The 2025 Oscars

By Camila Torres '26

The 97th Academy Awards were held on March 2, 2025. A diverse array of cinematic

achievements were celebrated, with Anora winning the award for Best Film. The film secured four other Oscars that night, including Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. The film is centered around the main character, Anora, who works as an escort in Brooklyn and impulsively decides to get married to the son of a Russian oligarch. The movie explores themes of the consequences of decisions, the power imbalance between the rich and poor, and the mistreatment of women.

Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his portrayal of Lásló Tóth in the film The Brutalist.

This was Brody’s second time winning the Academy Award for Best Actor, as he had previously been awarded in 2002 for his portrayal in The Pianist. The Brutalist also took home the award for Best Cinematography (Daniel Blumberg) and Best Original Score (Daniel Blumberg).

The film Emilia Pérez also left a lasting impression that

night, winning Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña) and Best Original Song (El Mal) along with many nominations in other categories. Emilia Pérez is about a Mexican lawyer who is hired by a cartel boss to help fake his death and undergo surgery to transition into a woman. The film's soundtrack, which included the Oscar-winning song "El Mal," captured the tension and emotion of the narrative perfectly, adding to its impact on the audience.

Dune: Part Two secured the Oscar for Best Visual Effect and Best Sound and Wicked won Best Costume Design (Paul Tazewell) and Best Production Design (Nathan

Crowley, Less Sandales). Dune: Part Two is the continuation of the first movie that follows Paul Atreides as he attempts to save the universe. Wicked is the film version of the original Broadway musical telling the stories of Elphaba and Glinda in the years before the famous Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz arrived. The costume department did an incredible job with their designs, ensuring that Elphaba was green from head to toe and Glinda was always dressed in pink. They ended up winning Best Costume Design!

Finally, Flow won Best Animated Feature, standing out from other notable films that had been nominated, like Inside Out. The film was created in a very unique way from other animated films, as it was made with Blender. Blender is a free, open-source graphics software tool that uses computer-generated animation. The movie follows the life of a cat as he tries to survive by meeting other animals throughout a deadly flood.

Every film that was nominated this year was very impressive and deserving of their nominations. The 97th Academy Awards were filled with noteworthy talent, not only from the actors portrayed in the films, but the directors, editors, musicians, and everyone else who worked behind the scenes. As we look ahead to the future of film, it is clear that the 97th Academy Awards will be remembered as a night where talent and creativity left a mark in the world of cinema.

All Photos Courtesy of impawards.com, A24, Netflix, IMDb, and Universal Pictures

Edited by: Daphne Tsarnas '26, Schona Dhawan '25 and Ms. Brilliant

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