Rachel Morrison
Rachel Morrison, ASC (born April 27, 1978) is an American cinematographer and director of film and television. For her work on Rees' Mudbound (2017), Morrison became the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Morrison made her feature film directorial debut with the biographical sports drama The Fire Inside(2024), a biopic of boxer Claressa Shields.
Also recorded as Rachael J. Morrison
Rachel Morrison

Frank Sun · Frank Sun / WikiPortraits · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Rachel Morrison
- Born
- 27 April 1978
- Birthplace
- Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Education
- * New York University
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- cinematographer · director · film producer
- Fields
- film production
- Known for
- Mudbound
- Honours
- Kodak Vision Award
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Rachel Morrison, ASC (born April 27, 1978) is an American cinematographer and director of film and television. For her work on Rees' Mudbound (2017), Morrison became the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Morrison made her feature film directorial debut with the biographical sports drama The Fire Inside(2024), a biopic of boxer Claressa Shields.
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wikidata · Q19668712 · wikipedia · Rachel Morrison
In this article
Biography
Biography
Rachel Morrison studied at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, AFI Conservatory and Concord Academy. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is film production. Works named in the authority record are Mudbound. Distinctions recorded are Kodak Vision Award.

Filmmaker Travis Fine and cinematographer Rachel Morrison on the set of Any Day Now.
Michael Rababy
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Rachel Morrison • Born — 27 April 1978 • Birthplace — Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. • Education — * New York University • AFI Conservatory • Children — 2 • Years Active — 2002–present • Website — https: www.rachelmorrison.com/
Early life
Early life
Morrison grew up in a Jewish family in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from Concord Academy in 1996. She took up photography at a young age, and attended New York University, where she completed a double major in film and photography because she was unable to choose between the two; by the end of her degree, she had decided to concentrate on cinematography. She then attended the AFI Conservatory's graduate cinematography program and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in 2006. In 2018, Morrison was awarded with the 28th Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal awarded to alumni of the AFI Conservatory.
Career
Career
Morrison began her career in television, working on series and telefilms for a number of networks. Her cinematography on the 2005 television documentary Rikers High, about high school education within the Rikers Island prison complex, was nominated for an Emmy Award. Morrison worked on The Hills' for two years, then shot Zal Batmanglij's Sound of My Voice, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Over the next two years, she photographed Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie and Fruitvale Station, which premiered at Sundance in 2012 and 2013 respectively, as well as Any Day Now (2012), Some Girl(s) (2013) and The Harvest (2013). At the 2013 Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards, Morrison was awarded the Kodak Vision Award for her work in cinematography and her collaboration with other women filmmakers. The same year, Variety named her as one of the "Up Next" in their Below The Line Impact Report, while Indiewire named her as one of their "Cinematographers To Watch". In 2014, she photographed Cake, directed by Daniel Barnz, which she followed up with the 2015 film Dope. Dope premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, making it Morrison's seventh film to screen at the annual festival in six consecutive years. 2014 marked Morrison's first foray into directing, as she was offered the chance to direct an episode of the television series American Crime, which aired in 2015. In 2017 she became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Morrison was the cinematographer for Dee Rees's 2017 film Mudbound. For her work on the film, Morrison became the first woman to win the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cinematographer, the first woman to be nominated for the feature category of the American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards, and the first woman ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Morrison served as cinematographer for Marvel's Black Panther (2018). On June 19, 2019, it was announced Morrison would make her directorial debut on Flint Strong, which was later retitled The Fire Inside and released in 2024. In March 2023, Morrison directed an episode of the Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian season 3. In 2025, she began directing the film Love of Your Life, starring Margaret Qualley, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aaron Pierre and Gabriel Basso. In addition to filmmaking, Morrison is also a faculty member of the Maine Media College.
Personal life
Personal life
Morrison married Rachel Garza in December 2011. They have a son, who was born in 2014, and a daughter born in 2018.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Notes • 2015 — Quantico — Episode: "Kill" • 2015–16 — American Crime — 2 episodes • 2020 — Homemade — Episode: "The Lucky Ones" Also writer • 2020–21 — Hightown — 4 episodes • 2021 — The Morning Show — Episode: "A Private Person" • American Crime Story — 2 episodes • 2023 — The Mandalorian — Episode: "Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore" • The Savant — 2 episodes
Television series
Television series
• Year — Title — Notes • 2003–09 — Room Raiders • 2007 — Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County • 2008–09 — The Hills — 24 episodes • 2011 — Funny or Die Presents... — 1 episode • 2011 — Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind — Segment "Will.i.am" • 2012–13 — Oprah's Master Class — Documentary; 5 episodes • 2014 — The System with Joe Berlinger — Documentary; Episode: "False Confessions" • 2020 — Homemade — Episode: "The Lucky Ones" • 2022 — They Call Me Magic — Documentary; 4 episodes
