In 2013, Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s work on Gia Coppola’s “Palo Alto” earned her praise, and a slot on Variety’s 2014 10 Cinematographers to Watch list.
Fast forward to 2026, and she’s earned an Oscar nomination for her work on Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” — making history, too, as the first woman of color to be nominated in the cinematography category.
In the history of the category, no woman has ever won the Oscar for cinematography, and only
three women have ever been nominated: Rachel Morrison in 2018 for “Mudbound,” Ari Wegner in 2021 for “The Power of the Dog” and Mandy Walker in 2022 for “Elvis.”
Arkapaw, who is of Filipino and Creole descent, is nominated alongside Adolpho Veloso (“Train
Dreams”), Michael Bauman (“One Battle After Another,” Dan Laustsen (“Frankenstein”) and Darius Khondji (“Marty Supreme”).
“I thought how special it would be for in the future someone to look up this nomination, because I’m the fourth woman. And I know the ones that came before me,” she says.
With Arkapaw’s work drawing attention, she said she was grateful for the opportunity to continue opening doors for more representation in cinematography and to be an inspiration for female cinematographers. “It means the world when young girls, or film students of similar heritage, come up to me and express their gratitude, not just for the work, but for the fact that they can see someone like themselves behind the camera.”
As for collaborating with Coogler, Arkapaw says he puts women on a platform. Not just on “Sinners” but on his previous films. “He has done that in the past and now – all of the heads of department that made this film, being women of color, and I think that’s so important.” Those department heads include costume designer Ruth E. Carter, production designer Hannah Beachler and hair designer Shunika Terry. All landed Oscar nominations. Arkapaw goes on to say, “He believes in you so much and on the highest level, with or without accolades, he’s there for you.”