At the 97th Academy Awards, the annual ceremony where films received their deserved spotlight, two independent films won the night’s main categories. “Flow“ and “I’m Still Here” took home Oscars for their respective categories, showing that low-budget independent films had begun to pave the way for a new era in cinema.
“Flow”, an animated film directed by Gints Zilbalodis, won the award for Best Animated Feature. The film also earned the first Oscar for Latvia. Zilbalodis animated the film using a free platform called Blender, with only a few payments, and the Latvian production beat out animated features from major studios like Disney and Pixar.
“I’m Still Here”, a Brazilian film directed by Walter Salles, won the award for Best International Feature. The drama marked Brazil’s first Oscar win—and the first for South America. The film was also nominated for Best Picture. Although it did not win that category, it received the honor of a nomination and still took home an Oscar, despite having the lowest budget among all Best Picture nominees.
These historic wins introduced new perspectives on the future of independent cinema. Sponsors and distributors began to realize that a high budget is not necessary to tell a compelling story.
Jessica Starkey, sophomore film and English double major, explained why she believed independent cinema and filmmakers would be viewed differently after the Oscars.
“I definitely think independent cinema will be seen differently after the Oscars. Independent filmmakers don’t have the same platforms as those working with big studios,” Starkey said. “Sean Baker’s acceptance speeches were aired in front of the entire world and were a great opportunity to campaign for independent cinema.”
The spotlight shift from studio films to independent movies has occurred more frequently in recent years. The differences in how the stories are told and made in independent films are significant compared to studio productions.
Scotty Biddle, sophomore film major, explained the differences between studio and independent films.
“The difference between studio and independent movies is how they are produced. Independent films usually don’t receive the same budget as the major Hollywood studios,” Biddle said. “Independent movies take more liberty with their creative freedom.”
Despite their disadvantages, independent films offer benefits that often make them more flexible and unique than studio films. Michael Eaton, professor of film studies/production, shared some advantages of independent filmmaking.
“Independent movies sometimes have the advantage of not having too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak. It’s well known that studio films like ‘Wicked’, for example, will often spend years and years in development with a lot of input from the ‘suits,’ as they are sometimes called,” Eaton said. “On top of the eventual choice of a director—which can take a while—there are also often many writers involved.”
However, many independent films still do not receive the praise and recognition they deserve. Neglect of independent filmmakers has long existed within the industry. Professor Eaton offered his perspective on why some independent stories don’t gain attention and what filmmakers often do to reach the spotlight.
“The deals that are done to get movies made blur the lines on any notion that the film industry ‘neglects’ some independent films. Also, I think that once a movie gets made, it starts generating considerable buzz among film industry professionals and knowledgeable audiences as a good movie,” Eaton said. “The ‘Oscar buzz’ starts being generated organically. That is when distributors and producers often get very engaged in making sure the film has a chance to get Oscar nominations, and the studios are forced to pay attention and ramp up their marketing efforts for the films they consider Oscar contenders.”
Independent filmmaking still has a long way to go in earning the recognition every story deserves. But many will remember the historic victories at the 2025 Oscars. Most importantly, the moment marked a turning point in cinematic history—solidifying that independent cinema deserves its space to tell remarkable stories.
