Oscar Herstory

Welcome back to Good Gay News Monday (GGNM because I’ve never met an overly long acronym I didn’t love to bits). Last week, out cinematographer Rachel Morrison became the first women to be nominated for best cinematography by the Academy Awards. That’s right, since 1929 when they started no women have ever been nominated for the award before now. In the meantime 651 men were nominated during those 89 years. Cool, cool.

Rachel was nominated for her work on “Mudbound,” the critically acclaimed feature from out filmmaker Dee Rees (who was deservedly nominated for best adapted screenplay). Rachel, it should be noted, also became the first lesbian nominated for a best cinematography Oscar.

She got the news while in the Burbank airport with her wife and their son, on their way to Sundance. AE (the good, old AE) interviewed her way back in 2008. Look what a difference 10 years makes. After her historic nomination, Rachel tweeted this.

Today’s Oscar nom couldn’t have seemed further away not long ago so I hope it tells all the dreamers out there (especially the young girls with cameras in their hands) that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Thank you to Dee Rees and to the Academy for making my dream a reality. #oscarnoms

— Rachel Morrison (@morrisondp) January 23, 2018

And, as if to further prove how much anything is possible, Rachel’s next project is as cinematographer for the much-anticipated, looks-cool-as-hell “Black Panther.” Don’t dream it, be it. Happy Monday, all.