Oscar win for horror cinematography

Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s victory marked the first time a woman has won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in the category’s near‑century history. (variety.com) Only three women had been nominated in the Best Cinematography category before Arkapaw: Rachel Morrison (Mudbound, 2018), Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog, 2021) and Mandy Walker (Elvis, 2022). (variety.com) Ryan Coogler’s Sinners converted a record 16 nominations into four Oscars on the night, including wins for Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan) and Best Original Screenplay. (hollywoodreporter.com) Arkapaw shot Sinners on large‑format film — using 5‑perf 65mm and 15‑perf IMAX — and is credited as the first female director of photography to shoot 15‑perf IMAX and to pair IMAX with Ultra Panavision 70 on the same feature. (kodak.com) The telecast’s audience fell about 9% from 2025, renewing scrutiny of show pacing and presentation choices. (variety.com) Producers had already introduced format experiments this year — the inaugural Best Casting Oscar was presented using a revived “Fab Five” setup and the In Memoriam segment was expanded — even as the Academy reported a sharp rise in online engagement and over 129 million video views across its platforms during the night. (hollywoodreporter.com)