By Disha Gupta
The 97th Academy Awards saw a celebration of independent cinema. Neon’s film “Anora” emerged as the big winner, taking home five prestigious Oscars. These accolades included best film, best lead actress, and best director.
Directed by Sean Baker, “Anora” tells the story of an exotic dancer and sex worker who gets a Cinderella-like opportunity by marrying the son of a Russian oligarch. Although critics commended the film, it did not do well at the box office.
Surprisingly, the film’s 25-year-old lead, Mikey Madison, won the best actress award, outperforming sentimental favorite Demi Moore. Moore had secured a Screen Actors Guild award for her role in “The Substance” where she portrays an aging TV personality who stumbles upon a potion that grants her a youthful appearance.
Adrien Brody won the best actor award for his performance in “The Brutalist” where he played a Hungarian-Jewish architect rebuilding his existence in America amidst the backdrop of the Holocaust. A24, an independent American production company known for hits like “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Lady Bird”, and “Moonlight”, also garnered three awards, solidifying its status as another beloved indie studio.
Competing against indie films, big names like Warner Bros’ “Dune: Part Two” and Universal Pictures’ “Wicked”, both of which only received accolades for their technical accomplishments—including production design, costumes, and visual effects—did not secure any major wins.
“Always dive into these projects with the understanding that we are up against films with budgets nearly 100 times greater than ours,” Baker shared with reporters post-Oscars. “When we’re actually able to stand alongside giants such as ‘Wicked,’ it signifies we’re on the right path”. In a surprising upset, Pixar Animation’s much-anticipated “Inside Out 2” and DreamWorks’ “Wild Robot” fell short to the Latvian indie film “Flow”. This wordless animated feature tells the tale of a group of animals, including a cat, that forge a bond after losing their homes to a devastating flood.
Netflix, which led the Oscar nominations, collected three awards, including best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña in “Emilia Pérez.” In accepting multiple Oscars, Baker not only implored fans to support independent theaters by going to the movies but also urged filmmakers to make movies for the big screen.