What You Need to Know About Fil-Am Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Who Just Made Oscars History For 'Sinners'

If you've been obsessed with the look and feel of Sinners, you can thank Autumn Durald Arkapaw. The Filipina-American cinematographer just earned a Best Cinematography nomination at the 98th Academy Awards for her work on Ryan Coogler's dramatic action thriller—making history as the first woman of color ever recognized in the category.

And the wins don't stop there. Sinners showed up strong this awards season, racking up a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations—the most any film has ever received in history.

The film is up for Best Picture, with Ryan Coogler earning a nod for Best Director, Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor, Delroy Lindo for Best Supporting Actor, Wunmi Mosaku for Best Supporting Actress, and the film itself for Best Original Screenplay. With nominations in these top categories, Sinners is dominating the conversation—and Autumn Durald Arkapaw's historic nod for Best Cinematography puts her right at the center of it all.

The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 16, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. (Philippine time), at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, with a star-studded guest list expected to attend—including fellow nominees Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Kate Hudson, and Elle Fanning.

So, who exactly is the Fil-Am woman behind the camera? Here's a closer look at Autumn Durald Arkapaw.

Born in Oxnard, California on December 14, 1979, Autumn is the daughter of a Filipino mother and an African American Creole father. She's married to Australian cinematographer Adam Arkapaw.

You might think every famous cinematographer spent their whole life playing with cameras, but Autumn's journey was a bit different. She actually studied Art History at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) for her undergrad. 

After college, she even worked a regular desk job in advertising for a few years before deciding to follow her heart to film school. She eventually leveled up her skills at the AFI Conservatory by enrolling in its cinematography program. 

ICYDK, Autumn worked with Ryan Coogler on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She was also cinematographer for the first season of Loki, making the Marvel multiverse look cooler than ever.

"I cut my teeth on indies for such a long time, and I don't think I'd be able to do these bigger projects that I have now if I hadn't played in that pool for so long," Autumn expressed in an interview for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

"It taught me so much about all the things you need to know when you finally begin to manage bigger budgets and bigger schedules and work with multiple departments," she added. 

On top of that, she's also worked with famous Hollywood stars like Rihanna in her Lift Me Up music video, the Jonas Brothers, The Weeknd, and SZA for Power Is Power.

Autumn's trophy shelf is getting pretty crowded, and we love that for her! Before the Oscar nomination even happened, she was already winning big.

She took home "Best Cinematography" awards from prestigious groups like the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) and the National Board of Review. She even has an Emmy nomination for her work on Loki! 

In 2022, she was invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)—essentially the "Hall of Fame" for people in her profession.