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Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Anora continues to pick up speed heading into the Oscars, scoring Critics Choice Awards and DGA wins and snagging a Best Feature win at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Anora also captured Best Director (Sean Baker) and Best Lead Performance (Mikey Madison) wins. A Real Pain and Didi each earned two awards during the February 22, 2025 Spirit Awards ceremony hosted by Aidy Bryant.

On the television side, Baby Reindeer dominated with three wins. The critically acclaimed limited series took home the Best Lead Performance (Richard Gadd), Best Supporting Performance (Nava Mau), and Best Breakthrough Performance (Jessica Gunning) wins. Other television winners included Shogun and How to Die Alone.

2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominees and Winners

Best Feature

Winner: Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary,...

The 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards have wrapped! And now we know, as the full winners list for the Spirit Awards has been revealed, just how much momentum “Anora” has going into the Oscars: a lot. It already got the most Spirits nominations with six, and it ended up winning Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison.

Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Performance for “A Real Pain,” which also won Best Screenplay. “No Other Land” won Best Documentary, and the extraordinary animated film “Flow” won Best International feature.

“Baby Reindeer” collected the most prizes on the TV side with Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series going to Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning won Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series, and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series went to Nava Rau. “Shogun” won Best New Scripted Series.

Host Aidy Bryant...

Kieran Culkin took home the win for best supporting performance at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday.

Presented by Kathryn Hahn, Culkin won the honor for his work in Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain, marking his first Spirit Award ever. Culkin — who is starring in Glengarry Glen Ross, which opens March 10 on Broadway — was not present at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday, but Hahn accepted the award on his behalf.

His win at the 2025 Spirit Awards came a little over a month after he won the award for best supporting actor at the 2025 Golden Globes. Culkin, too, became a first-time Oscar nominee this year with a nod in the same category for his portrayal of Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain.

The Succession star was nominated for best supporting performance at the Spirit Awards alongside Yura Borisov (Anora), Joan Chen (Dìdi), Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson...

The best in independent film and new television shows were honored at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards and we have the full winners list here.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow led the film nominations with five nods each while Shogun led the television nominations with five nods as well.

In the end, Anora and Baby Reindeer led their respective categories with three wins each!

Make sure to check out the recap of every celeb who attended the event and take a look at our Best Dressed list as well.

Keep reading to find out more…

Scroll down for the full list of winners…

Best Feature

Anora – Winner

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys

Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing

Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton...

The 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards — the top awards event for the independent film and television community — were handed out on Saturday from the beach in Santa Monica, Calif.

The ceremony, hosted by Saturday Night Live vet Aidy Bryant for the second year in the row, was streamed live on the IMDb and Film Independent YouTube channels at 5 pm Et, and across other social platforms.

More from TVLineSAG Awards 2025: The Penguin, Shōgun and Only Murders in the Building Among TV WinnersNAACP Image Awards: Quinta Brunson, Jennifer Hudson and Fight Night Win BigWriters Guild Awards 2025: Shōgun, The Penguin and Hacks...

The 40th annual Independent Spirit Awards took place in Santa Monica on Feb. 22, with Aidy Bryant as host for the second year in a row.

“Anora” was the biggest winner of the day, being named best feature while Sean Baker and Mikey Madison took home individual trophies for best director and lead performance. “Baby Reindeer” also won big, with Richard Gadd, Nava Mau and Jessica Gunning clinching the awards for lead, supporting and breakthrough performance, though “Shogun” won best new scripted series. And Sean Wang’s “Dìdi” clinched both awards in the debut film category: best first feature as well as best first first screenplay.

See the full list of winners below.

Best Feature

“Anora” (Winner)

“I Saw the TV Glow”

“Nickel Boys”

“Sing Sing”

“The Substance”

Best First Feature

“Dìdi” (Winner)

“In the Summers”

“Janet Planet”

“The Piano Lesson”

“Problemista”

John Cassavetes Award – Given to the best feature made...

All We Imagine As Light, directed by Payal Kapadia drama, is a moving exploration of life in contemporary India. With a compelling and contemplative story, this outstanding film features brilliant performances by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam.

In this fabulous interview, Divya Prabha, the luminous screen stealer, talks with Subhash K Jha on life before and after All We Imagine As Light.

A lot of movie watchers in North India know you only after Payal Kapadia’s film?

