The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) nominated its first African-American cinematographer, Bradford Young, for his brilliant imagery in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi hit Arrival. Starring Amy Adams, the Paramount movie is nominated for 8 Oscars, including Best Picture.
Young had already won awards at Sundance Film Fest for his lensing of Dee Rees’ Pariah and shooting Andrew Dosunmu’s Mother of George, and David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints the same year.
Young was Ava DuVernay’s cinematographer on her first two features, Middle of Nowhere, which bowed at Sundance, and the highly acclaimed, Oscar-nominated Selma.
This is a step in the right direction for diversity and inclusion, especially in the Cinematography Branch, which is heavily male-dominated and white.