Key Points
'Anora' wins five Academy Awards including Best Picture
Mikey Madison surprises with Best Actress win
Sean Baker advocates for movie theater survival
Red Lorry Film Festival to showcase award-winning film
'Anora' will get its big screen outing at the Red Lorry Film Festival.
The film, directed by Sean Baker, also won awards for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison.
Madison's win was a surprise, beating out Demi Moore, who had been the frontrunner in the category for much of awards season.
Baker's acceptance speech was more than just a celebration of his own achievement - it was a call to action to protect the future of movie theaters.
"We're all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies," Baker said.
He added, "Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater... Watching a film in the theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, and, in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever."
But Baker warned that this experience is under threat. "It's a communal experience you don't get at home. And right now, the theater-going experience is under threat," he said, adding, "Movie theaters, especially independently-owned theaters, are struggling," he said.
"During the pandemic, we lost 1,000 screens in the US, and we continue to lose them regularly. If we don't reverse this trend, we'll be losing a vital part of our culture," he said.
Baker's passionate plea was met with applause from the audience, and his message resonated with many in the film industry.
As a self-proclaimed "indie film lifer," Baker knows firsthand the importance of independent movie theaters in supporting new and innovative filmmakers.
'Anora' was a critical and commercial success, and its Oscar win was the culmination of a long and successful awards campaign. The film was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison.
"We welcome patrons to catch the film of the year at Red Lorry Film Festival. With 'Anora,' we're not just screening a film; we're facilitating a shared artistic experience that simply cannot be replicated. As Sean Baker rightly said, the experience in cinemas is unparalleled. The subtle nuances of Mikey Madison's award-winning performance, the masterful editing and Baker's visionary direction deserve to be appreciated in an environment that honours the filmmaker's craft," said Ashish Saksena, COO - Cinemas, BookMyShow and Festival Director, Red Lorry Film Festival in a statement.
The film festival will also feature Emilia Perez, another Academy Award winner who secured Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana and Best Original Song for El Mal, as well as I'm Still Here, which won Best International Feature Film.
From March 21 to 23, 2025, the second edition of the Red Lorry Film Festival, curated by BookMyShow, will unfold at Maison INOX at Jio World Plaza and Maison PVR at Jio World Drive, state-of-the-art cinemas in Mumbai, making its debut in Hyderabad at Prasads Multiplex.
