“The Secret Agent” Dominates 23rd ICS Awards, Signaling a Bold New Direction in Cinema
Honoring films showcased globally throughout 2025, the 23rd Independent Cinema Society (ICS) Awards saw a striking victory for Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent,” securing six major accolades in what observers are calling a near-sweep for the Brazilian political thriller. The awards, announced Thursday, reflect a growing appetite for challenging and politically resonant storytelling within the independent film world.
“The Secret Agent,” a tale of fascism and hardship set against the backdrop of the 1977 Brazilian military dictatorship, claimed top honors for Best Picture, Director, Ensemble Cast, Original Screenplay, and both Lead Actor and Supporting Actress. Wagner Moura’s performance as a researcher relentlessly pursued by powerful forces was lauded as “soulful,” while veteran actress Tânia Maria, 79, triumphed in the Supporting Actress category, besting a field of younger contenders.
The ICS Awards also celebrated veteran talent, with Kathleen Chalfant winning Lead Actress for her poignant portrayal of a dementia patient in “Familiar Touch.” According to one critic, Chalfant brought “stubbornness and poignancy” to the role of a woman navigating life in a ‘geriatric country club’ while yearning for home.
Beyond “The Secret Agent,” the awards spotlighted a diverse range of international cinema. Pedro Pinho’s anti-colonial epic, “I Only Rest in the Storm,” experienced a late surge in voting, securing runner-up positions in several key categories. Jonathan Guilherme’s captivating performance as a gay Brazilian expat in “I Only Rest in the Storm” earned him the award for Supporting Actor. Harry Lighton’s adapted screenplay for “Pillion” also received recognition, and a unique moment occurred with father-and-son actors Stellan Skarsgård and Alexander Skarsgård sharing the runner-up prize for Supporting Actor for their work in “Sentimental Value” and “Pillion,” respectively.
Mascha Schilinski’s “Sound of Falling” was recognized for its innovative editing by Evelyn Rack and Billie Mind, which prioritized emotional resonance over strict chronology. The film, a multi-generational story of women growing up in Germany, also earned a runner-up nod for Schilinski in the Director category. Oliver Laxe’s “Cry” garnered two awards for its score, composed by Kangding Ray, and sound design, crafted by Laia Casanovas, creating a haunting atmosphere for the film’s existential journey. Bi Gan’s “Resurrection” was celebrated for its breathtaking cinematography by Dong Jingsong and its immersive production design by Liu Qiang and Tu Nan.
The awards also highlighted emerging talent. Gabriel Azorin’s “Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes” shared the award for Movie Debut with Ratchapoom Boonbunchachokew’s “A Useful Ghost,” a Thai dark comedy. Santiago Mateus’s nuanced performance in “Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes” earned him the Breakthrough Performance award.
Animation also found its place, with “Arco” winning the Animated Film award for its climate change-themed time-travel adventure. The documentary award went to Kamal Aljafari’s “With Hasan in Gaza,” a sobering reflection on the enduring plight of the Palestinian people, compiled from footage captured over nearly 25 years. “The film powerfully demonstrates that the tragic situation has not improved,” a statement from the ICS noted.
