How NEON’s Oscar Playbook Grows Bigger & Bolder With Each Passing Awards Season

The 2025 awards race hasn’t even begun, but NEON is already stacked with viable Oscar contenders following the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Before Cannes kicked off, the distributor had already scooped up Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” and Julia Ducournau’s “Alpha,” both of which competed in the main competition. Known for snagging Palme d’Or winners six years running, NEON kept the streak alive with another busy festival spree.

By the end of Cannes, “Sentimental Value“—Trier’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated “The Worst Person in the World“—took home the Grand Prix, while the Palme d’Or ultimately went to Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just An Accident,” which NEON picked up during the festival. But the successful independent film company didn’t stop there: it also picked up Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent” (winner of Best Director and Best Actor) and Oliver Laxe’s “Sirat,” which won the Joint Jury Prize.

This is easily NEON’s most packed slate yet. So, how will the indie powerhouse navigate it all? Can they pull off another “Anatomy Of A Fall” moment for one of these international contenders or win Best Picture like “Parasite” and “Anora” did? Let’s examine their slate this year and take a look at their strategy over the last 6 years. 

Best Picture And International Feature FilmNEON has consistently made Oscar waves in two categories: Best Picture and International Feature Film. With a Palme d’Or winner already in the bag, it’s almost a certainty they’ll push Panahi’s “It Was Just An Accident” for Best Picture. However, because the film is a sharp critique of the Iranian regime—and given Panahi’s fraught relationship with the government—it’s unlikely Iran will submit it for the Best International Feature race. Luckily, the film is a co-production between Iran, France, and Luxembourg, opening up other possibilities for the tense drama to be selected by one of the other two countries. However, if not, such a situation didn’t stop “Anatomy Of A Fall” from doing well with the Academy and the same can probably be said of Panahi’s latest.

Though “Sentimental Value” didn’t take the festival’s top prize, many critics believed it would—and it arguably has a stronger shot at a broader awards campaign. NEON acquired the film for North American distribution even before its Cannes premiere, signaling deep confidence. It’s likely Norway will submit the film for International Feature. The last time NEON backed a Trier film, it landed nominations for both International Feature and Original Screenplay. Palme or no Palme, expect NEON to campaign for this one hard.

But those aren’t the only contenders in NEON’s awards arsenal. The distributor is also releasing the 2024 TIFF People’s Choice Award winner, “The Life Of Chuck,” directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Tom Hiddleston, this June. This marks NEON’s first time distributing a TIFF Audience Award winner after the festival—making it eligible for this year’s awards season. Given the TIFF award’s strong history as a Best Picture predictor, not pushing this film would be a surprise.

In the Best International Feature category, NEON also holds “Sirat” and “The Secret Agent,” both of which won prizes at Cannes and hail from countries well-regarded by the Academy. “Sirat” is a co-production between Spain and France—two countries that regularly earn Academy recognition. Meanwhile, Brazilian cinema continues to rise in profile. Last year’s “I’m Still Here” scored three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won International Feature over “Emilia Pérez,” which had 13 Oscar nominations.

Campaigning for three Best Picture contenders and four International Feature hopefuls is a major undertaking. So, what can NEON learn from recent history?

Lessons From The Last Five YearsNEON’s breakout Oscar moment came with “Parasite” in 2019. That same season, even though France didn’t submit it, the distributor championed Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait Of A Lady On Fire,” which found love on the indie circuit. They also supported “Honeyland“—North Macedonia’s official entry—which earned nominations for both Documentary and International Feature.

In 2021, NEON returned with “Titane,” another Palme d’Or winner submitted by France. However, due to its genre, it was largely overlooked. Instead, NEON’s big Oscar plays that year were Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” and “Flee“—the latter acquired after its selection for the canceled 2020 Cannes. Both earned International Feature nominations, and “Flee” made history with nominations in Animated, Documentary, and International Feature.

In 2022, NEON focused on “Triangle Of Sadness” and “Broker.” They also acquired “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” winner of the Golden Lion, which went on to win Best Documentary at the Oscars. Although “Triangle Of Sadness” didn’t win any Oscars, it surprised everyone with three nominations, including Best Picture.

Then in 2023 came “Anatomy Of A Fall.” Submitted by France, it earned five nominations—including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director for Justine Triet—and won Original Screenplay. That year, NEON also handled “Perfect Days,” Japan’s official entry, which earned an International Feature nomination. The one film they couldn’t quite lift was “Origin,” which had grassroots momentum from Venice but was released too late to build a real campaign.

Last year, NEON’s strategy was focused and streamlined: they pushed “Anora” for Best Picture and “The Seed Of The Sacred Fig“—submitted by Germany—for International Feature. This tight, dual-pronged approach has worked for NEON two years in a row. But 2025 is different. With three possible Best Picture contenders and four International Feature candidates, there’s no precedent for a NEON slate this stacked. They’ll need a clear strategy to maximize return on investment—especially since these kinds of films often rely heavily on awards momentum for their box office and streaming value.

The smartest, most cost-effective approach? Let the early awards circuit do the filtering. Organic critics’ reception, Critics Circle wins, and Golden Globe nominations will help identify the strongest contenders. From there, NEON can double down on one or two Best Picture hopefuls and do the same for Best International Feature—ensuring that their campaign efforts are targeted, efficient, and, ideally, very loud.

How do you feel NEON will perform at this year’s Academy Awards with their impressive slate? Will they be able to win Best Picture and Best International Feature? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account.

You can follow Reza and hear more of his thoughts on the Oscars & Film on X @kelitikfilm