Gotham Awards Highlights: ‘One Battle After Another’ Wins Best Feature and Jafar Panahi Earns Three Awards – Complete List Inside

Gotham Awards 2025: Celebrating Independent Cinema

The 35th annual Gotham Awards took place in Manhattan, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another winning Best Feature. This marks Anderson’s first win at the Gothams after previously receiving three nominations.

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi emerged as a significant figure of the evening, taking home multiple honors for his film It Was Just An Accident, which garnered Best International Feature, as well as awards for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

In a statement, Anderson expressed gratitude, stating, “I didn’t expect this. Thank you very much for enjoying this film, for rewarding this film. I had a great time making it.” One Battle After Another, a narrative centered around ex-revolutionaries confronting old adversaries, has performed strongly at the box office, surpassing $200 million in total worldwide sales.

Panahi’s triumph comes amid troubling circumstances; he was convicted in absentia by Iranian authorities earlier in the day and sentenced to one year in prison, followed by two years of probation. Speaking through an interpreter during his acceptance speech, he dedicated the award to independent filmmakers globally, asserting, “I hope that this dedication will be considered a small tribute to all filmmakers who have been deprived of the right to see and to be seen but continue to create and to exist.”

The Gotham Film & Media Institute organized the event, which traditionally signals the launch of the movie awards season, recognizing outstanding achievements across various categories in the film industry.

Another highlight of the evening was Sopé Dìrísù’s win for Outstanding Lead Performance in My Father’s Shadow, with Akinola Davies Jr. receiving the Breakthrough Director award for the same film. The semi-autobiographical narrative, which explores the relationship between two brothers and their estranged father during Nigeria’s 1993 election crisis, is the UK’s official submission for the International Feature Oscar.

Wunmi Mosaku was honored with the Outstanding Supporting Performance award for her role in Sinners, while Ryan Coogler accepted the statuette on her behalf as she was unable to attend.

My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow won Best Documentary Feature. The film, spotlighting independent journalists facing persecution under Vladimir Putin’s regime, had previously secured the Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award.

Abou Sangaré earned the Breakthrough Performer award for his portrayal of a struggling Guinean immigrant in Souleymane’s Story, which was also recognized at Cannes.

The night featured a range of tribute awards, with accolades going to Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts for their work on After The Hunt, as well as Noah Baumbach and others. Adam Sandler lightened the atmosphere with humor while introducing Baumbach.

The Gothams expanded their Best Feature category this year to ten nominees, reflecting a range of independent films, while also removing budget caps to include larger studio offerings.

Here is a list of key winners from the 2025 Gotham Awards:

Best Feature
One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner, producers (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Director
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (Neon)

Outstanding Lead Performance
Sopé Dìrísù, My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)

Outstanding Supporting Performance
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Breakthrough Performer
Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story (Kino Lorber)

Best Documentary Feature
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow: Julia Loktev, director; Julia Loktev, producer (self-distributed)

Breakthrough Director
Akinola Davies Jr., My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)

Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident: Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, producers (Neon)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Pillion, Harry Lighton (A24)

Best Original Screenplay
It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi (Neon)

The 2025 Gotham Awards reinforced the importance of independent cinema and the resilience of filmmakers in challenging circumstances, setting a profound tone for the awards season ahead.