cinematography in Academy history. The first woman of color. And she was the first person in history to shoot in both IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision formats. Formats that were previously considered the exclusive territory of a very specific, very male, very gatekept corner of the industry.
She did it anyway.
And when she got up to that microphone on the Oscars stage, she looked out at the crowd and said, "I really want all the women in the room to stand up.”
That's the moment. That's what it looks like when someone doesn't just break a barrier, they turn around and make sure you see it. It made me so emotional and excited about the possibilities.
Here's what I want you to sit with: there were only three women ever nominated for Best Cinematography before her. Three. In nearly 100 years of Oscars. Rachel Morrison. Ari Wegner. Mandy Walker. And now Autumn.
So here's what nobody tells you: the doors that feel locked? They're not locked because the work isn't good enough. They're locked because the people holding the keys convinced everyone they were the only ones qualified to hold them.
Nevertheless, Autumn was bold. She shot in the formats they said weren't for her. She made a film that couldn't be ignored. And then she won.
Whatever "that's not your lane" sounds like in your world right now… I want you to hear her name.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Remember it.
Until then,
Nicki
P.S. Go watch "Sinners" specifically for the cinematography. Watch how she uses light. That's a masterclass.
