Best picture winner ‘Anora’ is an indie film — what does that mean?

“Long live independent film!” That’s how Anora director Sean Baker ended his speech on Sunday night after accepting the award for best picture.

The screwball dramedy’s indie credentials were emphasized across multiple speeches, including one from Alex Coco, one of the film’s producers.

“We made this movie for $6 million,” he said. “Shooting on location in New York City with about 40 crew members.”

Baker added, “This film was made on the blood, sweat and tears of incredible indie artists.”

Independent films refer to movies made outside of the traditional studio system. Anora, for example, was produced by Neon. The production and distribution company — formed in 2017 — was behind Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 film Parasite, which took home the best picture prize in 2020.

A24 is another indie studio that has found institutional success at the Academy Awards, with major wins for films like Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

With a budget of just $6 million, the scale of Anora‘s production paled in comparison to Hollywood blockbusters like Wicked. That film, a fellow best picture nominee, was produced by Universal Pictures on a reported budget of $150 million. And Dune: Part Two, also nominated in the category, had a similarly enormous budget — a reported $190 million.

In addition to its best picture victory, Anora had wins across several major Oscars categories including best original screenplay, best editing, and best director. And its star, Mikey Madison, was awarded best actress.

Producer Alex Coco took the film’s success on Sunday night as an opportunity to encourage aspiring filmmakers interested in working outside of Hollywood’s major studios.

“If you’re trying to make independent films, keep doing it,” he said. “We need more. This is proof.”