List of winners
Best Picture: Anora
Best Actor: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Best Actress: Mikey Madison, Anora
Best Director: Sean Baker, Anora
Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Intl Film: I’m Still Here
Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land
Best Original Screenplay: Anora, Sean Baker
Best Adapted Screenplay: Conclave, Peter Straughan
Best Original Score: The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg
Best Original Song: El Mal from Emilia Pérez
Best Animated Film: Flow
Visual Effects: Dune: Part Two
Best Costume Design: Wicked, Paul Tazewell
Best Cinematography: The Brutalist, Lol Crawley
Best Documentary Short Film: The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Best Sound: Dune: Part Two
Best Production Design: Wicked
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Substance
Best Film Editing: Anora, Sean Baker
Best Live Action Short Film: I’m Not a Robot
Best Animated Short Film: In the Shadow of the Cypress
Sean Baker’s Anora, a movie about a sex worker who marries the pampered son of a Russian oligarch, won big at the 97th Academy Awards as it took home five Oscars, including Best Picture.
It was also a race that unfolded during one of the worst natural disasters in Los Angeles history, something that the Oscars reflected with tributes to the firefighters who came to the aid of communities impacted by the wildfires, as well as with a montage highlighting the many films shot in the city, from The Long Goodbye to Licorice Pizza.
Sean Baker, the maverick behind Anora, won for producing, directing, editing and writing the film’s screenplay.
His latest film was a favorite with critics and its Oscar success is a statement-making moment for Neon, the indie distributor behind Anora, which previously guided “Parasite” to a best picture statue in 2020.
However, having earned $40 million globally, Anora also ranks as one of the lowest grossing Best Picture winners in history, reports variety.com.
Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison took the top acting honors. Brody, a previous winner for The Pianist, played a brilliant, but troubled architect in The Brutalist, while Madison scored an upset victory for her portrayal of an exotic dancer under pressure to get an annulment.
Madison said, “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here, standing in this room today is really incredible.” She went on to pledge her support to the sex worker community, calling herself, “an ally.”
Brody’s win, one of three prizes for “The Brutalist,” came after a series of setbacks had seen him shunted aside by the movie business.
“Acting is a very fragile profession ,” Brody, who had to hand his gum to his partner Georgina Chapman before taking the stage, said.
“No matter where you are in your career, no matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away. And I think that what makes this night most special is the awareness of that. And the gratitude that I have to still do the work that I love.”
“A Real Pain” star Kieran Culkin was named best supporting actor for his turn as a troubled man on a tour of Poland with his cousin, while Zoe Saldana for Emilia Pérez won best supporting actress for her performance as an attorney who helps a cartel leader undergo gender affirmation surgery.
With tears streaming down her face, Saldana declared herself “a proud child of immigrant parents.”
“I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last,” she added.
Among other major winners, I’m Still Here, a family drama set during Brazil’s military dictatorship, was named best international feature. It made history as it was the first time the country had ever won the Oscar
Flow, a fantasy adventure from Latvia about a cat’s efforts to survive a flood, picked up best animated feature over the likes of The Wild Robot and Inside Out 2. And No Other Land, a look at the Israeli government’s efforts to force Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank, won best documentary despite struggling to get distribution.
Conan O’Brien, a former late night TV staple turned podcasting impresario, hosted the Oscars for the first time, taking over from Jimmy Kimmel, who had emceed three previous shows. (IANS)
India’s Anuja loses to Dutch film I’m Not A Robot
Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga backed short film Anuja has lost the Dutch-language movie I’m Not a Robot at the 97th Oscar Awards held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Anuja, which tells the story of a gifted nine-year-old girl who, alongside her sister Palak, faces a life-changing opportunity that tests their bond and mirrors the struggles of girls worldwide, was competing at the Oscars 2025 in the Best Live Action Short category.
Other contenders included A Lien, The Last Ranger, and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent. I’m Not A Robot is a science fiction and directed by Victoria Warmerdam. The synopsis states: “After failing an online CAPTCHA test, Max faces an existential crisis when he believes he might actually be a robot.”
Along with Priyanka and Guneet, Anuja, currently streaming on Netflix, Hollywood star-writer Mindy Kaling serves as its producer.
Directed by Adam J Graves Anuja tells the tale of a 9-year-old title character, who works in a back-alley garment factory with her older sister Palak. The narrative follows the young protagonist as she faces a decision that will impact both her future and her family.
Priyanka took to her Instagram stories, where she had shared a snapshot of a news article from variety.com, which had the title Netflix Acquires ‘Anuja,’ Oscar-Shortlisted Short Film Backed by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mindy Kaling and Guneet Monga Kapoor”. (IANS)