Though filled with the usual blunders and uncomfortable moments, history was made and attention was drawn to people often forgotten in the shadows
Old-fashioned signs laced with flashing lights wink from above as my cousin and I shuffle out of the frigid air into Ottawa’s ByTowne Cinema, smelling of fresh popcorn. We settle into our seats, eager for the independent theatre’s free live stream screening of the biggest night in Hollywood, which is about to begin. A full list of the night’s winners can be found at the end of the article.
Anora (directed by Sean Baker, starring Mikey Madison) dominated the 97th Academy Awards, sweeping up a total of five Oscars for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, as well as the biggest award of the night, Best Picture.
The evening was punctuated with a number of firsts as well.
Flow won Best Animated feature – a first Oscar-win for Latvia — an impressive accomplishment, considering it was a low-budget film made with free open-source software.
Paul Tazwell made history as the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design for his work in Wicked.
Zoe Saldaña became the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award – Best Supporting Actress for her role in the controversial film Emilia Pérez (nominated in 13 categories, but only winning 2 – the other being Best Original Song for “El Mal”).
Saldaña gave an emotionally-charged speech as she fought back tears, expressing her pride for her immigrant background, and the delight her late grandmother would have felt at seeing her winning for a role where she got to sing and speak in Spanish. She also thanked her fellow nominees for their love and community, promising to “pay it forward”, as well as her family.
Late-night show host Conan O’Brien did a nice job keeping the ceremony moving along, cracking relevant jokes that landed well with the audiences both in LA and at the ByTowne Cinema.
One that earned a cheer was after Anora’s first two wins ; the film follows a sex worker who gets entangled in an ill-fated romance with the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch, so O’Brien mused, “I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian”. He didn’t mention U.S. President Donald Trump’s name once throughout the evening, but he didn’t need to; the audience knew what he meant.
Though O’Brien only hinted at politics, other celebrities took advantage of the world stage to speak out.
Palestinian journalist Basel Adra called for serious action to stop the injustice and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people after winning Best Documentary Feature Film for No Other Land. Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham criticized U.S. foreign policy for “helping to block” a path leading to a political solution in the Middle East.
As Kill Bill star Darryl Hannah strode onto the stage to present the Oscar for Best Film Editing (won by Anora), she threw up a peace sign as she declared “Slava Ukraini!”, meaning “Glory to Ukraine”. It’s a phrase used for those who support the country amid its ongoing war with Russia.
As Peter Straughan accepted the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Conclave, ribbons the colors of Ukraine’s flag shone from his lapel.
This year’s Academy Awards was painted against a grim backdrop of wildfires that ravaged the City of Angels. O’Brien took the time to recognize the Los Angeles Fire Department’s tireless efforts, inviting a group of representatives up on stage who were greeted with a standing ovation, before having them deliver a few jokes making jabs at other films and actors, especially Joker 2.
Though the host also praised indispensable behind-the-scenes crew, a few were drowned out by the music before being able to make their acceptance speeches (Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best International Feature Film).
An attempt was made to shut Adrien Brody down when he won Best Actor for The Brutalist, but he plowed on, advising the production to “Please turn the music off. I’ve done this before”. It became the longest speech in Oscars history according to Guinness World Records, clocking in at 5 minutes and 36 seconds – very fitting, considering his film is the 5th longest to be nominated for an Oscar, with a runtime of 3 hours and 35 minutes.
Several tributes and performances were peppered throughout the evening. Some of the highlights were the stirring renditions of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Defying Gravity” by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo that opened the ceremony, a nod to their film Wicked.
A tribute to James Bond opened with a dance number from Margaret Qualley (from The Substance) and the franchise’s theme songs covered by Lisa (from the South Korean girl group Blackpink), Doja Cat, and RAYE.
An In Memoriam segment honoured those from the film industry who have passed, but sparked Internet outrage over the music choice (“Lacrimosa”) and the fact that some names were inevitably left out.
After 3 hours and 45 minutes, the 2025 Oscars came to a close. It was well-paced, filled with good laughs, like Ben Stiller presenting the Oscar for Best Production Design with a “stage malfunction”, and Mick Jagger’s surprise appearance as Bob Dylan’s “younger” replacement to present the award for Best Original Song – the former being 81 years old, and the latter 83.
The fashion onstage and on the red carpet was sleek and glamorous, with Doja Cat literally dripping in over one million Swarovski crystals.
It was a night that I think successfully honoured the art of film-making, which some have believed to be in peril with the growing number of remakes, unnecessary sequels, and AI’s mounting influence.
“Long live independent film!” called Anora director Sean Baker after his film’s triumph for Best Picture, following his battle cry to film-makers to keep making movies for the big screen, and pleas to keep the theatre-going experience alive.
Amid ferociously divisive politics and tragedies of all kinds across the world, the Oscars this year were filled with the usual blunders and uncomfortable moments – like Camille’s uncomfortably long singing as she accepted the Oscar for Best Original Song, and Adrien Brody tossing his chewed gum at his partner before climbing onstage – but also occasions where history was made and attention was drawn to people often forgotten in the shadows.
Though I may be biased as a cinephile, I think that film-making is the most powerful medium for storytelling and sending a message – to the point where films can get censored, banned, or spark entire social movements and cultural shifts.
Films can speak to anyone, regardless of age, culture, and language – for instance, there are no English subtitles for the extensive Russian dialogue in Anora, but that didn’t prevent it from winning Best Picture. In his opening monologue, O’Brien marveled at the fact that over one billion people around the world had tuned in to watch the Oscars.
It is undeniable that the Academy Awards are imperfect. For instance, several Oscar voters admitted to not watching Dune: Part Two and leaving it off of their Best Picture ballots. Others revealed they didn’t vote for Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) for Best Actor because they were under the mistaken assumption he had won it before for his role in Schindler’s List (1993). It leads us to question the Academy’s voting process and judgement.
Nevertheless, the fact that the awards ceremony has continued to draw audiences in from across the globe for close to a century is proof that films are still flourishing. People are still intrigued by their stories and the people who tell them – they embody the American dream. It is an art form that will endure long after we’re all gone. Whether you choose to watch or not is entirely your decision.
Full List of Oscar Winners (Source : BBC)
Best picture: Anora
Best actress: Mikey Madison – Anora
Best actor: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Best supporting actress: Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Best supporting actor: Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Best director: Sean Baker – Anora
Best international feature: I’m Still Here – Brazil
Best animated feature: Flow
Best original screenplay: Anora – Sean Baker
Best adapted screenplay: Conclave – Peter Straughan
Best original song: “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
Best original score: The Brutalist
Best documentary feature: No Other Land
Best costume design: Wicked
Best make-up and hairstyling: The Substance
Best production design: Wicked
Best sound: Dune: Part Two
Best film editing: Anora
Best cinematography: The Brutalist
Best visual effects: Dune: Part Two
Best live action short: I’m Not a Robot
Best animated short: In the Shadow of the Cypress
Best documentary short: The Only Girl in the Orchestra
