Episode 22: Cristina Dunlap, The Cinematographer From "American Fiction" Talks The Visual Side Of The Film

The film now has five Oscar nominations, which includes Best Picture and Best Actor.

As a cinematographer, Cristina Dunlap’s passion is fueled by the belief that people can be brought together by a shared visual experience, so she finds a way to visually translate someone's inner most thoughts and feelings to an audience through movement, lighting, and color.

Cristina on the set of “American Fiction” with director Cord Jefferson | Photo Provided by: Cristina Dunlap.

Cristina on set with actor Jeffrey Wright | Photo Provided by: Cristina Dunlap.

American Fiction is her most recent film project, about a man dealing with the internal challenges of not being able to relate to people, of feeling society’s pressures telling him how a Black person is supposed to act, and family drama – sibling rivalry, an aging parent, the past and the present butting up against each other all the time. Shot in 26 days, it spoke to Director Cord Jefferson and the crew, as it is both a trenchant satire and a poignant story of a family and a man at a crossroads.  

So far it has won numerous awards from the 2023 People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was named one of the Top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute, and has received nominations including PGA Awards, Critics Choice, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit Awards.

Photo Credit: Tram Kolluri

A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2009, Cristina is a tenth generation Californian and a first-generation filmmaker. She did the cinematography for the 2022 film Cha Cha Real Smooth, and for Am I Ok? And, she’s done the cinematography for Lizzo, Coldplay, Kali Uchis, The Chainsmokers, Katy Perry, and most recently for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. She also has some filming credits under her belt. In 2018 she filmed Brandi Carlile’s music video for Party of One.