Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Cinematographer

American Oxnard, California, United States

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Quick Info

ProfessionCinematographer
NationalityAmerican
Date of Birth14/12/1979
Age46 years
BirthplaceOxnard, California, United States

Latest News about Autumn Durald Arkapaw

31/03/2026

Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history at the 98th Academy Awards by becoming the first woman, first Black person, and first Filipino to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. She won for her groundbreaking work on the 2025 film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, where she became the first female cinematographer to shoot a feature film using IMAX 65mm and large-format film cameras.

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Bio/Wiki

Birth NameAutumn Cheyenne Durald
Full NameAutumn Cheyenne Durald Arkapaw
Other NameAutumn Cheyenne Durald Arkapaw
CredentialsASC (American Society of Cinematographers)

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 11" (180 cm)
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourDark Brown

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolSan Ramon Valley High School, Danville, California (1996)
College/University
  • Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California (2002)
  • AFI Conservatory, Los Angeles, California (2009)
Degrees
  • A degree in Arts History from Loyola Marymount University
  • A Cinematography program from AFI Conservatory
  • Bachelor's degree in Art History from Loyola Marymount University
  • MFA in Cinematography from AFI Conservatory

Personal Life

HeritageFilipino and Black Creole descent

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date2015

Family

Husband/SpouseAdam Arkapaw
Children
  • Son - Aidan
  • Daughter -
Parents
FatherTony Bernez
MotherPeggy Bautista
Grandparents
Maternal GrandfatherGuillermo Pagan Bautista (deceased)

Career

Awards
  • Best Cinematography award for the film 'Sinners' at the 91st New York Film Critics Circle Awards (2025)
  • Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography award for 'Sinners' at the 97th National Board of Review Awards (2025)
  • Impact Award for 'Sinners' at IndieWire Honors (2025)
  • Best Cinematography award for 'Sinners' at the 98th Academy Awards (2026)
  • Outstanding Cinematography award for 'Sinners' at the 26th Annual Black Reel Awards (2026)
  • Best Cinematography award for 'Sinners' at the 60th National Society of Film Critics Awards (2026)
  • Best Cinematography for a Feature Film award for 'Sinners' at the 3rd Prix AFC (French Society of Cinematographers Awards) (2026)
  • Best Cinematography award at the Girls on Film Awards (2026)
  • Academy Award for Best Cinematography for 'Sinners' at the 98th Academy Awards (2026) - First woman, first Black person, and first Filipino to win in this category
Notable Works
  • On the Road in America (2007)
  • The Kick of Destiny (2023)
  • Palo Alto (2013)
  • One & Two (2015)
  • The Sun Is Also a Star (2019)
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
  • The Last Showgirl (2024)
  • Loki (2021)
  • Sinners (2025)
Music Videos
  • London Grammar's 'Strong' (2013)
  • Big Sean's 'Ashley' (2014)
  • Jonas Brothers' 'Sucker' (2019)
  • Rihanna's 'Lift Me Up' (2022)
Recent WorkLoki (2021)
Major Achievements
  • First female cinematographer to shoot a film using IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision 70 cameras (Sinners, 2025)
  • First woman of color nominated for Academy Award for Best Cinematography (2026)
  • First woman to win Academy Award for Best Cinematography (2026)
  • First Black person to win Academy Award for Best Cinematography (2026)
  • First Filipino to win Academy Award for Best Cinematography (2026)
  • First woman of color featured on the cover of American Cinematographer magazine (2022)
  • Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for Loki episode 'Lamentis' (2021)
  • Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Cinematographers Branch (2019)
  • Member of the American Society of Cinematographers (2022)

Style Quotient

Tattoo(s)
  • On the Left Hand (dorsal side): 'A' (near thumb base) and some Chinese characters (near the wrist)
  • On the Right Arm: 'Durald'
  • On the Wrist: Her maternal grandfather's initials inked in Baybayin script
  • On the Right Hand (dorsal side): 'D' (near thumb base)

Social Media

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/addp/
Twitterhttps://x.com/durald
Official Websitehttps://www.autumndurald.com/

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Grew up in San Francisco Bay Area, California.
2. Has Filipino roots from her mother’s side and Black Creole heritage from her father’s side.
3. Considers her maternal grandfather, Guillermo Pagan Bautista, the most important figure in her life.
4. Her maternal grandfather was a resistance fighter during World War II and survived the Bataan Death March (1942).
5. Spent her childhood in a large Filipino Roman Catholic family with many cousins.
6. Developed an interest in visuals by exploring her grandparents’ travel photos.
7. Born in Southern California and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area at age two with her mother.
8. Grew up in a large Filipino Roman Catholic family with many cousins.
9. Originally planned to study art history to become a curator or intern at Sotheby's.
10. Started doing her own photography in high school.
11. Shot Sinners on 65mm film using a combination of IMAX 15-perf and Ultra Panavision 70 cameras.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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