In more ways than one, this year’s Oscars proved to be a welcome upstart to the Oscars of recent years, which had begun to feel like an award show for the sake of industry service rather than meritable talent. The Academy awarded multiple American and foreign independent films, and it will be interesting to see if this celebration of independent film has a hand to play in catalyzing a renaissance similar to that of the New Hollywood of the 1970s.
In that milieu, much like today, the power of the studio system’s star factory wavered in the face of roiling public demand for meaningful filmmaking. A cultural highlight of any movie lover’s year, the 2025 Oscars provided us with a lot to remember.
Isabella Rossellini and Laura Dern Celebrate David Lynch
With the recent passing of the masterful David Lynch fresh in everyone’s mind, it proved a cathartic moment when Blue Velvet superstars Isabella Rossellini and Laura Dern shared an embrace at the Oscars photo wall. Rossellini was even dressed in a blue velvet gown by Dolce & Gabbana.
Colman Domingo on Superfine and the History of Black Suiting
In a red-carpet interview, Colman Domingo took a moment to educate viewers on the history of superfine tailoring, a form of luxurious and idiosyncratic dress that is intimately linked to the development of Black identity in the United States.
Anora Takes Home Five Oscars
Sean Baker has always had a penchant for displaying social hierarchy with realism and compassion. Through his various films, he often depicts the invisible lives of those who must suffer so that others, in a way, may be free. Anora is one of these stories, and it won in the following categories as an independent film with a budget of only six million dollars: Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actress in a Lead Role (Mikey Madison as Anora), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Both Baker and Madison thanked the sex worker community in their respective speeches throughout the award season. Further, they emphasized the importance of not only supporting independent film but also supporting it at the movie theatre. After all, little can compare to the feeling of watching a masterpiece on the silver screen.
Latvian Independent Film Flow Wins Best Animated Feature
This year the Academy’s nod to independent film didn’t stop just at live action. Not only is the animation of Flow beautiful, but its subject matter is harrowing. The film follows a troupe of animals who attempt survival in the face of ecological disaster, a theme which at present could not be more poignant.
Basel Adra’s Best Documentary Feature Acceptance Speech for No Other Land
Co-directed by Palestinians Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal and Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, No Other Land offers a poignant portrayal of the human suffering and the consequences of war and geopolitical tensions. In their acceptance speech, the Palestinian-Israeli collective stressed the importance of equality, international support, and protection of human rights of all affected communities.