I have been a part of the film industry since 2013, just over 10 years now. Looking back on my journey, I feel truly fulfilled and satisfied. These years have been filled with struggles, learning, and unlearning, all of which I now see as valuable experiences. They have shaped me, both as a person and as an artist. If I had found success and growth right at the beginning, I don’t...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR0P04CtzNU

On the occasion of her film, “All We Imagine as Light” winning the Netpac First Aruna Vasudev Award – Best Asia Pacific Film 2024 in @ficavesoul , Divya Prabha talks to Panos Kotzathanasis about the international success of the film, what drew her in the particular role, her cooperation with Payal Kapadia and Kani Kusruti, Malayalam cinema and her future projects...

Exclusive: Shuchi Talati, the filmmaker behind the award-winning coming-of-age drama Girls Will Be Girls, has signed with Curate for management.

Marking Talati’s debut feature, Girls Will Be Girls revolves around Mira (Panigrahi), a 16-year-old coming of age in the Himalayan foothills whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother’s (Kani Kusruti) unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences.

The film world premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award in World Cinema Dramatic and the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting, with the latter prize going to Panigrahi. Talati was the writer, director and producer of the project — a 2024 Gotham nominee, which is up for the John Cassavetes Award and Best Supporting Performance for Kusruti at the 40th Independent Spirit Awards.

Previously, Talati served as Story Producer for the Emmy-nominated Being Mary Tyler Moore, as well as Netflix’s vérité series We Are: The Brooklyn Saints...

Coming-of-age narratives have long been a staple of cinema. The triumphs and turbulences young people go through on their way from adolescence to adulthood often make for uniquely relatable and interesting watches. The adolescent years are often times of great change and confusion, and films that portray that well can be incredibly cathartic to watch. Coming-of-age films centering on girls often deal with, besides the usual topics of growth, change, ambition, relationships, etc, confrontations with gendered expectations and societal standards. Of course, these experiences vary a lot based on culture, socio-economic status, and circumstance, and so I’ve included a wide range of picks across different languages for this list. Most of these movies that explore girlhood are also directed by women, which brings in a sense of authenticity in depiction.

1. Girls Will Be Girls (2024)

“Girls Will be Girls” is Shuchi Talat’s feature directorial debut, which premiered at Sundance...

Following its huge success in cinemas around the world, critical acclaim, and recognition for multiple awards, including a BAFTA nomination for Film Not In The English Language, Mumbai-based writer/director Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner, All We Imagine as Light, will be available to stream exclusively on BFI Player in the UK from 17 February 2025. A BFI Blu-ray/DVD release follows on 3 March.

A Hindi-Malayalam language masterpiece, All We Imagine As Light tells the poignant stories of three underrepresented women in Mumbai, capturing their battles with adversity, solitude, and human connection. Set in the heart of a city where dreams often collide with reality, the film explores resilience and empathy through Kapadia’s poetic and visually striking len

In Mumbai, thoughtful Nurse Prabha’s routine is upset when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger, flightier and rebellious roommate, Anu, tries in vain...

Has Kantara 2 landed in some significant legal trouble? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Kantara: A Legend, a cinematic phenomenon from 2022, achieved widespread success and critical acclaim. Written, directed, and headlined by Rishab Shetty, the film propelled him to Pan-Indian stardom. Given its impact, it is no surprise that a sequel is developing.

The follow-up, Kantara: A Legend—Chapter 1, is currently in production. However, filming has encountered challenges, as residents have raised objections and filed complaints against the film’s makers.

Large portions of Kantara: A Legend—Chapter 1 are being filmed in Gavigudda, Heruru village in Karnataka. However, the production has sparked controversy, with allegations of environmental disruption and violations of shooting permissions.

Trending All We Imagine As Light Actress Kani Kusruti Once Played Sj Suryah’s Mother? Here’s What We Know

When SS Rajamouli’s Wife Rama Rajamouli Played Small Roles In This TV Show

A former member of the Zilla...

Is Netflix releasing 10 minutes of exclusive Pushpa 2 footage? (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Pushpa 2 starring Allu Arjun and directed by Sukumar was a massive hit when it was released on December 5 of the last year. The movie earned more than ₹1850 crores and set new records at the box office.

The film which was released with huge expectations quickly became a fan favorite. The movie’s success continued to grow and it was recently re-released with 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage as Pushpa 2 Reloaded on January 17. This version created a lot of excitement among fans.

Fans were excited about the reloaded version. The makers have announced something new again now. They are adding another 10-minute scene. This scene will be released on Ott and will be available on Netflix.

Trending All We Imagine As Light Actress Kani Kusruti Once Played Sj Suryah’s Mother? Here’s What We Know

When SS Rajamouli...

