By Miriam Elder, CNN

(CNN) — Hollywood’s biggest stars gathered in Los Angeles on Sunday to honor some incredible movies and celebrate the power of film, while giving in to the fact that putting the world’s troubles aside, even for a night, is impossible.

There were indeed some happy moments, including history-making wins and uplifting musical performances. But there was also an element of sadness — much time was devoted to honoring those legends we lost this year, and even host Conan O’Brien took time to acknowledge that we live in “very chaotic, frightening times.”

How will this year’s Oscars stand the test of time? Coming amid turmoil both at home and abroad, maybe its lesson is that difficult moments can lead to incredible art, and that celebrating together is all the more important.

On with the show!

A ‘Battle’ won but not lost

Raise your hand if you thought this time would be different and that the buzz for “Sinners” — a creative and cultural achievement in the horror genre and at large — would lead it to unmitigated glory. Womp.

In the end, “One Battle After Another,” another deserving film in so many ways, came out on top. But: “Sinners” is in no way a loser here.

With 16 total nods, the movie entered Oscar night making history, as the most-nominated movie ever in 98 years of the Academy Awards. To have a project that is not only critically acclaimed and culturally significant, but also a powerhouse at the box office, is rare. To have that film be a horror film, written and directed by a Black man and featuring a mostly Black cast, felt like a whole other level.

While trophies are nice, the movie did it right in the ways that matter most. That feels like the biggest win of all.

A decisive best actor win for Michael B. Jordan

Going back to those “Sinners” triumphs…

With no clear frontrunner, all eyes were on the best actor race this year and the top award went to Michael B. Jordan for his performance playing twins Smoke and Stack in the film.

The actor appeared stunned when his name was read and the theater erupted in thunderous applause as the former child actor accepted his first-ever Oscar.

After thanking his family, who were all in the audience, Jordan thanked the film’s director, Oscar-winner Ryan Coogler, who has cast Jordan in every film he’s made.

“You gave me the opportunity and the space to be seen,” he said.

Jordan called out Black Oscar-winning actors who came before him, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry, among others, saying how proud he was to stand “amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors.”

The “Devil Wears Prada 2” promotional stunt we welcomed

Note to future Oscars bookers: If you’re going to put what is essentially a commercial in the middle of the ceremony, it better be this good.

Anna Wintour made a surprise appearance on the Oscars stage — even dropping her signature sunglasses, at least for a while, for the occasion.

The legendary Vogue editor appeared alongside Anne Hathaway to present two awards — for costume design and makeup, and for hairstyling, both of which went to “Frankenstein.”

Wintour and Hathaway walked out to “Vogue” by Madonna, a song that famously appears in “The Devil Wears Prada,” the film in which Hathaway stars alongside Meryl Streep, who plays Miranda Priestly, a character believed to be loosely based on Wintour. A sequel to the beloved 2006 film will be released in theaters on May 1.

The duo nodded at the film while presenting, with Wintour jokingly calling Hathaway “Emily” at one point, a reference to the assistant character played by Emily Blunt in the movie.

Uplifting musical performances that truly felt global

While there were only two musical

Por Gonzalo Jiménez, CNN en Español

La cinta “One Battle After Another” se convirtió este domingo en la cinta más premiada de la edición 98 de los premios Oscar. Obtuvo seis estatuillas, entre ellas la más importante de la gala, la de mejor película.

Además, su director, Paul Thomas Anderson obtuvo personalmente dos premios, a mejor director y mejor guion adaptado. El realizador contaba hasta la noche del domingo con 14 nominaciones a los premios Oscar sin haberlo obtenido antes, por lo que muchos sentían que había llegado el momento de reconocer la trayectoria de Anderson.

La película también hizo historia al obtener el primer Oscar que se entrega en la categoría de mejor elenco o reparto.

Y Sean Penn obtuvo el tercer premio Oscar de su carrera, esta vez como mejor actor de reparto, por su interpretación del militar Steven J. Lockjaw, quien persigue en la película al revolucionario venido a menos Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) y a su hija Willa (Chase Infiniti). Penn no estuvo presente en la ceremonia del Oscar.

“One Battle After Another” se impuso en un año muy reñido, en el que hubo una alta calidad en las películas nominadas y en la que “Sinners” había impuesto el récord como la cinta con más nominaciones (16) en la historia de los premios de la Academia.

La película de Anderson también recibió el premio Oscar a mejor edición o montaje, para Andy Jurgensen.

Con la gala de los premios Oscar, culmina un año en el que “One Battle After Another” recibió los premios más importantes de la crítica. He aquí un resumen de sus reconocimientos.

