Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia made history on Wednesday night (January 8) by winning the Best International Feature award for her film 'All We Imagine As Light' at the 2025 New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards.
This big win marks a significant milestone for Indian cinema, as it comes three years after SS Rajamouli’s win for Best Director for 'RRR' in 2022.
A photo circulating online shows Kapadia delivering her acceptance speech on stage. The win is particularly noteworthy given the hurdles 'All We Imagine As Light' faced. Despite its critical acclaim, the film was snubbed at the Golden Globe Awards. It lost the Best Foreign Film award to 'Emilia Perez' and Kapadia missed out on the Best Director title, which went to Brady Corbet for 'The Brutalist'.
Kapadia was also a frontrunner to represent India at the Oscars with her film, but Kiran Rao’s 'Laapataa Ladies' was ultimately chosen as the country’s official entry. However, the movie failed to make it to the Oscars shortlist announced last month.
With her NYFCC win, Kapadia is now seen as a strong contender for an Oscar nomination, which will be announced next week.
The event, held at TAO Downtown in New York City, celebrated a host of talent from around the globe. Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his role in 'The Brutalist', while Marianne Jean-Baptiste took home Best Actress for her performance in 'Hard Truths'.
Other winners included Kieran Culkin, who earned Best Supporting Actor for 'A Real Pain', and Carol Kane, who won Best Supporting Actress for 'Between the Temples'.
The ceremony saw an impressive turnout of stars, including the 'Anora' cast members Mikey Madison and Karren Karagulian alongside director Sean Baker. Also present were Claire Danes, 'The Room Next Door' actor John Tuturro and his son Diego, among others.
The complete list of winners is as follows:
Best Film: “The Brutalist”
Best Director: RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys”
Best Actor: Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Best Actress: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths”
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Best Supporting Actress: Carol Kane, “Between the Temples”
Best Screenplay: “Anora,” Sean Baker
Best Animated Film: “Flow”
Best Cinematography: “Nickel Boys,” Jomo Fray
Best First Film: “Janet Planet”
Best International: “All We Imagine as Light”
Best Non-Fiction Film: “No Other Land”
