Movies

Why Small Indie Films Are Taking Over the Oscars—and Winning Hearts

BBG News

Based on different opinions, there’s a debate about whether society still values the Oscars: some argue that movies are no longer relevant due to the rise of streaming services, while others believe we pay too much attention to them given global issues like wars. However, after the 2025 ceremony where Sean Baker’s independent film ‘Anora’ won five Academy Awards, it appears that many of us care more than we might realize, possibly because the films themselves have become smaller in scale rather than larger.

In recent times, it wasn’t hard to predict an Oscar-winning film as it either belonged to the category of prestigious productions or tackled significant social issues that resonated with us, the audience, whether genuinely or superficially. Films like “The King’s Speech”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Birdman”, and “Green Book” fall into these categories. The unexpected win of a film such as “The Artist” for Best Picture could be easily understood later on: Hollywood often appreciates self-flattery, and a movie that humorously referred to its glamorous silent era past was bound to find favor among Academy voters.

Gradually, there has been a shift in the movie industry landscape. Movies produced independently and carrying lower risks, such as Barry Jenkins’s “Moonlight,” started gaining more recognition than their costlier, big-studio counterparts. This change was partly due to the Oscars So White campaign of 2015, which led to alterations within the Academy itself. Many Best Picture award winners in the last five years, including “Parasite,” “Nomadland,” “CODA,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” have emerged from unconventional sources outside of major American studios. Last year’s Best Picture winner, “Oppenheimer,” also followed this trend; its director, Christopher Nolan, managed to secure a theatrical release for the film by keeping production costs low and negotiating favorable terms with Universal, despite his usual studio, Warner Bros., offering less than desirable conditions. Essentially, Nolan was thinking like an independent filmmaker in order to maintain creative control over his work.

The recent Oscars competition, with a focus on Baker’s movie, further emphasizes a consistent pattern that has been developing over time. It’s no longer accurate to label it as the surge of independent films, as this trend has been gradually emerging for quite some time now. During the pandemic and its aftermath, we witnessed this shift, and at present, it’s unusual for a movie produced and distributed by one of the major studios (Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Studios, or Sony) to take home an Oscar.

As a cinephile, I can’t help but ponder over the journey that led us here – it’s all about ambition, really. It’s no secret that Tinseltown has always had its eyes on the dollar bill. Yet, there was this peculiar fondness for bankrolling grandiose “award-worthy” films. These productions, they claimed, mirrored their ethical principles and reverence for skill and heritage. Awards were like the cherry on top of a masterfully crafted sundae, the icing on the cake for the artistic triumphs these studios either genuinely created or thought they were creating.

In today’s film industry, where major studios primarily focus on financial success through platforms like PVOD or hybrid models with minimal theatrical releases, it’s independent films, such as those produced by mini-majors like A24, that often become the frontrunners for “Oscar-worthy” movies. On Oscar night, when Baker thanked the academy for his small film competing against big-budget movies, he wasn’t far from the truth. In fact, a movie like his now has a greater chance of winning Best Picture than a blockbuster like “Wicked.” Despite being less commercially successful, “Wicked” was indeed a larger spectacle at the box office. However, by simply sticking to making the film he desired—on a shoestring budget, which is his typical method—Baker inadvertently created something that felt innovative and engaging: a charming romantic comedy with a fractured fairytale twist about a delightful young woman from Brighton Beach seeking happiness in her own unique way, rather than an excessive musical that, simply put, is overly long and trying too hard in every aspect.

It’s possible to appreciate both “Wicked” and “Anora,” but it appears that one of these movies follows a formula that isn’t as effective as it once was. If the executives at these emerging studio-streamer combinations prioritize profits over accolades, which seems to be the trend, they are undoubtedly achieving their goal. However, if they were more focused on Oscar victories, smaller, independent filmmakers would likely be their main rivals. For instance, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” a film primarily shot in Hungary and made for just $10 million, received awards for Best Original Score and Best Cinematography, with Adrien Brody even winning the Best Actor prize. Filmmakers like Corbet have demonstrated resourcefulness, which seems to be the key factor behind most of this year’s Oscar contenders. “A Real Pain,” a modest drama starring Jesse Eisenberg, was made the traditional independent way, on a budget, and won accolades, including a Best Supporting Actor award for Kieran Culkin. It was later picked up by Searchlight after premiering at Sundance. Similarly, Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis created his animated environmental parable “Flow,” the first independent animated feature to win in the Oscars’ Animation category, entirely using open-source software. There couldn’t be a more non-Pixar approach than that.

It’s possible that certain movies offered more compelling performances outside the traditional cinema setting than within it. For instance, the daring but contentious musical by Jacques Audiard titled “Emilia Pérez,” distributed by Netflix, faced a significant blow to its Oscar prospects when it was disclosed that one of its stars, Karla Sofía Gascón, had a past record of making offensive remarks on social media. However, her co-star Zoe Saldaña managed to win the Best Supporting Actress award. Similarly, Coralie Fargeat’s somewhat vague body-horror film “The Substance” only received one award, for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Yet, it set an impressive precedent in the recent awards history with its pre-game run: Although Demi Moore didn’t win the Best Actress award she was nominated for, the heartfelt sincerity of her acceptance speeches for the awards she did win at the Golden Globes and SAG made her a contender that one couldn’t help but support.

The kind of genuine goodwill that large film studios can’t purchase and no longer seem interested in, might be exactly what we need to preserve the essence of movies as we’ve traditionally known them. During his Best Director acceptance speech, Baker emphasized the difficulties faced by independent movie theaters. He stated, “If we don’t address this issue, we stand to lose a significant piece of our cultural heritage.” Essentially, this is his call to action. Filmmakers, continue producing films for the big screen. I, too, will do my part.

The triumph of Baker’s film Anora carries a special taste, given that he is the creator who crafted the remarkable feature Tangerine on an iPhone. He truly exemplifies what can be achieved with determination and creativity. On the other hand, it’s the streaming giants who are gradually diluting the essence of Hollywood, while budding, inventive filmmakers strive to preserve its legacy, often at their own cost. Perhaps, as time goes by, the Oscars serve as a guide for those who cherish cinema – those who desire to immerse themselves in films on the big screen, even though they might need to travel long distances (perhaps over 100 miles) to do so. Even under such circumstances, watching a film at home may still hold significance if one has heard and read about it beforehand, fostering a sense of excitement before the actual viewing.

The importance we place on artistry might stem from the fact that if it matters to us, we should make an effort to find and appreciate it, even if that means waiting for a movie to screen at our local theater. It’s clear that independent or smaller films aren’t gaining traction in mainstream awards; instead, they are the industry itself, representing a modern interpretation of what we once knew as Hollywood. This shift is beneficial, the key driver of cinematic evolution. Disregard the streaming giants when it comes to filmmaking; let passionate individuals like Corbet, Eisenberg, Fargeat, and Zilbalodis take the reins. As for Baker, his dedication is exemplified by his tardiness at his own Oscar party – he had gone home first to walk his dog. Now that’s devotion.

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2025-03-04 01:06

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