Tollywood movies set to clash on February 14? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Tollywood is currently busy with Sankranti celebrations. Two movies Daaku Maharaaj and Sankranthi ki Vastunnam have received positive talk from audiences while Game Changer received mixed response. These films are running successfully at the box office. Theatres will continue screening these movies for another week or ten days.

After that, an interesting competition is expected on Valentine’s Day February 14. Movies like Thandel and Pattudala are planned for release on February 7. However, there are strong rumors that one of these movies might get postponed.

Ajith’s film Vidaamuyarchi is set to release on February 6. It will release a day before Naga Chaitanya’s movie Thandel movie that is going to release on February 7th. On February 14 several movies will clash at the box office. These films are not big-budget projects. Instead they focus on strong content to attract audiences.

Trending...

Why didn’t Nithya Menen quit acting? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Actor Nithya Menen, who is well known for her unforgettable performances in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films, is one of the most celebrated actresses.

The actress, while promoting her upcoming Tamil film Kadhalikka Neramillai, starring Jayam Ravi and herself in the lead role, revealed she considered quitting films before she received a National Award.

In an interview with the Behindwoods channel, Nithya shared that she wanted to silently quit her career as an actress in cinema before she won her National Award for her role in Thiruchitrambalam, also starring Dhanush and Prakash Raj.

Trending All We Imagine As Light Actress Kani Kusruti Once Played Sj Suryah’s Mother? Here’s What We Know

When SS Rajamouli’s Wife Rama Rajamouli Played Small Roles In This TV Show

She said she did not like her profession as she wanted to lead...

Did Rajinikanth just get nostalgic? (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Rajnikanth looked back, recalling his formative years in Karnataka. In a video message shared on social media, which quickly went viral, the actor reminisced about his school days and the moment he received his first-ever acting award, a pivotal milestone in his illustrious career.

#Thalaivar #Superstar #Rajinikanth shares a heartwarming video message in #Kannada for his alma mater, Acharya Pathashala (Aps) Public School and College, #Bangalore, on their 90th anniversary. He fondly recalls moving from a Kannada-medium school to English-medium, struggling… pic.twitter.com/ueTbwH9WRU

— Subbu ᶜᵒᵒᶫᶤᵉ (@subbusurya) January 18, 2025

Speaking in Kannada, Rajinikanth fondly recounted his time at Aps Public School and College in Bangalore, the place where he first discovered his passion for acting. The video was released as part of the institution’s 90th-anniversary celebrations, and in it, the star expressed his deep connection to the school and the...

Is Ram Charan & Dil Raju Teaming Up Again After Game Changer? (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Ram Charan and producer Dil Raju have an interesting history together. Almost 11 years ago, they collaborated on the 2014 film Yevadu. Although the movie’s release faced several hurdles, it eventually became a commercial success. However, it did not break records as fans had hoped. Recently, the duo again returned with their collaboration for Game Changer.

Unlike Yevadu, this movie had a smooth production process. Although the film took three years to make, expectations were high as it marked Charan’s 50th film. But despite its anticipated release, Game Changer didn’t perform as expected at the box office. The financial impact of this movie is still being evaluated. But Dil Raju is likely to face some losses.

Rumors are now rife that Ram Charan may team up with producer Dil Raju again for a new project.

What Backdrop Will Prabhas’ Fauji Movie Be Set In? (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Prabhas is working with director Hanu Raghavapudi for the first time. This collaboration comes after the success of the film Sita Ramam. This project is now being made into a movie with a fresh and interesting concept. According to sources, the film is tentatively titled Fauji. It is a love story with Prabhas playing the role of a soldier, just like in Sita Ramam.

However, the time period, setting, and story are quite different from those in his previous film. The team is planning a new shooting schedule in the Madurai region. They are especially looking to film some scenes in Karaikudi. In particular, they want to capture key moments in Devipuram Agraharam, known for its traditional Brahmin culture.

Trending All We Imagine As Light Actress Kani Kusruti Once Played Sj Suryah’s Mother? Here’s What We...

In Which TV Show Did SS Rajamouli’s Wife Rama Rajamouli’s TV Act In? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Rama Rajamouli is an Indian costume designer and film stylist. She debuted with the 2001 film Student No: 1, directed by her husband, the most celebrated Telugu director SS Rajamouli. Rama is known for her work in the films Magadheera (2009), Eega (2012), Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), and Rrr (2022).

She has also worked as an additional dialogue writer and has a connection with the TV industry. Rama entered the industry in 2001 as an actor by doing various small roles in the TV sitcom Amrutham, created and produced by her cousin Gangaraju Gunnam. She played a newsreader in Amrutham and appeared as a news presenter in one of the initial episodes of the show.

