A Historic Vision: Oscar Winner Autumn Durald Arkapaw on Capturing the Soul of “Sinners”

History, captured in images. After becoming the first woman to win Best Cinematography, watch Autumn Durald Arkapaw talk about bringing "Sinners" to life—where epic scale meets intimate emotion.

Historic Frames: Oscar Winner Autumn Durald Arkapaw on Bringing “Sinners” to Epic IMAX‑Sized Life

After making history last night as the first woman to win Best Cinematography, we’re revisiting our conversation with Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Her work on "Sinners"—shot across massive formats and intimate moments alike—reveals how scale, texture, and lyricism came together to create one of the year’s most visually unforgettable films.

“One Battle After Another” & “Sinners” Shine at an Oscars Filled With Historic Wins and Long‑Awaited Triumphs

History, heart, and a long‑awaited coronation defined the 98th Academy Awards. From Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s landmark Best Cinematography win to a triumphant night for Paul Thomas Anderson’s "One Battle After Another," the Oscars celebrated bold filmmaking, below‑the‑line excellence, and artists at the peak of their powers.

How Ryan Coogler Crafted the Vision, Mood, and Mythology of His Genre‑Bending “Sinners”

With the Oscars just days away, we’re returning to some of our favorite conversations with this year’s nominees. One of them is Ryan Coogler, whose "Sinners" has surged into awards history. Revisiting this interview feels especially right now — a chance to step back into the creative currents of Louisiana that shaped Coogler’s most ambitious and widely celebrated film.

WGA Awards: Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” Keep Oscar Race Tight

The 2026 Writers Guild Awards delivered a major shakeup in the Oscar race, with "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another" splitting the top screenplay prizes and "The Pitt" sweeping the drama categories. Roy Wood hosted a night that mixed humor, turbulence, and a call to protect storytellers.

How “Sinners” Oscar‑Nominated Editor Michael P. Shawver Carved Ryan Coogler’s Beautiful Chaos Into Pure Cinema

Oscar‑nominated editor Michael Shawver, Ryan Coogler’s longtime collaborator since Fruitvale Station, takes us inside the cutting room — and the Louisiana heat — of "Sinners," revealing how he protected twin‑performance coverage, built the movie’s emotional architecture, and crafted the juke‑joint sequence where the whole film turns.

“Sinners” Oscar-Nominated Prosthetics & Makeup Designer Mike Fontaine’s Beautiful, Horrifying Vamps

In "Sinners," the vampires don’t just terrify—they mesmerize. Behind their unsettling beauty is prosthetics and makeup designer Mike Fontaine, whose in‑camera ingenuity and nature‑inspired approach helped Ryan Coogler’s genre‑breaking epic become one of the most visually striking films of the year and earn a record 16 Oscar nominations.

Actor Awards: Michael B. Jordan Scores Major Win, Ryan Coogler Sets New Record

Michael B. Jordan capped a milestone season at the 2026 Actor Awards, winning best lead actor for his dual turn as Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners—the genre‑bending epic that dominated the night and further solidified its position as a frontrunner heading into the Oscars.

“Sinners” Oscar-Nominated Sound Mixer Chris Welcker on Rigging Michael B. Jordan’s Twin Conversations

How do you record Michael B. Jordan talking to Michael B. Jordan? "Sinners'" Oscar-nominated sound mixer Chris Welcker on capturing twin conversations, capturing Miles Caton's magical juke joint performance, and filming in Louisiana.

BAFTA Film Award Nominations: “One Battle After Another” & “Sinners” Lead the Pack Again

The 2026 BAFTA Film Award nominations are here! Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" leads with 14 noms, followed by Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" with 13.

Critics Choice Awards: “One Battle After Another” Wins Best Picture, “Sinners” & “Frankenstein” Nab 4 Awards

A few battles have already been won for writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Anderson’s thrilling One Battle After Another was named best picture at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night, and Anderson took home the best director trophy. One Battle’s wins come a little less than a month after Anderson’s epic led the pack for Golden Globe nominations, with nine, including for best picture,

Best of 2025: How DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw Captured Black Music’s Timeless Continuum in “Sinners”

It’s that time of year again—when we slow down, look back (overeat), and celebrate our favorite conversations from another surprising, often wonderful, and occasionally wild year in cinema and TV.

