Independent cinema dominates the Academy Awards
The film 'Anora', directed by Sean Baker, emerges as the big winner of the 97th Academy Awards, securing 5 statuettes.
It has been several years now since Hollywood academics have looked favourably upon works emerging from the independent film scene. Cases such as Parasite winning Best Picture in 2019, or Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2022, already signalled this trend. At the same time, the rise of production companies such as A24 and FilmNation—both born out of the Sundance Festival, the mecca of American indie cinema—was solidifying the phenomenon. However, in the early hours of 2nd to 3rd March 2025, this trend took a new step forward, as Anora was crowned the most awarded film at the 97th Academy Awards.
The story of Ani, a sex worker who meets and falls in love with the heir to a powerful Russian businessman, has captivated critics and academics alike, securing the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Actress for Mickey Madison. Out of these five awards, three have gone exclusively to the brilliant mind behind this work, Sean Baker, cementing his status as the great auteur of American dramedy today. While he can no longer be considered a young director, up until now, Baker had always stood out in alternative circles without reaching mainstream audiences, despite earning significant recognition among cinephiles with his film The Florida Project.
As a counterpart to Anora's triumph, however, stands the downfall of Emilia Pérez. The film, which started as the favourite with 13 nominations, could not withstand the controversy sparked by statements from both its director and lead actress, Spanish performer Karla Sofía Gascón. In the end, the narco-musical secured only two awards: Music Original Song for El Mal and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña. However, it missed out on the International Feature Film award, which ultimately went to I'm still here, a story about Brazil’s historical memory.
A well-balanced distribution
Regarding the rest of the awards, the 97th Academy Awards saw a fairly even distribution of statuettes. The epic tale of immigration and the fractures in the American Dream, The Brutalist (Bradley Corbett), took home three awards: Best Cinematography, Music Original Score, and Best Actor for Adrien Brody —an honour coming nearly 20 years after his first Oscar win for The Pianist. Similarly, Conclave, which started with 10 nominations, ended up winning only Best Adapted Screenplay, once again leaving Ralph Fiennes without recognition. Along the same lines, the Cronenbergian body-horror nightmare The substance, despite being both a critical and commercial success, only managed to secure the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Horror cinema continues to struggle for the appreciation and recognition it deserves, as evidenced by Nosferatu, Robert Eggers’ latest film, leaving the ceremony empty-handed. Meanwhile, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, which entered with eight nominations, also returned home without a single award.
Wrapping up this review, it is worth highlighting the Best Animated Feature award for Flow, a stunning audiovisual experience following the journey of a cat in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have vanished. Similarly, the big-budget musical Wicked received recognition in the technical categories, winning Best Costume Design and Best Production Design —mirroring the case of Dune: Part Two, which secured awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.
In summary, the Hollywood Academy has further cemented its preference for independent cinema and originality in this edition. While there were notable omissions—such as Alex Garland’s Civil War or the Academy’s continued neglect of the horror genre (where some of the most daring ideas are currently emerging)—the triumph of Sean Baker and Anora reflects a new shift in the industry.
