Oscars: ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Bugonia’ & ‘Marty Supreme’ With Familiar Names On Cinematography Shortlist; Others Like ‘Sinners’ & ‘Train Dreams’ Bring Fresh Faces

Every year, the Academy members vote to create a shortlist of eligible films in certain categories. Crafts take up a good portion of the 12 categories that make up the shortlist, especially with this year’s addition of the cinematography and casting categories.

16 films advanced in the cinematography category, with some familiar names seeing a chance to once again earn a nomination. Directors will often work with the same cinematographer over multiple films, so it’s no surprise that some of these names are reappearing.

Dan Laustsen, nominated in 2017 for Shape of Water and in 2021 for Nightmare Alley, got a spot on the shortlist this year for another Guillermo del Toro film, Frankenstein. Similarly, Robbie Ryan’s collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos has earned him two previous nominations, in 2019 for The Favourite and in 2024 for Poor Things, and he is now on the shortlist for Bugonia.

Another recent nominee, Darius Khondji, who was nominated in 2022 for Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths and in 1996 for Evita, has also earned a spot on the shortlist this year for Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme. Unlike Laustsen and Ryan, Khondji’s previous nominations haven’t been for a film with the same director, so there’s no telling ahead of time whether that collaboration is nomination-worthy.

Only two names are previous Oscar-winners, including James Friend who recently won in 2022 for Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front. This year, Friend is on the shortlist with another Berger film, Ballad of a Small Player. Claudio Miranda, who won in 2012 for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, is also on the shortlist this year Joseph Kosinski’s F1.

Among the cinematographers on the shortlist that have been nominated before, there are some craftspeople waiting for their chance at that first nomination this year. While Jon M. Chu’s Wicked didn’t earn a nomination for cinematographer Alice Brooks last year, she has been shortlisted this year for Wicked: For Good.

Will Autumn Durald’s epic, musically-inspired take on Ryan Coogler’s Sinners earn her a first nomination? Or will that spot be taken by the slow, natural story telling captured by Adolpho Veloso in Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams? The category this year is certainly anyone’s game.

Here is a list of the shortlisted cinematographers and their films:

Ballad of a Small Player – James Friend

Bugonia – Robbie Ryan

Die My Love – Seamus McGarvey

F1 – Claudio Miranda

Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen

Hamnet – Łukasz Żal

Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji

Nouvelle Vague – David Chambille

One Battle after Another – Michael Bauman

Sentimental Value – Kasper Tuxen

Sinners – Autumn Durald

Sirât – Mauro Herce

Song Sung Blue – Amy Vincent

Sound of Falling – Fabian Gamper

Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso

Wicked: For Good – Alice Brooks