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Anora wins best picture at Oscars 2025
Sean Baker’s Anora, starring Mikey Madison as a sex worker who has a whirlwind ill-fated romance with the spoilt son of a Russian oligarch, takes home the night’s biggest prize.
Baker has long been feted as a highly talented indy filmmaker who champions outsiders but now he’s firmly on the inside with this Academy Award win, which first came to wider attention when it picked up the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes last year.
Baker, who also wrote, edited and produced the film, created the part of Ani (Anora) especially for Madison, describing her as ‘so unique’ in an interview with the BBC.
The other nominees in the best picture categories were:
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- I’m Still Here
- Nickel Boys
- The Substance
- Wicked
[BBC]
A magnitude 3.9 earthquake has hit Hollywood as some of the globe’s top stars began celebrating after the Oscars.
The earthquake’s epicentre was measured in North Hollywood, just miles from where the awards ceremony was hosted at the Dolby Theatre.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The quake struck shortly after 22:00 local time as celebrities were gathering at the popular Vanity Fair afterparty.
Those in the area reported a sudden jolt of energy, with some screaming and seeing high-rise buildings wobbling like jelly.
The US Geological Survey (USGS), which tracks such events, said the earthquake was felt miles across Los Angeles.
There was no tsunami alert issued as a result of the relatively minor earthquake.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said that the earthquake was felt across downtown Los Angeles but the agency was not entering into “Earthquake Mode” over the incident.
For stronger earthquakes, first responders and officials do assessments of the area to ensure there is no structural damage to buildings and infrastructure.
The quake is among about 40 that have hit Southern California since the start of March – though nearly all of these were magnitude 1 earthquakes that aren’t typically felt by residents, according to USGS data reviewed by the BBC.
Last month, there was a magnitude 3.7 earthquake that struck the nearby Malibu area. In December, a strong magnitude 7 earthquake jolted northern California and caused a short tsunami alert for those in northern California and southern Oregon.
BBC correspondents covering the Academy Awards in the heart of Hollywood reported fierce shaking and even some screams as the sudden jolt scared visitors. To some, it sounded like a bomb went off with the rumble.
One resident called it the biggest earthquake she’d felt and was surprised it was only a magnitude 3.9. “I felt that in my bones,” she remarked.
The BBC’s Emma Vardy said she was retouching her makeup for some final Oscars filming when the quake struck. Her diamond earrings wobbled in the mirror and she realized the high-rise she was in was shaking.
“I have felt a lot of quakes over the past two years in Los Angeles but currently, I am on the 15th floor of our media centre in Hollywood,” she remarked. “Feeling a building of that size move around like jelly is quite an experience.”
[BBC]
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has warned that they will launch an island-wide strike starting from March 05 if the government does not address the reduction of additional duty and holiday allowances of government medical officers by the 2025 budget.
Japan has deployed more than 2,000 firefighters to battle the country’s biggest forest fire in three decades.
At least one person has died in the blaze, which has torched more than 5,200 acres around the northern Japanese city of Ofunato since Thursday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA).
Although January to March is typically Ofunato’s driest season, the area saw less rainfall last month than any February in more than 20 years – recording just 2.5 millimetres, compared to the usual average of 41.
About 4,600 people remain under government-issued evacuation orders as the fire continues to burn.
Some 2,000 have already left the area to stay with friends or relatives, and more than 1,200 have evacuated to shelters, officials said.
The fires are burning in a forest area of Iwate Prefecture, which is Japan’s second largest prefecture and has the country’s second-lowest population density.
More than 80 buildings are estimated to have been damaged so far, although FDMA noted that details are still being assessed.
“Although it is inevitable that the fire will spread to some extent, we will take all possible measures to ensure there will be no impact on people’s homes,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in parliament.
Thousands of firefighters from 14 prefectures, including Tokyo, have been dispatched to fight the fires. At least 16 helicopters are also being used, with images showing the aircraft dumping water onto the smouldering hills.
Like many other countries, Japan in 2024 recorded its hottest year since records began.
[BBC]
Earthquake hits Hollywood as stars gather for Oscars after-party
Doctors set to launch island wide strike on Wednesday [05]
Thousands evacuated as Japan’s biggest fire in decades continues to burn
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