SS Rajamouli’s wife also appeared in another episode as a homemaker and shared screen space with the late artist Gundu Hanumantha Rao.

Is Gautham Vasudev Menon Upset With Suriya Over Dhruva Natchathiram? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

For quite some time, there have been updates and news regarding the delay in the release of Dhruva Natchathiram, starring Vikram. The Tamil spy action thriller, directed and produced by Gautham Vasudev Menon, was initially conceived and announced in 2013, with Suriya originally set to play the lead role. In a recent interview with Behindwoods, Gautham Vasudev Menon shared his thoughts on Suriya dropping out of the film.

Director Gautham Vasudev Menon expressed his disappointment with actor Suriya for not fully believing in him. While acknowledging that actors cannot always make decisions impulsively, Gautham stated, “I feel like Suriya shouldn’t even have questioned whether to do Dhruva Natchathiram or not. He should’ve just agreed to do it.” He highlighted that they had already collaborated successfully on two films, Kaakha Kaakha and Vaaranam Aayiram, both of which were well-received.

In Which Movie Did All We Imagine As Light Star Kani Kusruti Play Sj Suryah’s Mom? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Kani Kusruti is an Indian actress who’s getting a lot of appreciation for her recent film, All We Imagine Is Light, directed by Payal Kapadia and starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon, and others. The film is based on a nurse named Prabha, played by Kani. The plot revolves around her. Prabha’s routine takes an unexpected twist when a surprise gift from her husband arrives at her doorstep, and the situation unfurls.

The film recently made its debut on the Ott platform Hotstar. Known for her vast filmography, Kani also acted in the Tamil and Telugu suspense thriller Spyder, featuring Mahesh Babu, Rakul Preet Singh, Sj Suryah, and others. It is directed by A.R. Murgadoss. The film is about an intelligence officer, Shiva (Mahesh Babu), who...

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light has earned another prestigious nomination. The film has made the list in the best Film Not in the English Language at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards aka the BAFTA. All We Imagine As Light, is a moving exploration of life in contemporary India. With a compelling and contemplative story, this outstanding film features brilliant performances by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam.

The film, which won the Grand Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, won Best International Feature Winner at the Gotham Awards and was nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Picture category is a soulful study of three women living in contemporary working-class Mumbai. As we said in our rave review: “All We Imagine As Light explores their experiences and focuses on the expressions of their individual light. It is complex, beautiful,...

Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” has struck a chord with young Indian audiences, exploring themes of urban displacement and chosen family that resonate deeply with a generation navigating life in metropolitan cities.

“All We Imagine as Light” explores contemporary working-class Mumbai through the lives of three women. The story centers on two roommates working at a city hospital – head nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and recent hire Anu (Divya Prabha) – alongside their co-worker, cook Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam). The narrative follows their interconnected lives as Prabha, whose husband from an arranged marriage lives in Germany, navigates attention from a hospital doctor; Anu conducts a secret romance with a Muslim man against her strict Hindu family’s wishes; and Parvaty faces sudden eviction from her home.

“It is a story about finding your feet in a big city, the challenges of navigating loneliness, and the beauty of sisterhood and friendship,...

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2024, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

Last year I used this space to speak about the ongoing genocide occurring in Gaza and this year, that genocide is still going on. I spoke about how the filmmakers who were most important were the ones depicting the genocide. Many of those filmmakers have passed away and the reason we’re seeing less and less news from Gaza is because the documentarians disseminating the truth through their cameras have been made as legitimate targets by Israel and the United States. Palestinian filmmakers are still making films however, and many of them are vital to watch and save for the memory they preserve. You can search the phrase “Palestinian Film Archive” on Twitter to find threads and documentation listing all of these.

10. Cuckoo (Tilman Singer)

Tilman Singer...

While the established stars like Nivin Pauly and Tovino Thomas hit roadblocks with their latest offerings Malayalee From India and Arm, respectively, Malayalam cinema was not short of quality work this year.

1. All We Imagine As Light: What can we say about a film that has broken the glass ceiling twice over, first by becoming the first Malayalam film to reach audiences across India, and then by becoming the first Indian films since Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali to have grabbed global attention so unconditionally. Sight & Sound has recently named Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light as the best film of 2024. And now the garnered Golden Globe nominations!!! Indeed Kapadia’s elegiac ode to Mumbai’s desolate migrants is a wondrous pilgrimage through the heart of solitude. Dreamy and lyrical, it creates a new language for cinema where the spoken word is rendered redundant. The actors don’t speak like actors.

South Korea’s Exhuma has topped the field, earning 11 nominations at the 18th Asian Film Awards, followed by Hong Kong’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In with nine nominations.

