Jessai Flores

The 2025 Academy Awards delivered one of the most exciting ceremonies in recent history, celebrating the power of independent filmmaking and recognizing some truly deserving winners. With major victories for “Anora,” the night also highlighted a shift toward international recognition, with two non-English language films making a significant impact. While some wins were expected, others defied predictions, making for a thrilling awards season finale.

Best Picture and Screenplay Categories: Anora’s Domination

While I had initially predicted “The Brutalist” as the Best Picture winner, “Anora” took home the top prize in a well-earned victory. “The Brutalist” did manage to win Best Cinematography, which validated some of my perspective on its strengths.

Sean Baker’s “Anora” wasn’t just a Best Picture winner — it was a full-fledged Oscars juggernaut, securing multiple major awards, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The latter was a predictable yet significant victory, as Best Picture winners frequently take home the Original Screenplay award as well. 

Best Adapted Screenplay went to “Conclave,” a film that emerged as a serious challenger for Best Picture. This victory marked a rare moment where a screenplay win went to a non-writer-director, the first instance since “Call Me by Your Name.” However, despite its strong showing in the writing category, “Conclave” ultimately lost the Best Editing award to “Anora.” The editing win for “Anora” was particularly interesting, as it wasn’t necessarily the film’s standout feature, but with no major war or action-driven film in contention, it benefited from the Academy’s preferences this year. This further cemented “Anora”‘s dominance across the night and underscored how much the Academy embraced its storytelling and execution.

Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin’s Well-Deserved Victory

Kieran Culkin, long the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor, took home the award for his role in “A Real Pain.” The film, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, showcased Eisenberg’s ability to craft an Oscar-winning role, and Culkin’s performance was a highlight. His win was well-earned and widely anticipated, a fitting recognition of his exceptional work.

Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana’s Unstoppable Awards Run

Zoe Saldana’s win for Best Supporting Actress was another predictable result, as she had already won the four major precursor awards leading up to the Oscars. Her performance was undeniably strong, even if she wouldn’t have been everyone’s personal pick — it wasn’t mine. Nonetheless, her consistent success throughout the awards season made this a well-earned victory.

Best International Feature: A Brazilian Celebration

“I’m Still Here” took home the Best International Feature award, and as a Brazilian, I couldn’t be more thrilled. This victory added to the festive spirit in Brazil this week, with Carnaval celebrations in full swing. Walter Salles delivered a moving speech, mentioning Eunice Paiva, which left me in tears. Despite “Emilia Perez” winning two awards earlier in the night, it lost its momentum, leading to this major shift in the category.

Best Actor: Adrien Brody’s Career-Defining Performance

I had predicted Timothée Chalamet to win Best Actor, but Adrien Brody emerged victorious. His win was well-deserved, capping off a remarkable year for him.

Best Actress: A Surprise But Not a Shock

The Best Actress race was the most unpredictable of the night. While I was strongly rooting for Fernanda Torres, I ultimately predicted Demi Moore due to her career achievements. However, Mikey Madison took home the award, which, while surprising, wasn’t entirely shocking. “Anora” was already dominating the night, and voters likely followed the momentum down the ballot. While she hadn’t won the Critics’ Choice or Golden Globe, her BAFTA win — a strong Oscars predictor for best actors — suggested she had a real chance. 

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Despite early doubts about “Anora” as a frontrunner, it proved to be a powerhouse, sweeping key categories much like “Oppenheimer” did last year. This Oscars edition was a true celebration of independent filmmaking, proving that the Academy is still willing to support directors outside the traditional blockbuster system. Sean Baker’s win ensures he will continue making compelling films on his own terms, and the growing presence of non-English language films further highlights the Academy’s international reach.

The 2025 Oscars solidified the importance of independent storytelling and auteur-driven projects, proving that films outside the Hollywood studio system can still dominate. With “Anora”’s major wins, “Conclave”’s strong showing, and “I’m Still Here”’s emotional international victory, this was a ceremony to remember. As independent cinema gains further recognition, it will be exciting to see how the industry evolves in the coming years.