'Anora' Dominates Oscar Night, Wins Best Picture
"I want to thank the academy for recognizing a truly independent film," director Sean Baker said.
"I want to thank the academy for recognizing a truly independent film," director Sean Baker said."Anora" took home five Academy Awards on Sunday night, including best picture and best director.
Also Read | Latest News | Moderate Air Quality in City.
Comedian Conan O'Brien hosted the ceremony for the first time as it returned to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
A number of firefighters were welcomed onto the stage during the ceremony as they were applauded and thanked for their work during the fires that spread across LA in January.
Brody calls for world to learn from past lessons
Adrien Brody also clinched the best actor award for his portrayal in the three-and-a-half hour film, which tells the story of Hungarian immigrant and Holocaust survivor László Tóth (Brody), who is trying to rebuild his life in post-war America through his work as an architect.
In his acceptance speech Brody reflected on his struggles for roles following his previous Oscar win in The Pianist, saying: "Acting is a very fragile profession, it looks very glamorous and it is in certain moments but there's one thing I've learned... it is to have some perspective."
Speaking of The Brutalist, he added that he's there "to represent the trauma... of war. I pray for a happier and more inclusive world. If the past teaches us anything, it's to let hate not go unchecked."
Kieran Culkin, Zoe Saldaña take home awards
Zoe Saldaña, a frontrunner throughout awards season, won best supporting actress for her portrayal of a lawyer called Rita in Netflix's "Emilia Perez."
The 46-year gave an emotional acceptance crying out "Mommy," to her mother in the audience.
"I am floored by this honor," she wept, becoming more emotional as she mentioned her family. "Everything brave, outrageous and good I've ever done in my life is because of you."
"My grandmother came to this country in 1961 - I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands.
"I'm the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award and I know I won't be the last. Getting an award where I got to sing and speak in Spanish - this is for my grandmother."
Kieran Culkin won the first Oscar for the night for best supporting actor for his performance alongside Jesse Eisenberg in "A Real Pain."
Culkin played one of two cousins, opposite the film’s writer and director Eisenberg, who travel across Poland in remembrance of their grandmother, exploring their Jewish family heritage along the way.
Iranian filmmakers Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi also earned their first Academy Award for animated short film for "In the Shadow of the Cypress."
It was the second Iranian animated or live-action short film nominated at the Oscars and the first to win.
The filmmakers arrived in the US only a few hours before the ceremony and had to change into their outfits in the public restroom at BBC's LA office across the road from where they received their award. Their film has no dialogue and is about a former captain who is suffering from PTSD.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 03, 2025 09:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).