‘Sinners’ cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw opens up about filming Buddy Guy’s cameo, and her favorite shot |
‘Sinners’ has taken the film world by storm, not just for its story, but for the people behind the camera. Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the film’s cinematographer, has been getting a ton of well-deserved attention. She’s not only pushed the craft forward — she’s made history. In a recent podcast, Arkapaw got personal about her wild ride filming a surprise cameo with blues legend Buddy Guy, shared which shot from ‘Sinners’ she loves the most, and talked about teaming up again with filmmaker Ryan Coogler for the new X-Files reboot.
Making history with ‘Sinners’
‘Sinners’ is more than just another big movie for Arkapaw. She’s now the first woman of color ever nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars, and ‘Sinners’ itself leads the 2026 pack with a record-breaking 16 nominations, which is also the highest for this year.“You dream about those things. It’s a dream come true,” she said on the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. The recognition keeps piling up — nominations from the British Society of Cinematographers, BAFTA, and the American Society of Cinematographers. “I feel like we’ve been celebrating the movie for a while now since it came out in April,” she said, laughing. “I’m not sure if I’ve really processed it.”For the unversed, ‘Sinners’ is Arkapaw’s second time working with Ryan Coogler, after ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, and one can tell they’ve hit their stride as a team. She revealed the first time she ever saw Coogler in person. “I saw him once at a cafe, and I told him this after the fact. We were both eating — he was with Zinzi, his wife and producer, and I was with my agent. We’d never met. I didn’t even know if he knew who I was. But I clocked him,” she shared.In fact, Arkapaw almost worked with Coogler sooner. Bradford Young, another cinematographer, tried to recommend her for ‘Creed’, but the studio passed. “They didn’t think I had enough credits, so I couldn’t go for it,” she said. Instead, she went on to shoot ‘The Sun Is Also a Star’, ‘Mainstream’, and Marvel’s ‘Loki’. When Rachel Morrison moved into directing, she texted Arkapaw and said, basically, “You’d be great for him. You’ll take care of him, and you’ll work well together.” After a Zoom call that “felt like talking to family,” they finally met up in Atlanta.And ‘Sinners’ really marked a turning point for Arkapaw. She became the first female cinematographer to shoot with IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision, which is easier said than done. “The weather never plays ball,” Arkapaw said, especially during a hot New Orleans summer. Some things you just can’t control.
First day on set: The Buddy Guy cameo
The first day on set stands out for Arkapaw — and not just because it was the beginning. They kicked things off with a special scene for the end credits, featuring none other than Buddy Guy. Shooting with those two huge formats on day one felt daunting, but the mood was all excitement and joy. “It was a very special day because we were shooting these two formats that had never been shot before, and then also just having Buddy Guy on set, your first day of shooting — the pressure was on, but it went beautifully,” Arkapaw said. “No one ever imagined that was our first day.”
The favorite shot in the film: Which one is it?
When asked about her favorite shot in ‘Sinners’, Arkapaw didn’t even have to take long to point that one out: it’s the church scene, right in the middle of the film’s emotional core. She even remembered exactly how it came together. Arkapaw revealed that during a location scout, she and production designer Hannah Beachler were in the car, with Ryan Coogler sitting up front. Hannah pulled out her sketchbook, flipped it open, and said, “This is what I’m thinking of for the church.” That’s where it all started—ideas bouncing around, everyone picturing what the moment could become.For Arkapaw, the set, Ruth E. Carter’s costumes, and the whole atmosphere just swept her away. She said she honestly felt like she’d stepped straight into a church service from the 1930s. That feeling—like she’d traveled back in time—stuck with her long after the cameras shut off. The shot doesn’t just look beautiful; it carries all the weight of the story. It’s about community, history, and finding strength even when things get dark.
Technical triumphs and creative challenges
Making ‘Sinners’ was anything but easy. Arkapaw had to juggle shooting on huge film formats like IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision 70, which meant every scene—whether massive landscapes or tight close-ups—needed that perfect balance of scale and intimacy. Weather, tricky lighting, hauling around heavy gear—her team dealt with it all, leaning on experience and a bit of creativity. In the end, those risks paid off. The film’s look is unforgettable, and you can see it in the way people talk about it and the awards it’s racked up.She also got into filming the big fight at the end. Working with the department heads and assistant director Marvin Williams, she managed to dodge getting sprayed with blood. “My camera team always looks out for me,” she said. “We’ve always got a tarp or black duvetyne wrapped around.”
What’s next: Reuniting with Ryan Coogler
Arkapaw confirmed that they haven’t seen the last of her and Ryan Coogler. In fact, there’s more to come for the duo. Arkapaw shared that she and Coogler are teaming up again for ‘The X-Files reboot’, a project that blends sci-fi mystery with bold, visual storytelling. It’s the next step in a partnership that’s already changed what genre films can look like.
