At the 35th annual Gotham Awards, a star-studded kickoff to the film industry's awards season, Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" was crowned best feature film, while the dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi took home three awards on Monday. The Gotham Film & Media Institute's event, not to be confused with an Oscar bellwether, is known for its celebration of smaller films while also doling out generous helpings of tribute awards to Oscar hopefuls.
"One Battle After Another," a studio release that cost at least $130 million to make, stood out as the first winner of its kind at the Gothams. Past winners included indie gems like "Past Lives," "Everything Everywhere All at Once," and the surprise 2024 winner, "A Different Man." As Adam Sandler joked while presenting a tribute to Noah Baumbach, "I remember when the Gotham Awards were for low-budget movies. For 'The Squid and the Whale,' they paid Jeff Daniels in potato skins."
But in 2023, the Gotham Awards dispensed with their $35 million budget cap for films, and this year, "One Battle After Another," a father-daughter tale of multigenerational protest, is widely seen as the best-picture front-runner and the movie to beat at March's Academy Awards. "I didn't expect this, actually," said Anderson, accepting the award. "I started to think I didn't know what was going on."
While the Gothams help the industry get into the swing of awards season, they're quirkier than bigger-name ceremonies. Small juries select nominees and winners, which often leads to unexpected results. Both of the acting winners on Monday weren't even in attendance. Best lead performance went to Sopé Dìrísù for the British-Nigerian drama "My Father's Shadow," accepted by the film's director, Akinola Davies Jr., who also won for breakthrough director. Other nominees in the category included Jessie Buckley ("Hamnet"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Die My Love"), and Ethan Hawke ("Blue Moon"). Best supporting performance went to Wunmi Mosaku of "Sinners," a victory that came over nominees such as Teyana Taylor ("One Battle After Another"), Stellan Skarsgård ("Sentimental Value"), and Jacob Elordi ("Frankenstein"). "Sinners" director Ryan Coogler accepted her award.
Panahi won three awards for his revenge drama "It Was Just an Accident": best director, best original screenplay, and best international film. Earlier Monday, Panahi's attorney, Mostafa Nili, announced that the director had been sentenced to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban. Panahi was jailed for months shortly before making "It Was Just an Accident" and only released after going on a hunger strike. In 2010, he was barred from filmmaking or traveling out of Iran. Yet he continued to make films without the government's permission. Since 2023, and until Monday's ruling, Panahi had been permitted to leave Iran. In May, his film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
"I would like to dedicate the honor of this award to independent filmmakers in Iran and around the world," said Panahi accepting the screenplay award. "Filmmakers who keep the camera rolling in silence without support and, at times, risking everything they have, only with their faith in truth and humanity."
Other winners on Monday included Harry Lighton ("Pillion") for adapted screenplay; Abou Sangaré ("Souleymane's Story") for breakthrough performer; and Julia Loktev's "My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 - Last Air in Moscow" for best documentary. Among the tribute honorees were Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," Scott Cooper's "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere"; "Hedda" star Tessa Thompson; "Jay Kelly" director Noah Baumbach; the cast of "Sinners"; Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts of "After the Hunt"; and "Song Sung Blue" stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