Hong Kong martial arts legend Sammo Hung will serve as the jury president for the awards, which feature a selection of 30 films from 25 countries and regions, competing across 16 categories. The awards ceremony will take place on March 16 in Hong Kong.

Directed by Jang Jae-hyun, Exhuma gained nominations for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Newcomer, Best Screenplay, Best Original Music, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.

Adapted from the novel “City of Darkness” by Yuyi, Hong Kong action blockbuster Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In gained nine nominations, including Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Music, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.

South Korean box office hit Exhuma and Hong Kong action blockbuster Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In lead the nominations for the 18th Asian Film Awards, with a jury led by martial arts icon Sammo Hung.

Supernatural thriller Exhuma, directed by Jang Jae-hyun, leads the pack with 11 nods followed by Soi Cheang’s action thriller Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In, which received nine nominations.

Scroll down for full list of nominations

Both titles were named in the best film category alongside Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine As Light; Guan Hu’s Chinese drama Black Dog,...

The 18th Asian Film Awards, the region’s leading cinema honors, unveiled its 2025 nominations Friday, with South Korea’s horror hit Exhuma leading the pack with 11 nods. Directed by Jang Jae-hyun, the supernatural thriller melds feng shui and shamanistic traditions in a haunting narrative about an ominous grave. The movie was both a critical favorite and a huge theatrical sensation in South Korea, becoming the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. Alongside its best film nomination, the film earned recognition across several major categories, including best director, best actor for Choi Min-sik and best actress for Kim Go-eun.

The Asia Film Awards will return to Hong Kong on March 16 with a glitzy ceremony at the city’s Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District. This year’s lineup of honorees includes 30 films from 25 countries and regions, spanning 16 competitive categories.

The Hong Kong throwback action epic Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,...

Martial arts legend Sammo Hung has been tapped as jury president for the 18th Asian Film Awards, while South Korean supernatural thriller “Exhuma” and Hong Kong action pic “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” dominate the nominations.

South Korean supernatural thriller “Exhuma,” helmed by director Jang Jae-hyun and marking the return of veteran actor Choi Min-sik, leads with 11 nods including best film, director, actor and actress. The film weaves elements of feng shui and traditional shamanism in its story of an ominous grave investigation.

Hong Kong action film “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” follows with nine nominations. Based on Yuyi’s “City of Darkness” novel and set in the 1980s Kowloon Walled City, the film is competing for best film, supporting actor and multiple technical awards.

Soi Cheang’s Hong Kong action film “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” follows with nine nominations. Based on Yuyi’s “City of Darkness...

Indian director Payal Kapadia is developing two additional features set in Mumbai, potentially forming a trilogy with her acclaimed fiction feature debut “All We Imagine as Light.”

Kapadia, who just attended the Golden Globes where “All We Imagine as Light” was nominated for best non-English language film and director, revealed she has begun writing her next project, a trilogy concept that is still in early stages.

“I started writing my next movie and it’s also going to be a film in Bombay. It’s a bit early, but I’m thinking about doing two more films in Bombay, and to have this kind of a trilogy,” Kapadia tells Variety.

While it’s been surprisingly snubbed from India’s Oscar committee, the international success of “All We Imagine as Light” has led to expanded distribution opportunities in India. Following its initial Indian theatrical run, the movie was re-released in smaller...

Payal Kapadia’s Grand Prix-winning, debut feature “All We Imagine as Light” begins with a slow, elongated moving shot of a blue-tinged Sabji-Mandi (Vegetable market) accompanied by a sad soliloquy: “I’ve lived here maybe 23 years. But I feel afraid to call it home. There’s always the feeling I’ll have to leave.” Taking into account a plethora of criticism from the faceless multitude, on the economic capital of India – Mumbai – the film languidly settles down to encompass the lives of three nurses: Prabha (Kani Kusruti), Anu (Divya Prabha) and Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), each belonging to a different age group.

The three nurses have migrated to Mumbai from their native villages in search of a better living. Each of them has their own sufferings, which sometimes make them so emotionally numb that it pierces our hearts. Prabha, in her late thirties, was abandoned by her husband shortly after their marriage.

Gold House has unveiled its fifth annual Gold List with “Wicked” and “Moana 2” among the films being honored.

The list spotlights the most exceptional achievements in film by Asian Pacific creatives over the past year. It also serves as a guide for awards voters and celebrates a monumental year for Asian Pacific representation in cinema.

