Why Oscars Winner Sinners Used Code Name “Grilled Cheese” When Filming

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Sinners was a delicious job for the cast and crew.

The film by Ryan Coogler was jokingly referred to as “Grilled Cheese” during production. It later achieved significant success, winning four awards at the 2026 Oscars, including a Best Lead Actor award for Michael B. Jordan, who gave a particularly moving performance.

Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw explained to CBS Mornings that the film ‘Grilled Cheese’ was a project Ryan was eager to tackle. She described it as a simple, fast-to-make film that still offered a satisfying experience.

Despite the film Sinners—which also won awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score—being a very complex and ambitious project for the cinematographer, the nickname given to it—’a Michelin 12-courser’—perfectly reflected the team’s dedication and high standards.

“That was Ryan’s initial idea for how we’d make the film,” the 46-year-old explained. “He wanted something that felt fast-paced and raw.”

Ryan’s positive and team-oriented attitude shone through in Autumn’s acceptance speech. She made history as the first woman to win the Best Cinematography Oscar at the awards show, hosted by Conan O’Brien at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on March 15. (You can find a list of all the winners here.)

She shared that whenever she thanks Ryan, he always responds with, ‘No, thank you. Thank you for believing in me, and thank you for trusting me.’ She explained that working with him is special because he’s genuinely honorable and sincere in his gratitude.

 

Plus, Autumn shared a powerful moment with the women in the audience.

 

She asked all the women in the room to stand, explaining that she wouldn’t be where she was without their support. She shared how much love she’d received from the women involved in the campaign and how grateful she was to have met so many wonderful people. She believes these special moments are possible because of them, and she wanted to express her sincere thanks.

 

You might not have caught all the best parts of the night. Keep reading to see what you missed!

It’s just amazing working with Ryan. Every time I thank him for anything, he always turns it around and thanks me – he says, ‘No, thank you. Thank you for believing in me, and thank you for trusting me.’ It’s so genuine and really speaks to the kind of person he is. He truly means everything he says, and it’s incredibly refreshing to work with someone so honorable.

Plus, Autumn shared a powerful moment with the women in the audience.

She asked all the women in the room to stand, explaining that she wouldn’t be where she was without their support. She shared how much she appreciated the love and encouragement she received from the women involved in the campaign, and how grateful she was for the people she’d met. She felt these special moments were possible because of them, and wanted to express her thanks.

You might not have caught all the best parts of the night. Keep reading to see what you missed!

By the end of the night, both Ryan Coogler (director of Sinners) and Paul Thomas Anderson (director of One Battle After Another) were celebrating their very first Oscars: Coogler for Best Original Screenplay and PTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Kendall Jenner joined Timothée Chalamet at the Oscars, marking her second consecutive year supporting him as a guest during the Best Actor nominations.

Kylie Jenner was thrilled to see Elle Fanning, who starred alongside her boyfriend in the 2025 film A Complete Unknown and is nominated this year for Best Supporting Actress.

I saw a sweet moment after the Best Actor award was announced. Poor Timothée Chalamet was a little disappointed when Michael B. Jordan took home the win, but Dakota Fanning was right there to give him a supportive pat on the back. It’s always gracious to see that kind of sportsmanship!

As other people at the event began enjoying the snacks provided with Conan O’Brien’s approval, Taylor was congratulating the casting director of One Battle After Another for making history by winning the very first Academy Award for Best Casting.

The person who keeps leaving gifts left another note with the snacks this time. It said, “Hope you like this ‘Moderately Happy Meal’ from Conan O’Brien! These treats might not seem like a lot, but they’d cost around $85 at the movies.”

The actor known for his role in Frankenstein, and a first-time Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actor, was busy attending various awards events.

Losing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Sean Penn didn’t dampen the Sentimental Value star’s spirits.

Afterward, while relaxing with a drink in a VIP area, Skarsgård mentioned to a fan, according to the Los Angeles Times, that their film had received four acting nominations despite being an international production – a first-time achievement.

Not to mention, the Joaquim Trier-directed Norwegian film was named Best International Feature.

Oh my gosh, I was dying watching Andy Serkis – Weaver, I mean – trying SO hard not to lose it as he and Glen headed to the stage! They were presenting the award for Best Production Design – which, deservedly, went to Frankenstein – and then Best Visual Effects, and Avatar: Fire & Ash took that one! He was cracking up the whole time, I swear! It was the cutest thing ever.

Infiniti was overjoyed with how her first acting role in One Battle After Another was going.

Mark Sonnenblick attempted to delay the end of the commercial break, but failed, as one of the songwriters he was with was interrupted while accepting the award for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes.

Although Madison won Best Actress last year, the recent reunion between them was still meaningful and enjoyable.

The spacious Marty Supreme row allowed Timothée Chalamet to bring his sister and Kylie Jenner along for a night out.

This photo isn’t a genuine moment, just two actors sharing a quick scene near the makeup station at the Oscars. Everything’s okay – no need to worry!

The 2003 Best Actress winner didn’t mind whiling away a few more of the hours at the 2026 Oscars.

Leonardo DiCaprio was there to share in Jordan’s exciting win, as he gained momentum in the final days of voting and ultimately took home the Best Actor award.

The Marty Supreme actress toasted to the Oscars with a mini bottle of Tequila Don Julio 1942.

This photo was taken on March 10th during a preview event for the Governors Ball at Ovation Hollywood. It’s a look behind the scenes at where the award winners have their statues engraved – a peek at how everything is prepared.

Cue the body language experts to decipher what, exactly, Pascal just saw on his phone.

The filmmakers behind “Two People Exchanging Saliva” celebrated a unique victory, sharing the award for Best Live Action Short with “The Singers,” a film produced by Jack Piatt and directed by Sam A. Davis. Ties for the top prize are extremely rare.

The winners celebrated backstage with their Oscars, and the more people joining the fun, the better!

Piatt expressed to reporters that he would have been happy if all the nominees had tied for the win.

After winning Best Actor, he briefly enjoyed a private moment with his Oscar statue before celebrating with a trip to In-N-Out Burger on his way to the after-parties.

Whoever has the longest reach is typically in charge of taking selfies, and tonight that job fell to the partner of Best Actress nominee Hudson.

Nicole Kidman was simply heading to her seat when she unexpectedly became part of someone else’s photo, creating a funny moment.

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2026-03-17 01:18