An Indie-Dominated Oscars Gives Us Hope for Film’s Future
Best wishes to whichever journalist next attempts to ask “Anora” filmmaker Sean Baker the now dead-tired Marvel question. No, after winning four Oscars (a new record for any filmmaker for a single film) for his latest indie effort, Baker will not be pursuing a new career in blockbuster filmmaking, and thank goodness for that.
Just one week before his massive Oscars sweep, the self-professed “indie film lifer” took to the stage at the Independent Spirit Awards to accept his Best Director win, using his platform to call out the inequity he sees in the industry he loves so well and make his allegiances known.
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“I know that there are other indie film lifers in this room, those who don’t see indie films as calling cards, those who don’t make these films to land a series or a studio film,” Baker said at the Spirits. “Some of us want to make personal films that are intended for theatrical release with subject matter that would never be greenlit by the big studios. We want complete artistic freedom and the freedom to cast who is right for the role, not who we’re forced to cast considering box office value, or how many followers they have on social media.”
Baker was not the only independent filmmaker to win big at the Oscars (and how telling that this year marked the first time Baker, who has been making signature, scrappy films for over two decades, was nominated for any Oscars at all), and the 2025 ceremony will forever stand out for the sheer number of truly indie projects that dominated there.
Brady Corbet’s staggering historical epic “The Brutalist” (which A24 picked up after its 2024 Venice debut) was notoriously made for just $10 million (and almost wasn’t made at all, after Corbet had to re-cast the entire feature after the COVID-19 pandemic derailed original shooting plans). On Oscar Sunday, Corbet’s film walked away with three wins, including star Adrien Brody’s second Best Actor win, plus nods for Lol Crawley’s cinematography and Daniel Blumberg’s score.
“No Other Land,” a film that notably still does not yet have U.S. distribution, picked up a historic win for Best Documentary Feature. Upon accepting his Oscar, co-director Yuval Abraham said, “We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger. We see each other. The atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end, the Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7, which must be freed.”
It was the most poignant, powerful moment at this year’s Oscars, and one only possible because of the endurance of, yes, an indie film project.
Elsewhere, Gints Zilbalodis’ endlessly charming and inventive animated gem “Flow” became the first indie to ever win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, a masterclass in invention and making do with the tools available. The tale of a cat (and other assorted animal friends and foes) who must make their way through a suddenly flooded and human-free world was made by Zilbalodis and a cadre of recent graduates for under 3.5 million euros (Sideshow and Janus Films later picked it up).
The film had such a tight budget, Zilbalodis told IndieWire at the Globes red carpet that it has no deleted scenes — everything he and his team animated is in the film. There was no room or budget for extraneous effort. Using what you’ve got.
The numbers don’t lie. Indie offerings were the best of 2024, as Neon led the pack for all winners with its five wins for “Anora.” Big five studios like Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. had to make do with just two apiece (studio-owned specialty labels, including Focus Features, Sony Pictures Classics, and Searchlight Pictures, each also took home one win each). Also on the board? Boutique outfits Mubi and Sideshow/Janus Films, who also scored one each (for “The Substance” and “Flow,” respectively).
Worried about the state of film? Just look at the originality and ingenuity on display across the night’s biggest winners. Film isn’t dead, never has been, and now suddenly feels flush with talent eager and able to make films with true artistic freedom. Now, it’s on the backers of those films to meet the moment and truly support indie film and its incredible value.
As of Sunday night, those films were hailed with the big-time bonus of an Oscar (or four) to boot. An Oscar may not be the end-all, be-all for these artists, but it sure does help send a message about what’s worth watching these days, the best of the bunch.
Backstage at the Oscars on Sunday night, a dazzled Baker spoke to the joy of simply getting into these hallowed rooms.
“This is such a great batch of films this year … for us to be in that conversation this year with these other wonderful independents, it means everything,” he said. “To get into the same room as a movie such as ‘Wicked,’ a wonderful movie, but a totally different film from ours, it means we’re doing something right.”
Finally, an awards season lesson worth remembering.
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