'Sinners,' shot on IMAX film, is a historic first for female DP

Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw didn't realize she was going to make history on "Sinners." The Ryan Coogler film, now playing in theatres nationwide, marks the first time a female director of photography has shot a movie on large format IMAX film. It was Kodak executive Vanessa Bendetti who texted her the news. “I smiled at the thought,” Arkapaw said in a recent interview. “I felt very proud that Ryan gave me the opportunity.”

- Associated Press

The format, a favourite of filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, has gained popularity in recent years—not just with directors but with moviegoers seeking it out as well. Coogler hadn't originally sought it out for “Sinners” (he had planned on using 16 mm) until Warner Bros. executive Jesse Ehrman asked him if he'd considered large format, which gives moviegoers more resolution and a shallower depth of field.