In part one of our interview with Sinners cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the groundbreaking DP discussed how she leveled up to frame Coogler’s soulful supernatural epic by learning to use the largest film format available. Coogler’s ambitions for his vampire thriller,

Best of 2025: “Sinners” Writer/Director Ryan Coogler on Channeling Louisiana’s Creative Rhythm Into His Period Monsterpiece

It’s that time of year again—when we slow down, look back (overeat), and celebrate our favorite conversations from another surprising, often wonderful, and occasionally wild year in cinema and TV.

Sinners, written, produced, and directed by Ryan Coogler, is hands down one of the year’s biggest cinematic successes. Coogler’s passion project found the filmmaker at the peak of his powers, and fans already primed to see anything from the still young visionary were ready to go once Sinners bowed.

Golden Globes: Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” Leads With 9 Nominations

Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" leads the pack with nine Golden Globe nominations, followed by Joachim Trier's "Sentimental Value" and Ryan Coogler's "Sinners."

“Sinners” Writer/Director Ryan Coogler on Channeling Louisiana’s Creative Rhythm Into His Period Monsterpiece

Sinners, written, produced, and directed by Ryan Coogler, is hands down one of the year’s biggest cinematic successes. Coogler’s passion project found the filmmaker at the peak of his powers, and fans already primed to see anything from the still young visionary were ready to go once Sinners bowed. Yet it wasn’t just Coogler fans who flocked to the theaters—critical raves and word of mouth turned Coogler’s original period vampire epic into an early-year smash.

Meet Nikkolas Smith: The Artist Who Painted the Soul of Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” and “Sinners”

In creating one of the year’s most talked about movie sequences, Sinners filmmaker Ryan Coogler assembled his de facto repertory company including Michael B. Jordan, production designer Hannah Beachler, costume designer Ruth Carter, DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw, composer Ludwig Göransson, and a lesser known member of his team: concept artist Nikkolas Smith. Smith previously worked on Black Panther and Wakanda Forever.

“Sinners” Production Designer Hannah Beachler on Conjuring Ryan Coogler’s Supernatural Stunner

Warning: Contains spoilers

Ryan Coogler’s latest film, Sinners, made history with a second-weekend box office tally only six percent lower than its opening weekend. Just past its fourth weekend, it crossed the $200 million mark at the domestic box office. Both audiences and critics adore this Southern Gothic vampire thriller, starring Michael B. Jordan as identical twins Smoke and Stack. The pair has just returned to the Mississippi Delta after fighting in World War I and then getting involved with the Chicago mob,

Pinstripes and Blood Spatter: Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter on Making Dark Magic in “Sinners”

Two-time Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter takes us behind the seams of Ryan Coogler's horror masterpiece "Sinners," revealing how she brought the 1930s Mississippi Delta to life while dressing Michael B. Jordan's gangster twins.

Soul Transcendent: How DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw Captured Black Music’s Timeless Continuum in “Sinners”

In part one of our interview with Sinners cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the groundbreaking DP discussed how she leveled up to frame Coogler’s soulful supernatural epic by learning to use the largest film format available. Coogler’s ambitions for his vampire thriller, starring Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, were massive. The brothers return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, after serving in World War I and then taking their talents to Chicago,

Blues, Blood, & Big Formats: How DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw Brought “Sinners” to Epic, IMAX-Sized Life

Yes, there are vampires, but Sinners also excels as a period piece, a history lesson, a romance, a drama, an action movie, and a music-driven drama in ways that have made director Ryan Coogler‘s fifth movie the top-grossing original film of the decade. Based on his own script about gangster twins Smoke and Stack (played by Michael B. Jordan) who return to their Mississippi roots with a bag of ill-gotten cash and a plan to start their own juke joint in the middle of the woods,