Oscars milestones to look out for, from Timothee Chalamet to a win for Palestine

Most important night in the film calendar could feature unique firsts and new records

No Other Land could become the first film from Palestine to win an Academy Award. Photo: Antipode Films

Movie buffs will be tuning in on Sunday to see which films, actors, directors and film professionals are crowned at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Each year throws up some kind of first. Whether it’s the language of the film, the country it came from or winners who carry on a family legacy, the Oscars offer up stories galore.

Here we list some of this year's potential milestone achievements.

No Other Land: First Oscar win for Palestine

Three films from Palestine have previously been nominated in the Best International Film category, as well as two in the Best Live Action Short Film category, and one for Best Documentary feature. This year, Palestinian-Israeli production No Other Land – co-directed by Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham – could constitute Palestine’s first Oscar win.

The win would also be major for Israel. The only Israeli-born director to win an Oscar to date is Guy Nattiv in 2018 for his short film Skin, which was produced in the US. Israel has had 10 films nominated for the Best International Film Oscar, the most without a win in the category.

Timothee Chalamet: Youngest Actor in a Leading Role winner

Two nominees in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category will be having a duel of their own in pursuit of the golden statuette. If Chalamet, nominated for his role as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, wins, he will become the youngest actor to win the award, at 29 years, two months and seven days. The current record holder is Adrien Brody, who is nominated this year for his role as a Hungarian architect in The Brutalist.

Brody became the youngest Actor in a Leading Role Oscar winner in 2003 for The Pianist. He was 29 years, 10 months and nine days old.

Emilia Perez: First Spanish language Best Picture winner

The most nominated film this year is Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, a musical about a Mexican drug lord who fakes his death. The film stars Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez.

While it's a French production, most of the film is in Spanish. If it were to win, it would be the first Spanish language winner of the Best Picture Oscar. Previously, Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma had the best chance but lost to Green Book in 2019. Spanish language films from Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Chile have won eight times in the Best International Feature Film category.

I’m Still Here: First Oscar for Brazil

Brazil has a rich cinematic history. The first film from the country to be nominated was also its first winner, Black Orpheus, in 1959. A French-Brazilian production, filmed in Brazil and spoken in Portuguese, the film, however, represented France because of its French director, Marcel Camus.

Since then, the South American country has been nominated across different categories including Best International film, Best Documentary and Best Animated Short. This year, Brazilians will be waiting with bated breath to see if they will clinch the title of Best Picture with Walter Salles’s I’m Still Here.

The film’s lead, Fernanda Torres, is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, only the second Brazilian to be nominated for an acting Oscar. The first was her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, for her performance in Central Station in 1999. Should Torres win, she will be the first Brazilian to take the accolade.

Flow: Latvia becomes smallest country by population to win an Oscar

One of this year’s surprise hits is the Latvian animated film Flow, which is nominated for Best Animated Feature and Best International Film. It follows a black cat as it navigates the wilderness attempting to survive. Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, the film was the first from Latvia to be nominated for an Oscar.

Should it win, it would also be the film from smallest country by population (1.8 million people) to win an Oscar. The previous smallest country by population winner was Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2001 (about four million people) with the film No Man’s Land.

The Man who could not Remain Silent: First Oscar for Croatia

Croatia has a modest presence in the history of the Oscars. The country has previously submitted films to the Best International Film category without receiving any nominations. The most significant Croatian achievement has been with Croatian-born producer Branko Lustig, who won two Oscars for producing Schindler’s List and Gladiator.

This year, short film The Man who could not Remain Silent would be the first from Croatia to win an Academy Award. Directed by Nebojsa Slijepcevic, the 13-minute drama is about a real-life kidnapping incident from 1993 when a Serbian paramilitary group abducted 24 Muslims from a train and eventually killed them.

Diane Warren: Ending the record for most nominations without a win

American songwriter Diane Warren is the record holder for most individual Oscar nominations without a win. Her first nomination came in 1987 for Nothing's Gonna Stop us Now from Mannequin. Since then, she has written memorable songs such as I Don't Want to Miss a Thing from Armageddon and How Do I Live from Con Air. This year, she received her 16th Oscar nomination for the song The Journey from The Six Triple Eight.