Since its launch five years ago, the Gold List has celebrated an emerging tide of increasing representation in film by honoring over 200 Asian Pacific films and creatives, with many proceeding to receive Academy Awards. Among those films are “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “Minari,” “Rrr,” “Parasite,” “The Boy and the Heron” and “The Elephant Whisperer.”

In a year when Asian Pacific creativity dominated the box office —”Moana 2″ and Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” alone grossed over $1.2 billion globally — the Gold List celebrates these blockbusters alongside “All We Imagine As Light,” “Dìdi” and “Monkey Man.

Although “All We Imagine as Light” was not selected by India as its nominee for Best International Feature Film, the indie from India has broken through to find acclaim and an arthouse audience here in the U.S. The contributors to Film Comment recently named it as the Best Film of 2024, while IndieWire’s survey of 177 critics had the film at number four on its list. And, on Sunday night, director Payal Kapadia was nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes, alongside the directors of Oscar favorites like “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez,” and “The Substance.”

The story of the lives of two nurses living in Mumbai is filled with quiet, intimate vignettes of the everyday life in Mumbai, but it is also brimming with exciting cinematic poetry that brings to life their emotional lives. While Kapadia was on IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, the director broke down how she used the camera,...

Payal Kapadia At Golden Globes 2025 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

All We Imagine As Light has proven to be one of the most successful Indian films internationally, winning accolades at the Cannes Film Festival and several other prestigious events. The film also received two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director.

However, the movie could not win in any category on the awards night. Payal Kapadia, the director of All We Imagine As Light, has now reacted to the movie’s Golden Globe snub, stating she had so much fun at the event.

All We Imagine As Light Director Payal Kapadia Reacts to Film’s Golden Globe Loss

Despite her film not winning a Golden Globe Award, Payal Kapadia seemed in high spirits as she reflected on the fun she had on the awards night. Following the ceremony, she shared a picture on her...

Weekend Watchlist: Sonic 3, The Rig S2

Happy New Year, readers. This weekend offers a lighter lineup on the Ott front compared to usual, but the theatrical side brings four new movie releases. On Ott, Prime Video premieres The Rig Season 2, Netflix presents Missing You, and Disney+ Hotstar releases Gunaah Season 2 and much more. Dive into the complete list by scrolling below.

Netflix

Missing You (English)

Release Date: 01 January 2025

Based on Harlan Coben’s novel Missing You, this mini-series, directed by Nimer Rashed and starring Rosalind Eleazar, follows the story of a detective who discovers her fiancé, missing for over a decade, on a dating app.

Prime Video

The Rig Season 02 Episodes 1&2 (English)

Release Date: 02 January 2025

The plot revolves around a dense fog that traps the crew members on an oil rig situated off the Scottish coast in the North Sea.

Trending Top 10 Christmas Movies Of All Time: From Home Alone...

What To Watch This Weekend: Dec 20-22 ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

As we approach Christmas, we’ve selected three exciting films in theaters for you to enjoy this week. One is a Tamil period crime-action movie, another is an animated English film, and the third is a Hindi drama. On the Ott front, Apple TV+ offers a captivating wildlife documentary, while Netflix features an anime, a Hollywood film about World War II, and a documentary on an Indian music icon. Disney+ Hotstar also has a new season of an animated Marvel TV series. Explore all of these and more by scrolling down.

Prime Video Girls Will Be Girls (Hindi)

Written and directed by Shuchi Talati, this coming-of-age teen drama features Kani Kusruti, Preeti Panigrahi, and Kesav Binoy Kiron in pivotal roles. Set in a boarding school, the story revolves around a teenage schoolgirl who falls in love with a boy. While her protective mother initially disapproves,...

Inspiring or irritating, empowering or exploitative, maternal or manipulative — with many shades of gray in between — female mentorship is a common dynamic in many of 2024’s most affecting stories.

In films as diverse as “All We Imagine as Light,” “Babygirl,” “Emilia Pérez,” “The Girl With the Needle,” “Inside Out 2” “The Last Showgirl,” “My Old Ass” and “The Substance,” women develop relationships with one another that alternately risk harm as much as they mean to be helpful, forge camaraderie out of competition or simply provide a mirror reflecting — frequently uncomfortably — who they once were or may one day become.

Inspired by its writer-director’s curiosity about multi-generational friendship, Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” tells the stories of three nurses — Prabha (Kani Kusruti), Anu (Divya Prabha) and Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam) — navigating the sociopolitical complexities of Mumbai. “When there is a lot of difference in the generations, there is a sort of conflict that,...

Director Shuchi Talati’s directorial debut Girls Will Be Girls ,now streaming on Prime Video, is a bit of an event. Just when we thought women were done saying whatever they had to, here comes a yummy year-ender.

