NEW YORK — Paul Thomas Anderson “One battle after another” was recognized as the best feature film and Iranian dissident director Jafar Panahi won three awards Monday at the 35th annual Gotham Awards, the star-studded kickoff to the film industry's awards season.
Gothams presented by Gotham Film & The media institute is not considered an Oscar leader. But the black-tie bash, held at Cipriani Wall Street in midtown Manhattan, is known for celebrating small films while also handing out generous helpings of awards to Oscar hopefuls.
As a result, One Battle After Another became a studio release that cost at least $130 million to make, unlike any previous Gotham winner. Past winners include indie projects such as Past Lives, Everyone Everywhere All at Once and surprise 2024 winner The Other Man.
“I remember when the Gotham Awards were for low-budget films,” joked Adam Sandler, paying tribute to Noah Baumbach. “Jeff Daniels was paid in potato skins for The Squid and the Whale.”
But in 2023, the Gotham Awards waived the $35 million budget cap for films. And this year, “One Battle After Another,” a father-daughter tale of multi-generational protest, is widely considered the best picture favorite and the film to win at March's Academy Awards.
“I actually didn’t expect this,” Anderson said as he accepted the award. “I started to think I didn’t understand what was going on.”
“Thank you so much everyone,” Anderson added. “Let’s go home or go to a bar or something.”
While “Gothams” is helping the industry get into awards season, it's quirkier than ceremonies with bigger names. A small jury selects the nominees and winners, often leading to unexpected results. Both reigning winners weren't even present on Monday.
Best Performance by a Leading Role went to Zopa Diris for a British-Nigerian drama. “My Father's Shadow” His award was accepted by the film's director, Akinola Davis Jr., who also won the award for breakthrough director. Other nominees in this category included Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Die My Love”) and Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”).
Best Supporting Performance went to Wunmi Mosaku from “Sinners” defeating nominees Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”), Stellan Skarsgård (“Sentimental Value”) and Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”). “The Sinners” director Ryan Coogler accepted her award.
Panahi won three awards for the revenge drama It Was Just an Accident: best director, best original screenplay and best international film. Earlier on Monday, Panahi's lawyer Mustafa Nili said the director was sentenced to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban.
Panahi was jailed for several months shortly before filming It Was Just an Accident and was only released after the hunger strike. In 2010, he was banned from acting in films and traveling outside Iran. However, he continued to make films without government permission. From 2023 until Monday's ruling, Panahi was allowed to leave Iran. In May his film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
“I would like to dedicate this award to independent filmmakers in Iran and around the world,” Panahi said while accepting the screenplay award. “Filmmakers who are silent, unsupported, and sometimes risk everything they have, just because of their belief in truth and humanity.”
Other winners Monday included Harry Lighton (“Pillion”) for adapted screenplay; Abu Sangareh (“The Story of Suleiman”) for outstanding performer; and “My unwanted friends: Part 1 – Last broadcast in Moscow” by Yulia Lokteva for best documentary.
Award winners included Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, Scott Cooper's Springsteen: Deliver Me Out of Nowhere; “Hedda” star Tessa Thompson; “Jay Kelly” director Noah Baumbach; cast of “Sinners”; Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts from After the Hunt; and “Song Sung Blue” with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
“This is a time for all of us to remember what unites us and what unites us,” Jackman said. “And it's awards season, folks.”
