After his arrest in Iran, Jaafar Panahi wins Gotham Film Awards; “Secret Agent” is running out of trophies

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“It Was Just an Accident” showed its mettle in tonight’s top award: Best Original Screenplay. Hours after his arrest was ordered in Iran on charges of “propaganda” against the regime, Panahi received a standing ovation at the American awards ceremony when he dedicated the award to “independent filmmakers from Iran and around the world.” The film also won awards for Best International Film and Best Director.

Without distinction between genders, the Best Actor Award was won by actress Subi Dirisu for the movie “My Father’s Shadow.” Wagner Moura took the stage alongside actress Rose Byrne to announce the winner in the Best First Direction category, which Akinola Davis Jr. won for “The Shadow of My Father.”

The 35th edition of Gotham also held a series of tributes to characters who have emerged over the past year. Guillermo del Toro, Oscar Isaac and Jacob Alvardi received the Vanguard Award for “Frankenstein.” Jeremy Allen White and Scott Cooper won the Cultural Icon Award for “Springsteen: Save Me from the Unknown.” Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson received the musical honor for “Song Sung Blue: A Dream for Two.” Tessa Thompson won the Spotlight Tribute Award for “Hedda,” while Noah Baumbach took home the Director’s Award for “Jay Kelly.” The cast of “Pecadores” was also remembered by the Tribute Band. Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts of “After the Hunt” won Visual Honors.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Battle After Battle” topped the nominations list, competing in six categories. However, the film’s nomination sparked controversy in Hollywood, as the film had a production budget of US$130 million. In the past, the award was limited to works with a production cost of up to 35 million US dollars.

Despite their importance, the Gotham Film Awards are not considered one of the primary thermometers for the Oscars. In 2024, “A Different Man” won the Best Picture award, beating the Oscar-winning film “Anora.” “I’m Still Here” did not receive any award nominations.

Check out the full list of winners:

• “Bogonia”
• “East of the wall”
• “Family touch”
• Hamnet: Life Before Hamlet
• “If I had legs, I would kick you”
• “Lurker”
• “Battle after Battle” (Winner)
• “Sorry, baby”
• “Anne’s will is mine.”
• “Dream Train”

Best international film

• “It was just an accident” (WINNER)
• “There is no other option”
• “Mysterious new”
• “Resurrection”
• “The sound of falling”

• Mary Bronstein, “If I Had Two Legs, I’d Kick You”
• Jaafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (WINNER)
• Kelly Reichardt, “Mastermind”
• Paul Thomas Anderson, “Battle After Battle”
• Oliver Lax, “Sirat”

Best first direction

• Constance Tsang, “Palace of the Blue Sun”
• Carson Lund for “Evos”
• Sarah Friedland, “A Family Touch”
• Akinola Davis Jr., “My Father’s Shadow” (WINNER)
• Harris Dickinson, “Urchin”

• Mary Bronstein, “If I Had Two Legs, I’d Kick You”
• Jaafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (WINNER)
• Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent”
• Eva Victor, “I’m sorry, honey.”
• Louise Peter and Masha Shilinsky, “The Sound of Falling”

• Park Chan Wook, Lee Kyung Mi, Jahee Lee and Don McKellar, “There’s No Other Choice”
• Paul Thomas Anderson, “Battle After Battle”
• Harry Layton, “Pillion” (winner)
• Martina Majok, “Preparing for the Next Life”
• Clint Bentley for “Train Dreams”

Best leadership performance

• Jesse Buckley, Hamnet: Life Before Hamlet
• Lee Byung Hun, “There is no other choice”
• Rose Byrne, “If I Had Two Legs, I’d Kick You”
• Subi Dirisu, “My Father’s Shadow” (WINNER)
• Ethan Hawke for “Blue Moon”
• Jennifer Lawrence “Die Love”
• Wagner Moura “The Secret Agent”
• Josh O’Connor “Mastermind”
• Amanda Seyfried, “The Will of Anne Lee”
• Tessa Thompson for “Hedda”

Best supporting performance

• Benicio del Toro, “Battle after Battle”
• Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilias, “Sentimental Value”
• Indya Moore, “Father, Mother, Sister and Brother”
• Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners” (WINNER)
• Adam Sandler, “Jay Kelly”
• Andrew Scott, “Blue Moon”
• Alexander Skarsgard, “Pillion”
• Stellan Skarsgard, “Sentimental Value”
• Teyana Taylor, “Battle After Battle”

Best debut performance

• A$AP Rocky, “Class Struggle”
• Sabiya Bahtiyar, “Preparing for the Next Life”
• Chase Infinity, “Battle after Battle”
• Abu Sinjari, “The Story of Solomon” (Winner)
• Tonatiuh, “The Kiss of the Spider Woman”