She has set different records all at the same time.
Last Monday, March 16 (Manila time), the prestigious 98th Academy Awards took place in Los Angeles, California, USA.
In this edition, the movie Sinners, which is under the direction of Ryan Coogler, set a new record high of sixteen nominations across different categories.
Among those that it would eventually win was the Best Cinematography award, which was clinched by Filipino-American filmmaker Autumn Durald Arkapaw.
She trumped in the said category four other cinematographers, namely Dan Laustsen (Frankenstein), Darius Khondji (Marty Supreme), Michael Bauman (One Battle After Another), and Adolpho Veloso (Train Dreams).
With this coveted technical award, Arkapaw became the first woman, more so woman of color, to be both nominated and win the accolade.
In her acceptance speech, she had also previously collabroated with in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She said, “Whenever I say thank you to Ryan, he replies and says: ‘No, thank you for believing in me and thank you for trusting me’, and that’s the kind of guy I get to make films with.”
She then mentioned another woman cinematographer, Rachel Morrison, as she took her time to give thanks and honor all the other women who came to support her throughout the campaign.
“I am 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. I really really truly mean that,” she said. “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.”
Meanwhile, Sinners went on to also bag the Best Music (Original Score), Best Writing (Original Screenplay), and the Best Actor in a Leading Role for Michael B. Jordan.
Sinners is a period film set in the 1930s and tells the story of identical twin brothers as they made their return to their hometown after their parents’ death.
Also part of this project is another actress with Filipino heritage, Hailee Steinfeld, who portrays the character Mary in the film.
