Anora Dominates Oscar

'Anora' dominates Oscars 2025, wins best picture

Kalika Mehta

03/03/2025March 3, 2025

Director Sean Baker thanked the academy for "recognizing a truly independent film." Other winners included the Israeli-Palestinian documentary "No Other Land."

Anora won five OscarsImage: Carlos Barria/REUTERS

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"Anora," a drama about a sex worker who elopes with the son of a Russian oligarch, took home five Academy Awards, including best picture and best director for Sean Baker.

First-time nominee Mikey Madison, who won best lead actress for her portrayal of a 23-year-old sex worker in New York, honored the sex worker community in her acceptance speech saying that she will "continue to support and be an ally."

"Anora," which showcases Madison's character's struggles following an ill-fated romance, was made for just $6 million (€5.8 million).

Baker, who picked up his first Oscar as best director, added: "I want to thank the Academy for recognizing a truly independent film. This film was made on the blood, sweat and tears of incredible indie artists."

'No Other Land' wins best documentary

A significant win of the evening went to "No Other Land" — made by Palestinian and Israeli co-directors — for the best documentary feature.

The film is about the parallel realities in which the two friends live — journalist Yuval Abraham with an Israeli yellow number plate that lets him travel anywhere, while the Palestinian activist Basel Adra is confined to a territory that gets increasingly smaller.

"We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people," said Basel Adra upon accepting the Oscar, in one of the most political speeches of the evening. 

"We made this film — Palestinians and Israelis — because together, our voices are stronger," added Yuval Abraham. "We see each other, the destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end, the Israeli hostages, brutally taken in the crime of October 7, which must be freed."

In contrast to the Academy Awards ceremony, the filmmakers had not referred to the October 7 attacks by Hamas in the political statements made during their acceptance speech at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024, where it won the best documentary award. Different German and Israeli politicians and media outlets had then accused them of antisemitism. Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, who had called for "equality between Israelis and Palestinians, a ceasefire and an end to apartheid," said he received death threats in his home country following the Berlin controversy. 

Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham self-distributed their film, which grossed more than any other documentary nomineeImage: Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Brazil wins its first Oscar

"I'm Still Here," directed by Walter Salles, won the Oscar in the best international film category. It had also been nominated for best picture and best lead actress for Fernanda Torres.

It tells the story of former congressman Ruben Paiva's disappearance in 1971, and the actions by his widow Eunice (Torres) during Brazil's military dictatorship, which lasted from 1964-1985.

Fernanda Torres was also nominated for best lead actress and won a Golden Globe award for her performanceImage: Alile Onawale

"Today is a day to be even more proud to be Brazilian. Proud of our cinema, of our artists and, above all, proud of our democracy," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on social media platform X after the award was announced.

Adrien Brody wins best actor for 'The Brutalist'

Adrien Brody also clinched the best actor award for his portrayal in the three-and-a-half-hour film, which tells the story of Hungarian immigrant and Holocaust survivor Laszlo Toth (Brody), who is trying to rebuild his life in post-war America through his work as an architect.

Brody reflected on his struggles for roles following his previous Oscar win in "The Pianist" saying: "Acting is a very fragile profession, it looks very glamorous and it is in certain moments but there's one thing I've learned... it is to have some perspective."

Kieran Culkin, Zoe Saldana win best supporting actor and actress

Zoe Saldana, a frontrunner throughout awards season, won best supporting actress for her portrayal of a lawyer named Rita in Netflix's "Emilia Perez."

Zoe Saldana won her first Oscar in a career that has spanned 26 yearsImage: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance

The 46-year gave an emotional acceptance crying out "Mommy," to her mother in the audience. 

"I am floored by this honor," she wept, becoming more emotional as she mentioned her family. "Everything brave, outrageous and good I've ever done in my life is because of you." 

"My grandmother came to this country in 1961 — I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands.

"I'm the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award and I know I won't be the last. Getting an award where I got to sing and speak in Spanish — this is for my grandmother."

"Emilia Perez" had started out as an Oscar favorite with 13 nominations, but only left with two statues following various controversies.

Kieran Culkin won the first Oscar of the night, as best supporting actor for his performance alongside Jesse Eisenberg in "A Real Pain."

Culkin played one of two cousins, opposite the film’s writer and director Eisenberg, who travel across Poland in remembrance of their grandmother, exploring their Jewish family heritage along the way. 

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Iranian film picks up award

Iranian filmmakers Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi also earned their first Academy Award for animated short film for "In the Shadow of the Cypress."

It was the second Iranian animated or live-action short film nominated at the Oscars and the first to win.

Hossein Molayemi (left) and Shirin Sohani (right) received visas to travel from Iran to the US just shortly before the ceremonyImage: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance

The filmmakers arrived in the US only a few hours before the ceremony and had to change into their outfits in the public restroom at BBC's LA office across the road from where they received their award. Their film has no dialogue and is about a former captain who is suffering from PTSD.