Tender, thoughtful, forthright—sometimes embarrassingly so—and forever moving at its own volition, Girls Will Be Girls is a rarity: a film about women that doesn’t waste time pointing fingers at men for the flaws in gender dynamics.

Straightaway, lets give the devis their due in this slender and sensitive mother-daughter fable. Though Kani Kusruti and newcomer Preeti Panigrahi don’t look like mother and daughter—they don’t have to, I concede that—their creative commonality creeps out of every frame. These two playing mom Anila and daughter Mira, know one another in and out. The dramatic tension that flows symbiotically is just an organic offshoot of a relationship that...

The Malayalam movie industry in 2024 found itself at a critical juncture, grappling with a series of controversies and scandals that have cast a shadow over its reputation. This year marked a watershed moment in the ongoing battle against sexual harassment and discrimination, with the long-awaited release of the Hema Committee report. Although delayed by over four years and heavily redacted, the report has sparked a powerful wave of discussions and scrutiny within the industry.

Additionally, the year has witnessed intense debates over the portrayal of Malayali culture in cinema, particularly the depiction of disorderly conduct of Malayalis in public spaces, and the needlessly graphic, often gratuitous, on-screen depiction of sexual violence and the objectification of women. At the heart of these controversies are concerns about the underrepresentation of women in the industry, with many highlighting the prevalence of ‘invisible women’—typecast characters who lack depth or agency. Further fueling the...

Actress of the year, the incredible Kani Kusruti, who can play anything, discusses the impact Of All That We Imagine As Light and more in this special interview with Subhash K Jha.

Only a myopic kalaa-blind art-myopic industry would cast the powerhouse performer Kani Kusruti as an assistant to Huma Qureshi in Maharani. Indeed, the sinfully accomplished Kani has proved herself the real Maharani of movie acting with All We Imagine As Light. Kani is now being feted across the world. But she is not getting carried away. The Malayali powerhouse started with a bit part in 2003 as a bus passenger speaks of her incredible journey so far.

In 2024 Kani had to as many as three releases. She says it was a mere co-incidence. “I actually did Girls Will Be Girls first, in 2022. October, November is when we shot for it. And All We Imagine Has Light happened in 2023. But,...

Payal Kapadia’s remarkable feature debut charts the daily lives of three women in Mumbai in a beautifully shot ode to the city and to the power of human connections

• The best films of 2024 in the UK

• More on the best culture of 2024

‘Evening is my favourite time of the day” says a character in All We Imagine As Light, as twilight descends on Mumbai – it’s when the city comes alive. In film-maker Payal Kapadia’s feature debut, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes, night-time in the city is shown in loving detail, as we see markets, fluorescently-lit shops, and trains full of women returning from work. Vermeer is famously said to have “painted with light”. The same principle seems to animate every frame of Kapadia’s film, as light delicately bounces around the screen, indicating the film’s interest in illuminating moments of hope as untold secrets lie in the shadows.

The best films of 2024 were released during a time of increasing polarization in the film industry. Tentpoles got bigger, more unwieldy, more uneven, more likely to crash and burn. On the other side of the spectrum, indie films got smaller, scrappier, more impressive that they got made at all, let alone contained such beauty.

Movies continued their difficult post-pandemic recovery in 2024. Hindering that process was a pipeline drastically thinned by the previous year’s protracted writers’ and actors’ strikes; the summer release slate was especially anemic. The outlook got a boost from the bumper crop of early-winter releases led by Wicked, Moana 2 and Gladiator II, but box office nonetheless seems headed for an annual tally well short of 2023 revenues.

Studio animation came back with guns blazing — Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4 and Moana 2 all appear certain to land in the top 5. Among critics’ darlings, Flow and The Wild Robot both looked to the animal kingdom to find hope for a planet falling apart, while the latter also provided a comforting balm for A.I. anxiety. And the artisanal magic of stop-motion animation made a comeback in Memoir of a Snail and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.

The success of Deadpool & Wolverine...

Kareena Kapoor Compares Laal Singh Chaddha with Singham Again (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Kareena Kapoor is currently riding high on the success of Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again, which has collected over Rs. 250 crore domestically. However, box office collections do not seem to be the priority for the diva.

In a new interview, Kareena spoke about how much she enjoyed playing Rupa in the 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha opposite Aamir Khan. Though the film bombed at the box office, Kareena says she is proud of the project as it has done more for her than Singham Again did.

Kareena Kapoor Compares Laal Singh Chaddha with Singham Again

Kareena Kapoor recently appeared at The Hollywood Reporter India’s actor’s roundtable alongside Shabana Azmi, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, Kani Kusruti, Pratik Gandhi, and Anna Ben.

