It’s Autumn Season for Best Cinematography
Monday, January 19, 2026 at 9:00PM 
Ryan Coogler and Autum Durald Arkapaw while filming SINNERS. (Courtesy: Eli Adé)
After 98 years, history might just be made in Best Cinematography. Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the cinematographer of SINNERS, is the current frontrunner for Best Cinematography, the last non-gendered Oscar category yet to have a female winner. Born of African-American and Filipino descent, Arkapaw has worked for more than a decade. Her resume includes Palo Alto, Teen Spirit, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and The Last Showgirl. In Sinners, Arkapaw already made history for being the first female cinematographer to have shot a film on large format IMAX film.
The history of women nominated for this category has unfortunately been short and recent. The list includes...
2017: Mudbound - Rachel Morrison
Other works: Fruitvale Station, Black Panther, Seberg
2021: The Power of the Dog - Ari Wegner
Other works: Zola, The Wonder, Eileen
2022: Elvis - Mandy Walker
Other works: Australia, Tracks, Jane Got a Gun
With 2025 being the first year in decades when a Best Cinematography longlist is released, Sinners is joined by two other films lensed by women, even if both are longshots at best:
Song Sung Blue - Amy Vincent
Other works: Eve’s Bayon, Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan
Wicked: For Good - Alice Brooks
Other works: In the Heights, Tick, Tick… Boom!, Wicked
While the gender gap in this filmmaking department remains to be frustratingly glaring, several filmmakers have already made a dent in past years and would have been worthy of recognition themselves. Some of these women are:
Creed (2015)
Maryse Alberti (Velvet Goldmine, Creed)
Natasha Braier (The Neon Demon, She Said)
Agnès Godard (Beau Travail, Let the Sunshine In)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Maria von Hausswolff (Godland, Janet Planet)
Ellen Kuras (Bamboozled, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Hélène Louvart (Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Palestine 36)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Spencer)
Crystal Fournier (Girlhood, Great Freedom)
Charlotte Bruus Christensen (The Hunt, Far from the Madding Crowd)
BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017)
Jeanne Lapoirie (BPM (Beats Per Minute), Benedetta)
Caroline Champetier (Holy Motors, Annette)
Josée Deshaies (Saint Laurent, The Beast)
Mami Wata (2023)
Lílis Soares (Mami Wata, The Best Mother in the World)
Reed Morano (Frozen River, Meadowland)
Tami Reiker (Beyond the Lights, One Night in Miami)
The Fire Inside (2024)
Nina Kellgren (Young Soul Rebels, Solomon & Gaenor)
Rina Yang (The Fire Inside, Mother Mary)
Kira Kelly (13th, Rez Ball)
Are you also prediction Arkapaw to make history and win Best Cinematography? Or do you think another film will win the Oscar?
Reader Comments (5)
The Independent Spirit Awards have been celebrating women cinematographers since Lisa Rinzler won the prize for Menace II Society in 1993. This year the exemplary work of Nicole Hirsch Whitaker is nominated for Dust Bunny. She won’t win an Oscar, but she is a gifted artist to watch.
I loved Dust Bunny! I hadn’t noticed who the cinematographer was. Production design, costumes, fun story, great cast. Such fun to see something unique.
every single movie directed by coogler had a female dp
Watching videos these days can be quite frustrating with all those interruptions, but using a solid youtube adblocker really changes the experience. It allows you to enjoy your favorite content without the constant breaks, and the best part is how much faster the pages load. If you're looking for a smoother way to browse the platform, this tool is definitely one of the most reliable options available.
Diving into this autumn cinematography chatter, the moody golden hour shots in Poor Things had me craving that crisp fall vibe, reminding me of binging Oscar contenders last season while coping with heated online debates that spiraled out of control. After a film forum thread on historical dramas derailed into conspiracy rants blaming Jewish filmmakers for "agendas," it left me shaken, echoing how hate escalates from screens to stabbings like in Bondi — From Bondi to the Timeline: How Antisemitism Travels from Social Media to Murder Scenes breaks down that terrifying pathway with real cases, urging better moderation to stop harm. Reading it sharpened my awareness, now I approach film conversations more vigilantly, turning autumn viewings into safer, reflective spaces.