A Full List of ICS Winners and Nominees:
PICTURE
- The Secret Agent
- I Only Rest in the Storm
- Sound of Falling
- Cry
- Dreams (Sex Love)
- Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes
- Dry Leaf
- One Battle After Another
- The Mastermind
- Resurrection
- Strange River
- It Was Just an Accident
- Hamnet
- Mektoub, My Love: Canto Due
- Weapons
- Sinners
- Sentimental Value
- New Wave
- Marty Supreme
- Twinless
DIRECTOR
Winner: Kleber Mendonça Filho – The Secret Agent
RU: Mascha Schilinski – Sound of Falling
• Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
• Dag Johan Haugerud – Dreams (Sex Love)
• Alexandre Koberidze – Dry Leaf
• Oliver Laxe – Sirāt
• Kelly Reichardt – The Mastermind
ACTOR
Winner: Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
RU: Ben Whishaw – Peter Hujar’s Day
• Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
• Sope Dirisu – My Father’s Shadow
• Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
• Dylan O’Brien – Twinless
ACTRESS
Winner: Kathleen Chalfant – Familiar Touch
RU: Ella Øverbye – Dreams (Sex Love)
• Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
• Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
• Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love
• Tessa Thompson – Hedda
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Jonathan Guilherme – I Only Rest in the Storm
RU: Alexander Skarsgård – Pillion
RU: Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
• Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
• Salim Kechiouche – Mektoub, My Love: Canto Due
• Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Tânia Maria – The Secret Agent
RU: Cleo Diára – I Only Rest in the Storm
• Nina Hoss – Hedda
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
• Amy Madigan – Weapons
• Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
ENSEMBLE
Winner: The Secret Agent
RU: I Only Rest in the Storm
• It Was Just an Accident
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sentimental Value
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho
RU: A Useful Ghost – Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
• Dreams (Sex Love) – Dag Johan Haugerud
• Marty Supreme – Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein
• Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
• Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Pillion – Harry Lighton
RU: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
• Bugonia – Will Tracy
• Hamnet – Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell
• No Other Choice – Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar, Jahye Lee
• Pin by Fartie – Luciana Acuña, Mariano Llinás, Alejo Moguillansky
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Resurrection – Dong Jingsong
RU: Magellan – Lav Diaz, Artur Tort
• Dry Leaf – Alexandre Koberidze
• One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
• The Secret Agent – Evgenia Alexandrova
• Sound of Falling – Fabian Gamper
EDITING
Winner: Sound of Falling – Evelyn Rack, Billie Mind
RU: The Secret Agent – Matheus Farias, Eduardo Serrano
• A House of Dynamite – Kirk Baxter
• Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
• One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
• Sirāt – Cristóbal Fernández
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Winner: Resurrection – Liu Qiang, Tu Nan
RU: The Phoenician Scheme – Adam Stockhausen
• Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell
• Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk
• The Secret Agent – Thales Junqueira
• Sound of Falling – Cosima Vellenzer
SCORE
Winner: Sirāt – Kangding Ray
RU: Dry Leaf – Giorgi Koberidze
• Marty Supreme – Daniel Lopatin
• The Mastermind – Rob Mazurek
• One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
• Resurrection – M83
SOUND DESIGN
Winner: Sirāt – Laia Casanovas
RU: Sound of Falling – Billie Mind, Jürgen Schulz
• Die My Love – Tim Burns, Paul Davies
• One Battle After Another – Christopher Scarabosio
• Reflection in a Dead Diamond – Daniel Bruylandt
• The Secret Agent – Tijn Hazen
ANIMATED FILM
Winner: Arco – Ugo Bienvenu, Gilles Cazaux
RU: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – Liane-Cho Han, Maïlys Vallade
• Boys Go to Jupiter – Julian Glander
• KPop Demon Hunters – Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang
• Lesbian Space Princess – Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese
• Zootopia 2 – Jared Bush, Byron Howard
DOCUMENTARY
Winner: With Hasan in Gaza
RU: Fiume or death! – Igor Bezinovic
• Cover-Up – Mark Obenhaus, Laura Poitras
• Memory – Vladlena Sandu
• The Perfect Neighbor – Geeta Gandbhir
• Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk – Sepideh Farsi
MOVIE DEBUT
Winner: Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes – Gabriel Azorín
Winner: A Useful Ghost – Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
RU: Strange River – Jaume Claret Muxart
• Blue Heron – Sophy Romvari
• Familiar Touch – Sarah Friedland
• Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Winner: Santiago Mateus – Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes
RU: Jessica Pennington – Mektoub, My Love: Canto Due
RU: Ubeimar ríos – a poet
• Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
• Guillaume Marbeck – New Wave
• Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
The 23rd ICS Awards underscore a commitment to recognizing bold, innovative filmmaking from around the globe, and signal a potential shift towards more politically charged and artistically daring narratives in the years to come.
