Pinay-Blood Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw Just Made Oscar History — First Woman Ever to Win Best Cinematography

Isang historic moment ang nangyari sa 98th Academy Awards kagabi — si Autumn Durald Arkapaw, a 46-year-old Filipino and African American Creole cinematographer, became the first woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. She took home the award for her breathtaking work on Ryan Coogler's film "Sinners."

In the 97-year history of the Academy Awards, no woman had ever won in the cinematography category before Arkapaw. Only three women had even been nominated: Rachel Morrison for "Mudbound" in 2018, Ari Wegner for "The Power of the Dog," and Mandy Walker for "Elvis." Arkapaw was also the first woman of color to ever receive a nomination in the category.

"I'm so honored to be here and I really want all the women in the room to stand up because I feel like I don't get here without you guys," she told the audience while clutching her golden trophy. She also gave a special shoutout to her young son Aidan, who was carried down the aisle to be closer to his mom on stage.

Arkapaw, a Northern California native who studied art history at Loyola Marymount University before pursuing cinematography at the American Film Institute, is no stranger to big-budget filmmaking. Her impressive portfolio includes "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," "The Last Showgirl," and even a Rihanna music video. For "Sinners," she made history again by becoming the first woman to shoot a movie on IMAX film, using a combination of IMAX and the ultra-rare Ultra Panavision 70 format.

The Fil-Am trailblazer had previously consulted with "Oppenheimer" cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema before shooting, who told her not to worry about the massive IMAX cameras and just tell the story. "Hearing that straight off was inspiring and encouraging," Arkapaw said. "It was very freeing." A win not just for women in film, but para sa lahat ng Pinoy worldwide. Mabuhay ka, Autumn! 🇵🇭

Source: AP News