Oscars reward indie filmmaking

An aging actress’ terrifying search for her former glory. A young woman’s Cinderella story turned tragedy. A European architect’s search for the fabled american dream. A Brazilian mother’s journey for justice under a dictatorship. These are just a few of this year’s Best Picture nominees. With such a stunning line up, no one could have anticipated the direction the night would take. Glittering outfits, shimmering stars, and blazing portrayals filled this year’s Academy Awards. 

The show was hosted by comedy legend Conan O’Brien, and was given the star treatment by its amazing lineup of presenters and performers. O’Brien landed every joke, even the touchy ones, and gave the whole show a fun and airy vibe that lowered the tension and gave things a much more celebratory feel.

Actress Margaret Qualley, who starred in Best Picture nominee “The Substance,” performed in a special tribute to Agent 007 alongside musical icons Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who both starred in BP nominee “Wicked” and were nominated for respective acting awards, took the stage to perform a tribute to “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz,” and their film “Wicked.” Queen Latifah also took the mic in a rendition of iconic “The Wiz” song “Ease On Down The Road.”

Of all the night’s categories, both Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress were by far the most predictable. Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana finished off their respective Awards seasons sweep with the big Oscar. Culkin won for his performance in Jesse Eisenberg’s film “A Real Pain,” a slow and awkward dramedy that hit for some, and fell for others. However, no one can deny that Culkin’s charismatic and witty speech made the win feel fair and fun. Saldana won for her role in “Emilia Perez,” making her the Oscar’s most controversial nominee this year.

“Emilia Perez” is a film by french director Jacques Audiard, starring Saldana, Selena Gomez, and Best Actress nominee Karla Sofia Gascon. Gascon made history as the first Trans nominee for an Oscar, but her campaign died before it could really even start due to the resurfacing of controversial tweets from a few years ago. 

Gascon did not attend most of the Award shows this season, as this controversy mixed with the overwhelming backlash the film was facing led to a rocky campaign for the whole cast. The film is about a Cartel leader who transitions from male to female, leaving her wife, whom Gomez played, and kids behind and enlisting the help of a lawyer which Saldana played, to make her wish come true. The film is a musical… and a crime thriller… and a love story… and a lengthy list of other genres that don’t mix quite well together. 

The film is set in Mexico, but was shot by a French director and stars a single Mexican person in the entire cast. Many were offended by its interpretation of Mexicans, Mexico as a country, and transwomen. The film racked up 13 nominations but only took home two, possibly due to the backlash the academy was facing. However, Saldana made history as the first woman of Dominican origin to win an Oscar, and that isn’t something that should be ignored.

“I’m Still Here” took home Best International Film, and many would agree that it may have deserved even more. It is the chilling yet beautiful story of Eunice Paiva, a woman whose husband was taken away by the dictatorship ruling her country. Her journey for the truth is one of the most heartbreaking things that audiences saw this year. Fernanda Torres brilliantly brings Eunice to life in one of the best performances of the year, a role that earned her a nomination for Best Actress. 

Many viewers were sure that Best Actress was going to iconic actress Demi Moore for her work in body horror masterpiece “The Substance,” but to the audience’s surprise the name that former winner Emma Stone read was Mikey Madison’s, star of “Anora.” “Anora” is a film about a young sex worker whose Cinderella story turns into a tragedy after she is taken advantage of by a rich Russian man who she marries. Madison’s performance is tender and beautiful, while also being harsh and nuanced. It truly is one of the best performances of the year, and this year was chock full of all time greats. While some are upset about the win, it is hard to deny the beauty of the film and the talent of the winner.

“Anora” went on to rack up the most awards of any film this year. It secured Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director (for director Sean Baker), and Best Film Editing. 

Adrien Brody took home the Best Actor Oscar for his work in “The Brutalist,” a three and a half hour long epic about a European architect fleeing the second world war in search of the American dream. Brody also made history with the longest speech in Oscars history, shushing the play off music to keep going far longer than anyone else that night. 

The Oscars this year were a delightful celebration of what makes film beautiful and important. Many of the speeches spoke about the importance of the industry and how we all can work together to keep it alive. Indie films were heavily rewarded this year, opening up new pathways for smaller non studio and microbudget films to get the recognition they deserve. Three horror films were also nominated for Academy awards, which is almost unheard of in the history of the Oscars. Every year, we enter new territory for the awards and no one can anticipate what will come next.