Oscars: See all 18 black-and-white films that have contended for Best Cinematography since 1968 [PHOTOS]
Like most Oscar categories that have existed since the foundation of the Academy Awards, Best Cinematography has undergone several changes over the past near-century. The most significant one occurred in 1968, when films permanently stopped being separated into two categories based on whether they were shot in black-and-white or color. In the 56 years since that unification, 94% of Best Cinematography nominations have gone to color films, while just 18 black-and-white contenders have emerged. Scroll through our photo gallery to find out which movies belong to that special subset.
The films that qualify for this list are either entirely or primarily shot in black-and-white, with one example of the latter type being 1994 winner “Schindler’s List.” This excludes nominees that contain some black-and-white scenes but are mainly shot in color, such as 2024 contenders “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Poor Things.”
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Lately, the academy’s cinematographers branch has indicated a renewed interest in the black-and-white style, as proven by the addition of seven movies to this list within the last decade alone. In 2024, they demonstrated their affinity by choosing to nominate “El Conde” instead of a color hopeful like “Barbie,” “Saltburn,” or “The Zone of Interest.” Additionally, two such films have won the award in recent years: “Roma” (2019) and “Mank” (2021).
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Launch Gallery: Best Cinematography Oscar Nominations: Black-and-White Movies Since Categories Merged
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