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Autumn Durald Arkapaw makes history as first woman to win an Oscar for director of photography

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Sinners'” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made Oscar history, becoming the first female director of photography to win the award in the 98 year history of the Academy Awards.

The win was a long-in-coming triumph for women behind the camera. Arkapaw was just the fourth woman ever nominated in the category; the first was Rachel Morrison in 2018 for “Mudbound.”

“I really want all the women in room to stand up,” said Arkapaw. “Becuase I don’t feel like I get here without you guys.”

Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler each won their first Oscars, moving tributes were paid to Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Rob Reiner and an absent Sean Penn won best supporting actor at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday.

“One Battle After Another” came into the show the best picture favorite, and it picked up three wins in the first half of the ceremony. Anderson, the film’s writer-director, earned a standing ovation for his first win in 14 nominations.

“I’m incredibly honored to be part of this history,” said Anderson, who loosely adapted Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland.” “I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess but hopefully they will be the generation that brings some common sense and decency.”

The film also won the first award for best casting, for Cassandra Kulukundis, and best supporting actor for Penn. Penn, a previous two-time Oscar winner, had skipped other recent award ceremonies, too. Presenter Kieran Culkin said he “couldn’t be here this evening — or didn’t want to.”

Immediately after Anderson’s first Oscar, Coogler notched his first Academy Award, too. The “Sinners” writer-director won best original screenplay, and earned his own standing ovation. (“Sinners” later added the award for best score.)

From the start, when host Conan O’Brien sprinted through the year’s nominees as Amy Madigan’s character in the horror thriller “Weapons” in a pre-taped bit, Sunday’s ceremony was quirky, a little clunky and preoccupied with the shifting place of movies in culture. There was, of all things, a tie for best live-action short film.

As expected, the Netflix sensation “KPop Demon Hunters,” 2025’s most-watched film, won best animated feature. It was a big win for Netflix but a more qualified victory for the movie’s producer, Sony Pictures. Though it developed and produced the film, Sony sold “KPop Demon Hunters” to the streaming giant instead of giving it a theatrical release.

On Netflix, “KPop Demon Hunters” became a cultural phenomenon and the streaming platform’s biggest hit. It has more than 325 million views and counting.

“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” said co-director Maggie Kang.

Another Netflix release, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” picked up three awards for its lavish craft, for costume design, makeup and hairstyling and for production design.

Amy Madigan won best supporting actress for her performance in the horror thriller “Weapons,” a win that came 40 years after the 75-year-old actor was first nominated, in 1986, for “Twice in a Lifetime.” Letting out a giant laugh as she hit the stage, Madigan exclaimed, “This is great!”

Hosting for the second time, O’Brien began the Dolby Theatre show alluding to “chaotic and frightening times.” But he argued that the current geopolitical climate made the Oscars all the more resonate as a globally unifying force.

“We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities today — optimism,” O’Brien said. “We’re going to celebrate. Not because we think all is well, but because we work, and hope, for better.”

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