On today’s episode of the Daily Variety podcast, Variety’s senior journeyman editor Jazz Tankay explains why the stars are aligning and why this awards season is already a groundbreaking moment for women cinematographers.
Tancay explained that this year, for the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added cinematographer to the list of Oscar nominees announced in mid-December, which helped narrow the playing field for eligible films. This year, for the first time, a cinematography section has been added.
Tancay noted that the shortlist includes three female cinematographers, which is the exact number of women nominated for Best Cinematography in the 98-year history of the Oscars.
“So, I was looking at them and I was like, wait a minute. I knew that Autumn Durald Arkapaw was probably going to be nominated for ‘Sinners’. She’s one of the frontrunners. Then I found ‘Son San Bleu’ (on the list) – Amy Vincent, another woman. Then I saw Wicked: For Good, and it was Alice Brooks, who presented her with the Creative Collaborator Award at the Middleburg Film Festival. And for me, I thought there needed to be a story to this. This is huge. And it felt like Kathryn Bigelow’s moment (in 2010, when she became the first woman to win Best Director). I thought, “Oh my god, is the 98th Academy Awards the year that a woman finally wins?”
Arkapaw is considered a top candidate because of his work with director Ryan Coogler at Warner Bros. “Sinners” was so fascinating and a big part of what made this movie unique. “She became the first female cinematographer to shoot in Imax 65mm and Ultra Panavision, so ‘Sinners’ is going to be really great,” Tancay says.
Brooks’ work on Wicked: For Good added a slightly darker tone to the story told in the second half of Universal Pictures’ musical extravaganza. “The key to ‘Wicked: For Good’ is emotion. So how do you reflect that? And she tells a great story about how she used every color of the rainbow in the lighting of the film,” Tankay observes.
Vincent had to handle many moods, tones, and small-stage musical performances for Focus Features’ Song San Bleu. The film revolves around a Milwaukee couple who perform in a Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder. Starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, the film was based on a true story and received near universal praise for their heartfelt performances, with many twists and turns for the characters during the chorus of “Sweet Caroline.”
“Part of what makes this film so incredibly moving is that she’s not just filming live concert performances or setting the stage for musical numbers,” Tancay says. “She’s also filming an incredibly emotional story between Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.”
(Photo: Cinematographers Autumn Durard Arkapaw, Alice Brooks, Amy Vincent)
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