(Fwrd Axis) — The 2025 Oscars took place on Sunday night, honoring the best in cinema from the past year.
Comedian Conan O’Brien hosted The 97th Academy Awards, which saw “Anora” taking home the award for Best Picture. “Anora” was the big winner of the evening, taking home five Oscars including best director for Sean Baker.
Best actor awards went to Adrien Brody, who won best actor for “The Brutalist,” and Mikey Madison, who won best actress for “Anora.” Winning in the supporting categories were “Emilia Pérez” star Zoe Saldaña and “A Real Pain” star Kieran Culkin.
Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker accepted the award on the film’s behalf.
“We made this movie independently. If you’re trying to make independent films, please keep doing it. We need more. This is proof,” Coco said.
Mikey Madison thanked her family, the ‘Anora’ crew, and more in her best actress acceptance speech.
“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 said.
Baker thanked the academy and spoke about the importance of supporting movie theaters.
Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater,” he said. “Watching a film in the theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream in fright together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together, and in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever,” he said.
It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home. And right now, the theatergoing experience is under threat. Movie theaters, especially independently-owned theaters, are struggling, and it’s up to us to support them,” Baker added.
Meanwhile, Brody said the award signified “a destination,” calling it “a chance to begin again and the opportunity to hopefully be fortunate enough so that the next 20 years of my life, that I can prove that I am worthy of such meaningful and important and relevant roles.”
