Every March, Women’s History Month highlights the contributions women have made across industries, including film. Following the 98th Academy Awards, the film industry marked several new milestones. The ceremony on Sunday, March 15, highlighted talent working both in front of and behind the camera.
For an industry that historically struggled with gender equality, these achievements marked an important moment. These “firsts” reminded audiences that the landscape of cinema continued to expand and showed future generations that their voices and creative visions belonged in the industry.
The biggest story of the night was the breakthrough behind the film camera. Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Academy Award for best cinematography. According to Variety, Arkapaw also became the first woman of Filipino and Black Creole descent to win the award, making her the first woman of color to receive the honor in the historically male-dominated category.
During her acceptance speech, Arkapaw asked every woman in the audience to stand with her.
“Moments like this don’t happen without women standing up for you and advocating for you. I know that this happened because of that,” Arkapaw said.
She told the audience that many young girls who look like her would sleep better that night knowing they could become cinematographers. She also recognized the women who came before her and specifically mentioned past nominee Rachel Morrison.
Women also received recognition in several production categories. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Cassandra Kulukundis won the first Oscar for the newly created best casting category. Kulukundis dedicated the award to casting directors who never had the opportunity to see their names on an Oscar ballot.
Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau also won best production design for Guillermo del Toro’s newest film. Deverell received her first Academy Award for her design work on the project.
Another major highlight involved recognition for women in leading roles who broke barriers for their home countries. Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for best actress for her role in “Hamnet,” becoming the first Irish woman to win the award in the category.
Maggie Kang, creator and co-director of “KPop Demon Hunters,” won best animated feature. According to Variety, the film became the first South Korean production to win the category and Kang became the first South Korean woman to receive the honor.
Kim Eun-jae, known for her musical persona Ejae, also made history by winning best original song alongside her co-writers, making her the first Korean women to win in this category. The win marked the first time a K-pop song received an Academy Award.
The 98th Academy Awards featured several historic achievements for women and reflected continued changes within the film industry. The ceremony demonstrated that women increasingly held roles across every part of filmmaking, including directing, acting, cinematography and production design.
These milestones during Women’s History Month highlighted the growing opportunities available to women pursing careers in film. As the industry continues to evolve, these achievements signaled a future that many hope will remain more inclusive and representative of the next generation of filmmakers.
