Rachel Morrison
Oscar-Nominated Director/Cinematographer Rachel Morrison first emerged as a refreshing voice at the forefront of independent cinema, and has since built an extensive body of work; channeling each story’s core emotion into arresting imagery. Her work is at once haunting and human—bringing characters’ inner-life to screen with honest subjectivity.
For her work on Mudbound in 2018, she became the first woman ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography as well as the first to be nominated by the American Society of Cinematographers for Best Feature Film. That same year she was the first woman to have lensed a Marvel superhero movie, the box office hit Black Panther.
This past year, Morrison completed her directorial feature debut The Fire Inside, a narrative that explores the American Dream vs. the American Reality for boxing phenom Claressa Shields. The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews. The Fire Inside received nominations from both the Independent Spirit Awards and the Gotham Awards and was released theatrically on Christmas Day 2024 by MGM/ Amazon. The film boasts a near perfect score with both critics (93%) and audiences (95%) on Rotten Tomatoes.
In addition to her feature film success, Morrison has directed The Mandelorian and The Morning Show as well as many memorable commercial campaigns, including Super Bowl work for Michelob Ultra starring Steve Buscemi, and athletes Peyton Manning, Serena Williams, Jimmy Butler, Nneka Ogwumike, Canelo Alvarez, Brooks Koepka and Alex Morgan. In 2021, she won the AICP Next Award for Best Web Film for Frida Mom further solidifying her reputation for excellence across multiple media platforms.
Morrison has a background in photojournalism and completed a master’s degree at the American Film Institute. She is a mother of two and an avid (amateur) surfer.
