Anora surpassed itself and all predictions made by critics and bookmakers. The film won in five out of six nominated categories at the Oscars, emerging as the biggest triumph of the ceremony. Initially, it was expected to secure victories in three categories — Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture — but Sean Baker’s creation went on to claim two more statuettes: Best Actress (Mikey Madison) and Best Editing.
Even before the ceremony began, the film's actors, Yuriy Borisov and Mark Edelstein, had already shown their determination to win the coveted awards. Edelstein posted a humorous video on his Instagram, featuring himself and Borisov "stealing" a giant Oscar statue and taking it somewhere along the red carpet.
Although Edelstein was not nominated in any category and Borisov lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Kieran Culkin — who had already swept all possible accolades for his role in The Real Pain— there is no doubt that Anora was the defining moment of the 97th Academy Awards. It symbolizes the rise of independent cinema to new heights.