Trending Varun Dhawan Net Worth: A 76% High Jump In Only 3 Years Proves That This Baby John Actor Is Living A Bawaal Life!

After making waves at the Cannes Film Festival, Payal Kapadia’s film, All We Imagine As Light, made history with a Best Director nomination at the Golden Globes. The Indian-French co-production has earned two nominations, including one for Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language category. Interestingly, it is Kapadia’s debut feature film.

A still from Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light | Credits: Petit Chaos/Chalk & Cheese

The film depicts the lives of two nurses living in Mumbai, played by Indian actresses Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha. The film received critical acclaim for the grounded portrayal of working women in modern India. All We Imagine as Light was the recipient of the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Festival.

Payal Kapadia’s Golden Globes Nomination For All We Imagine As Light Is Historical Payal Kapadia with Divya Prabha and Kani Kusruti during the press promotions of All We Imagine As Light...

Payal Kapadia and her brilliant debut feature film All We Imagine As Light have been nominated in two categories at the prestigious Golden Globe Awards. The director earned a nod for Best Director for a Motion Picture, and the film was nominated in the Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language category at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. Kapadia is the first Indian woman director to be nominated for the coveted Golden Globe award.

Kapadia responded to the nomination, “This recognition is truly humbling. I am grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this honor, and I dedicate it to the incredible team who made this film possible.”

A Hindi-Malayalam language masterpiece, All We Imagine As Light features brava-worthy performances by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam. Set in the heart of a city, All We Imagine As Light is a soulful study of three women living in contemporary working-class Mumbai.

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light Makes History At The Golden Globe Awards 2025 ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Director Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light has created history by bagging two nominations at the prestigious Golden Globe Awards 2025. The nominations were announced by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut on December 9, 2024. The movie becomes the first Indian film to have been nominated in the Best Director Category.

All We Imagine As Light Creates History

Apart from Payal Kapadia being nominated in the Best Director Category at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, All We Imagine As Light has also been nominated for the Best Motion Picture in the Non-English language category. The other directors who have been nominated in the Best Director Category at the Golden Globe Awards 2025 include Sean Baker (Anora), Jacques Audiard (Emelia Perez), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) and Edward Berger (The Conclave). According...

The 2025 Golden Globes nominations will be announced shortly, and there are quite a number of international films in contention for other major categories outside of Best Non-English Language Film. This will be the second year of the new voting body, which has expanded by adding 215 international voters, something that was evident in the plethora of foreign-language films represented last year outside of the designated category: “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest,” “Fallen Leaves,” and “Past Lives.”

It is predicted that France’s “Emilia Pérez” will be recognized across the board, but let’s take a look at three international films underneath the surface that can potentially get other Golden Globe bids, in particular “I’m Still Here” from Brazil, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from Germany and “All We Imagine as Light” from France, India, and the Netherlands.

Starting with “All We Imagine As Light,” which has had a great week,...

Prime Video announced the exclusive streaming premiere for the coming-of-age film Girls Will Be Girls. An Indo-French joint production, this highly acclaimed and globally celebrated young adult drama has been produced under the banner of Pushing Buttons Studio, Dolce Vita Films and Crawling Angle Films by Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne and Shuchi Talati with Ali Fazal as the executive producer. The film, which takes the viewers on a rollercoaster of dreams, aspirations, emotional conflicts, and coming-of-age moments, is Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s Pushing Buttons Studio’s maiden production. It marks the feature film directorial debut of writer Shuchi Talati and also introduces debutants Preeti Panigrahi, and Kesav Binoy Kiron in lead roles, with acclaimed actress Kani Kusruti in a pivotal role. Girls Will Be Girls has garnered widespread praise for its compelling narrative and outstanding performances, earning numerous awards and accolades at prestigious international film festivals. The film...

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Sean Baker’s Anora and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow lead the Film Independent Spirit Awards 2025 film nominees, with Shōgun topping the list of television nominees. On the film side, Anora and I Saw the TV Glow collected six nominations, followed by Didi with four and Janet Planet, The Apprentice, and Sing Sing with three.

Shōgun scored five Spirit Awards TV nominations, with Baby Reindeer and English Teacher earning four nominations each.

“Since we held our first ceremony in 1985 at a restaurant on La Cienega to last year’s show when viewers around the world joined us at the Santa Monica Beach to celebrate the work of so many artists, Film Independent has continued to support independent filmmakers and enable them to achieve their vision at every stage of their career,” stated Josh Welsh,...