LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the 97th Academy Awards held on March 2, 2025, the film Anora, directed by Sean Baker, took home the top honor of Best Picture. This gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce became an unexpected frontrunner in a season characterized by instability within the film industry. Baker’s film, which tells the provocative story of an erotic dancer who elopes with the son of a Russian oligarch, was notable for its explicit content, especially for a Best Picture winner, and was produced on a modest budget of $6 million. The film previously won the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
In an Oscar season that saw voters turn away from traditional blockbusters like Dune: Part Two and Wicked, Anora joined a recent trend of independent films winning the top prize, following in the footsteps of previous winners such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, CODA, and Nomadland. The film not only secured Best Picture but also earned four additional awards, including Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing for Baker, who tied an Oscar record by winning in four different categories.
Throughout the ceremony, Baker voiced his commitment to preserving the theatrical experience, emphasizing the importance of the big screen for filmmakers and audiences alike. “Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater,” Baker declared, rallying support for traditional 90-day exclusive theatrical releases.
This year’s event, hosted by Conan O'Brien, featured a lively atmosphere as awards were distributed across a variety of films. Notably, eight out of the ten films nominated for Best Picture received at least one Oscar. The acting awards went to Mikey Madison for Best Actress, Adrien Brody for Best Actor, Kieran Culkin for Best Supporting Actor, and Zoe Saldaña for Best Supporting Actress. Madison’s win for her role in Anora was particularly significant as she triumphed over category front-runner Demi Moore for The Substance.
Brody’s victory marked a return to the Oscars for him, twenty-two years after his win for The Pianist. He received accolades for his portrayal of another Holocaust survivor in Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist. During his acceptance speech, Brody addressed themes of war, systemic oppression, and the inherent dangers of unchecked hate.
Emilia Pérez, a Netflix contender that received the most nominations, walked away with two awards for best song and best supporting actress (Zoe Saldaña) after suffering a reputational hit from offensive tweets made by its star, Karla Sofía Gascón.
Celebrated performances opened the ceremony, with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performing a tribute to Los Angeles amid still-recovering communities from devastating wildfires earlier in the year. “Wicked,” a box-office sensation, won awards for production and costume design, with costume designer Paul Tazewell making history as the first Black man to receive the costume design accolade.
The night’s biggest upset occurred in the Best Animated Feature category, where Flow, a wordless Latvian film, scored an unexpected win over DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot. This marked the first Oscar awarded to a Latvian film, with director Gints Zilbalodis humorously thanking pets during his acceptance speech.
The awards also covered various categories, with Dune: Part Two winning for visual effects and sound. Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist earned accolades for cinematography and original score. Political themes were kept to a minimum during the ceremony, although the film No Other Land, a documentary about the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, won Best Documentary. Its filmmakers emphasized the need for a political path toward peace in their acceptance remarks.
With a challenging environment facing the film industry — marked by economic fluctuations, streaming disruptions, and production slowdowns due to strikes — this year’s Oscars showcased a diverse array of independent films amidst a backdrop of shifting cinematic trends. The event not only celebrated the resilience and creativity within the industry but also honored the memory of late actor Gene Hackman.