Television movies, miniseries, and specials
Television movies, miniseries, and specials
• Year — Title — Director — Notes • 2005 — Rikers High — Victor Buhler — Documentary • 2010 — Summit on the Summit — Michael Bonfiglio • 2011 — Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside — Davi Russo • 2012 — Oprah's Master Class: Special Edition — Joe Berlinger Michael Bonfiglio Bruce Sinofsky • 2015 — Oprah's Master Class: Civil Rights Special — Joe Berlinger Michael Bonfiglio Bruce Sinofsky Annetta Marion • Oprah's Master Class: Belief Special — Joe Berlinger Michael Bonfiglio Bruce Sinofsky Annetta Marion • 2016 — Confirmation — Rick Famuyiwa • What Happened, Miss Simone? — Liz Garbus — Documentary • 2021 — VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World — Ryan Polito • 2023 — LEGO: Play is your superpower — Ellen Kuras
Feature film
Feature film
• Year — Title — Notes • 2024 — The Fire Inside • 2026 — Love of Your Life — Post-production
Feature film
Feature film
• Year — Title — Director — Notes • 2003 — Just an American Boy — Amos Poe — Documentary • 2007 — Palo Alto — Brad Leong • 2011 — Sound of My Voice — Zal Batmanglij • Dorfman in Love — Brad Leong • 2012 — Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie — Tim Heidecker Eric Wareheim • Any Day Now — Travis Fine • 2013 — Fruitvale Station — Ryan Coogler • Some Girl(s) — Daisy von Scherler Mayer • The Harvest — John McNaughton • 2014 — Little Accidents — Sara Colangelo • Druid Peak — Marni Zelnick • Cake — Daniel Barnz • 2015 — Life on the Line — Isaac Feder — Documentary • Dope — Rick Famuyiwa • 2017 — Mudbound — Dee Rees • 2018 — Black Panther — Ryan Coogler • 2019 — Seberg — Benedict Andrews • 2021 — Absolutely Accidental — Jake Schick
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Rachel Morrison”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q19668712: Rachel Morrison
General reference · Wikidata
Awards and nominations
• Institution — Year — Category — Work — Result — Ref. Reference(s) • Academy Awards — 2017 — Best Cinematography — Mudbound • American Society of Cinematographers — 2017 — Outstanding Cinematography • Critics' Choice Movie Awards — 2017 — Best Cinematography • News and Documentary Emmy Awards — 2012 — Outstanding Achievement in a Craft: Cinematography — Rikers High • New York Film Critics Circle — 2017 — Best Cinematographer — Mudbound • Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society — 2017 — Best Cinematography • Primetime Emmy Awards — 2016 — Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program — What Happened, Miss Simone? • Satellite Awards — 2018 — Best Cinematography — Black Panther • Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association — 2017 — Best Cinematography — Mudbound • Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards — 2013 — Kodak Vision Award
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Rachel Morrison. The New York Times. 2015.
- 2.Vlessing, Etan. 'The Fire Inside' Director Rachel Morrison on Upending Sports Movie Conventions. The Hollywood Reporter. 2024-09-07.
- 3.Bloom, Nate. 'Black Panther' cinematographer is the first woman nominated for an Oscar in her field. The Jewish News of Northern California. March 22, 2018.
- 4."Behind the Camera on 'Fruitvale Station'"
- 5."Rachel Morrison ’96: An Authentic Career"
- 6.Kodak. ONFILM Interview: Rachel Morrison. September 13, 2013.
- 7.American Film Institute. AFI Member Marquee. February 2013.
- 8.Rachel Morrison To Receive The American Film Institute's 28th Annual Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal. American Film Institute. 2018-04-26.
- 9.Kodak. Rachel Morrison to Receive WIF Kodak Vision Award. April 29, 2013.
- 10.Lyttelton, Oliver. On The Rise: 5 Cinematographers To Watch In 2013. Indiewire. January 31, 2013.
- 11.PHOTOS: Below the Line Impact Report – Cinematographers. Variety. August 14, 2013.
- 12.Workman, Matt. The Cinematography of Cake with DP Rachel Morrison. Cinematography Database. January 22, 2015.
- 13.Bernstein, Paula. Rachel Morrison on Her Two Sundance 2015 Films and Being Pegged as a 'Female DP'. Indiewire. January 23, 2015.
- 14.Instagram 17 March 2017.
- 15.New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Willem Dafoe Wins Supporting Actor, ‘Mudbound’ DP Makes History – Variety
- 16.Hollywood Reporter. 2018 American Society of Cinematographers Awards Nominations. January 9, 2018.
- 17.Tapley, Kristopher. Oscars: 'Mudbound' Cinematographer Is First Female Nominated – Variety. Variety.com. 2017-09-12.
- 18.Valentini, Valentina I. 'Mudbound' Cinematographer Captures Look of '40s South With Digital Cameras. Variety. 2017-11-16.
- 19.Kroll, Justin. 'Black Panther' DP Rachel Morrison to Make Directorial Debut on Barry Jenkins Script 'Flint Strong'. Variety. June 19, 2018.
- 20.Couch, Aaron. 'The Mandalorian' Reveals Season 3 Trailer, New Directors. The Hollywood Reporter. January 16, 2023.
- 21.Kit, Borys. Gabriel Basso Joins Margaret Qualley in Romantic Drama ‘Love of Your Life’ (Exclusive). Hollywood Reporter. 19 August 2025.
- 22.Rachel Morrison, ASC. Maine Media Workshops + College.
- 23.Giardina, Carolyn. Rachel Morrison Becomes First Woman Nominated for a Cinematography Oscar. The Hollywood Reporter. January 23, 2018.
- 24.Bendix, Trish. Lesbian cinematographer Rachel Morrison brings us "A Non-Issue?". AfterEllen. December 9, 2008.
- 25.Rachel Morrison, ASC. on Instagram: "Welcome Cleo Miró Morrison. Born 8/28/18 at 101PM. 6 lbs 18.5 inches. Needless to say, we are already madly in love.". Instagram.
- 26.Joey Nolfi. Oscars: Rachel Morrison first woman nominated for cinematography. EW.com.
- 27.Pedersen, Erik. Critics' Choice Awards Nominations: 'The Shape Of Water' Leads With 14 Nods; Netflix Tops TV Contenders. Deadline Hollywood. December 6, 2017.
- 28.Rachel Morrison Emmy Awards and Nominations. Television Academy.
- 29.https://web.archive.org/web/20181130052029/http://www.pressacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018_Press_Academy_NOMINATIONS.pdf
- 30.2017 WAFCA Award Winners - The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA). www.wafca.com.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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