Oscars 2025: ‘Anora’ Dominates in a Night of Surprises and Indie Triumphs

The 97th Academy Awards celebrated a night full of unexpected victories, indie film dominance, and emotional speeches.

Leading the charge was Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’, a low-budget, independent film that defied expectations by sweeping the top five categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. The film, produced by Neon Films on a $6 million budget, proved that big wins don’t require big spending.

A major shock of the night was Mikey Madison’s Best Actress win over Demi Moore, who had been sweeping industry awards leading up to the Oscars. Meanwhile, Adrian Brody secured Best Actor for ‘The Brutalist’, despite controversy surrounding the AI dubbing of his Polish accent.

Kieran Culkin took home Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘A Real Pain’, marking his first Oscar. Similarly, Zoe Saldana’s performance in ‘Emilia Pérez’ earned her Best Supporting Actress, an emotional win celebrated in a passionate speech about her immigrant journey.

The Oscars were also a triumph for independent and international cinema. ‘Flo’, a Latvian production, beat out Universal’s ‘The Wild Robot’ for Best Animated Feature. In a historic moment, ‘No Other Land’, the first Oscar-winning documentary without studio backing, won Best Documentary Feature.

Host Conan O’Brien’s debut performance was widely praised, adding humor and energy to an already unpredictable night.

With independent films thriving and new voices emerging, the 2025 Oscars proved that big stories can come from small productions—and the film industry is better for it.

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