Yesterday morning, Vietnam time, the 2025 Oscars officially took place in Hollywood, bringing a special, emotional and meaningful atmosphere. This year’s awards ceremony is not only an opportunity to honor outstanding films and individuals in the world cinema industry, but also an opportunity to pay tribute to the firefighters who have worked tirelessly throughout the past time in the film capital. This is a year full of surprises when no name really shines brighter than the other candidates, bringing an unpredictable ceremony with countless unforgettable moments.

This year, the Oscars surprised many people right from the first awards. First, the Best Supporting Actor award was given to Karen Kin, in the movie *AR Pain*. He beat many big names such as Edward Norton, Guy Pi, or Jeremy Strong, names that were expected to win. Karen Kin’s portrayal of Benji Klan, a Jewish man who goes through a lot of emotions when he returns to his hometown and meets his cousin, won him a well-deserved award. This was not a big surprise since he had won most of the Oscars before.

Next up was Best Animated Feature. Although many outlets predicted *The Wild Robot* would win, the surprise came when *Flow*, a low-budget animated film from Latvia, won the golden statue. *Flow* is a silent film about a cat floating in a world without humans. It is the first independent animated film in history to win in this category. *The Wild Robot*’s failure to win was also bad news for DreamWorks, as the film has not won an Oscar since 2005, when *Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit* won.

In the Best Animated Short Film category, the winner was *In the Shadow of the Cypress*, a 20-minute Iranian film about a former ship captain’s post-traumatic stress disorder. The film made a strong impression with its subtle portrayal of the psychological pain people suffer after war.

This year’s Best Costume Design award went to *Wicked*, a film adapted from the hit Broadway musical. This was the film’s first win at the Oscars and marked the success of stage productions adapted to the screen. *Wicked* beat out strong competitors such as *Concave* and *A Complete Unknown* to win the golden statue in this category.

In the Best Original Screenplay category, the winner was *Andora*, a film with a seemingly simple script but hidden many subtle arguments about American society. The film beat out other nominees like *AR Pen*, *The Brutalist*, and *The Substance* to win. This was a notable win, as *Andora* was widely predicted to be a strong contender this year.

In the Best Adapted Screenplay category, the winner was *Conc*, a political thriller with an adventure twist. The film is set in the Vatican, where the Pope has just died and Cardinal Lawrence must hold a conclave to choose his successor.

In the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category, the award went to *The Substance*, a body horror film that focuses on the fear of aging. This is a rare Oscar for the horror genre, a genre that has often been overlooked at previous awards ceremonies. The film beat out strong contenders like *The Wild Robot* and *Conc* to win.

One of the more surprising and interesting wins was in the Best Film Editing category, where *Anora* won over the likes of *The Brutalist*, *Concave*, and *Wicked*. This was *Anora*’s second win of the ceremony, and it set the stage for the film to continue its dominance at other major awards this year.

In the Best Supporting Actress category, the award went to Emilia Perez for her role as Rita Mora Castro in *C Completely Unknown*. She played a brilliant role as a lawyer who helps a gang leader undergo gender reassignment surgery. This was the least surprising supporting actress award of the ceremony.

The Best Actress category saw a surprise win for Mikey Madison in *Anora*. This was an unexpected result because before the ceremony, names like Demore of *The Substance* and Fernanda Torres of *Amst Here* were expected to win. However, Mikey Madison overcame strong candidates to win the golden statue, proving that at the Oscars, nothing is impossible.

And finally, the most important victory of this year’s ceremony – Best Picture – went to *Anora*. The film beat out 9 other competitors to win spectacularly. This was a victory that no one could have predicted. Just a few months ago, films like *The Brutalist*, *A Complete Unknown*, or *Concave* were highly appreciated.