The 35th edition of Gotham Independent Film Awards took place on December 1, 2025, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

This year marked a shift for the ceremony: what once celebrated low-budget indie films has now recognized large-scale productions alongside independent cinema. The biggest indicator of that shift was the win of One Battle After Another, a high-budget, studio-backed film, as Best Feature.

Major Winners and Standouts

One Battle After Another takes Best Feature

“One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, topped the list of winners by claiming the Best Feature award. Its six nominations made it the most-nominated film of the night.

The film’s selection as Best Feature signals the awards’ increasingly open stance toward bigger films.

Jafar Panahi sweeps key categories with It Was Just an Accident

Jafar Panahi earned three major accolades for his film It Was Just an Accident — Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Film. That made it the single biggest winner of the night in terms of number of awards. Panahi’s recognition underlines the ceremony’s continuing celebration of global, daring, even politically risky, filmmaking.

Other Notable Wins: Acting, New Talent, and More

Acting awards went to lesser-expected names rather than big celebrities.

• Best Lead Performance went to Sopé Dìrísù for his role in My Father's Shadow.
  
• Best Supporting Performance was awarded to Wunmi Mosaku for her role in Sinners.
  
• Emerging talent was honored too: Akinola Davies Jr. was named Breakthrough Director.
  

Recognition extended beyond standard categories. Screenplay and adapted-screenplay awards went to unexpected films, and a documentary film also earned honors — showing Gotham’s wide palette.

What This Means for Awards Season

What this really means is that the Gotham Awards are evolving. Once a stage for strictly indie, low-budget films, the 2025 ceremony embraced scale, diversity, and international stories. The win for “One Battle After Another” suggests the ceremony now seriously considers large productions. Meanwhile, recognizing Jafar Panahi and actors from lesser-known films signals that bold, meaningful, and under-the-radar work remains central.

In short, the 2025 Gothams balanced respect for independent cinema’s roots with openness to mainstream filmmaking. That makes it a potentially influential early signal for industry trends — and for what may come in the bigger awards later this season.