Autumn Durald Arkapaw Shares Her Historic Oscars Win and Inspires Future Generations

Dancing with the Devil has proven historic for the film industry, as Autumn Durald Arkapaw made waves at the 98th Academy Awards by becoming the first woman of color nominated for Best Cinematography. She further etched her name in history by winning the award, a significant milestone at this year’s ceremony.

“It’s tricky because when you go up [onstage], you have so much to say, especially after 98 years of history, there’s so much in your head,” Arkapaw reflected during her backstage visit. “One thing I was going to say is that a lot of little girls that look like me will sleep well tonight because they’ll want to become cinematographers. Just being on stage and getting this award for a movie like Sinners will change so many girls’ lives because they’ll be inspired when they weren’t before.”

Entering the evening with a record-setting 16 Oscar nominations, the film Sinners did not disappoint. In addition to Arkapaw’s historic win, the film garnered accolades for Best Original Screenplay by Ryan Coogler, Best Original Score by Ludwig Göransson, and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan.

Arkapaw praised Coogler’s leadership on set, stating, “Ryan had women on this film that were heads of department. He gives us those opportunities to shine and be ourselves and work in a creative environment where we’re leading, strong and have power. He trusts us. That’s a very important thing that doesn’t happen very often. He’s opened doors. So, I knew that if this was going to happen, it was going to happen with someone like him.”