• Globos de Oro: Obtuvo el premio Globo de Oro a mejor película de comedia o musical, además de mejor director, mejor guion adaptado y mejor actriz de reparto (Teyana Taylor)
• BAFTA: Ganó seis premios BAFTA en el Reino Unido, incluyendo mejor película, mejor director y mejor actor de reparto (Sean Penn)
• Directors Guild Award: Paul Thomas Anderson obtuvo el premio a major director
• Premios Critics Choice: Ganó mejor película y mejor director
• Premios Actor (antes SAG Awards): Impuso un récord de 7 nominaciones para el elenco de una película
• Premios César (Francia): Obtuvo el premio a mejor cinta extranjera
• Premios Gotham (Nueva York): Ganó el premio a mejor película
• Asociación de Críticos de Chicago: Recibió el premio a mejor película
• Premios de la National Society of Film Critics: Recibió cuatro premios, entre ellos mejor película y mejor director

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—It’s not your typical story, but “One Battle After Another” has made a splash here at home.

“It's landed perfectly in this day and age that just really talks about the divisiveness and the polarity our country and the world that we're living in, the fact that we can't hear each other,” said Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated for “Best Actor” in the film.

The politically charged action comedy follows a washed up revolutionary who jumps into action when his white supremacist nemesis kidnaps his daughter.
 
“Maybe the most challenging part of putting this movie together was the mix of genres that it is. It’s like we have action, we have comedy, and we have, you know just a family story. There's honestly things that are very topical right now. And so that was what was always on my mind. We want to create like this very unique film that is mixing all these genres,” said the film’s editor Andy Jurgensen, who won an Oscar for “Best Editing.”
 
The UC Santa Barbara alum was tasked with balancing the film's plot twists and genre bending.

We spoke with him at the Variety Artisans awards in Santa Barbara and we caught up with him in the days leading up to the Academy Awards.
 
“This Sunday's like the last hurrah, you know, with all of our crew members,” said Jurgensen.
 
Jurgensen says the political landscape in the U.S. was shifting as he was editing the movie.
 
“We shot the whole movie right before the election, so the whole thing with, like, the immigration and the I.C.E. camps and stuff, all that was basically kind of happened as we were editing the movie. So we kind of were realizing like, ‘Wow, this is becoming very topical,’” said Jurgensen.
 
The iconic La Purisima Mission in Lompoc was the setting for the movie’s climactic moments, standing in as a hideout for a group of revolutionary nuns.
 
“The convent scenes were all filmed that mission La Purisima. In fact, the mission today is so iconic. It has so many locations—the chapel, the colonnade, all of the surrounding areas allowed for the entire convent scenes.” said California Missions Foundation Executive Director David Bolton.
 
“It's very cavernous, especially that chapel. And so when Lockjaw is like, screaming at her and they're kind of yelling at each other, it really it has like a really cool effect,” said Jurgensen.
 
The rolling hills surrounding the mission influenced the way the film was shot.
 
“Bob is driving up the hill and looking down at the mission. We really wanted to do that practically so that we could use a hill that would look down on the mission so that we didn't have to green screen,” said Jurgensen.
 
The film's 2-week shoot in and around Lompoc brought in big business for hotels from Buellton to Lompoc.
 
Locals also got to see the film's stars at this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
 
“It's still quite insane. Yeah. I just don't want to know. It's crazy. So I can't wrap my head around it,” said Chase Infiniti, who plays Willa in “One Battle After Another.”
 
“I knew that this movie would shake the table and I knew that it was spark conversation. It's crazy to think about how relevant the movie is, you know, and this movie was written almost 20 years ago,” said actress Teyana Taylor.
 
“If you like your movies stars old fashioned, with talent, some mystery, class, a little bit of unpredictable danger, then here are 3 of a dying breed,” said Paul Thomas Anderson at the Cinema Vanguard Award in Santa Barbara.

He was referring to Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro, wh

By Nimi Princewill, CNN

(CNN) — When 22-year-old Wendy Faith shared a Valentine’s Day kiss with 21-year-old Alesi Diana Denise in Uganda — a country infamous for enforcing some of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ laws — the lives of both women were about to take a complicated turn.

Faith and Denise, residents of Arua, a commercial hub in the northwest, have been charged with offenses related to homosexuality and indecency, according to a charge sheet obtained by CNN.

In the East African nation, like in some others on the continent, being LGBTQ also means being at risk of being jailed.

Consensual same-sex relations between adults can lead to life imprisonment in Uganda. A law, implemented in 2023, also carries the death penalty for those found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality,” which includes sexual acts involving minors, the elderly or disabled people.

If Faith and Denise are convicted, they could each receive a sentence of up to seven years in prison.

Douglas Mawadri, one of the lawyers representing Faith and Denise, said they were arrested on February 18 and their apartment was searched after a photo of the two kissing surfaced online.

The women had been under police surveillance before their arrest, according to Frank Mugisha, who heads Sexual Minorities Uganda, an LGBTQ advocacy group working to secure their release.

Mugisha told CNN that one of the women was a content creator who organized a female dance group that frequently met at her apartment. He said the women’s neighbors informed police of their alleged relationship.

A regional police spokesperson, Josephine Angucia, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. But she told Britain’s The Guardian newspaper the two “have been involved in queer and unusual acts believed to be sexual in nature besides being allegedly seen kissing each other in broad daylight.”

Mugisha, whose organization has been in contact with the women, said he was unable to verify Angucia’s claim, describing it as “hearsay.”

Their lawyer Mawadri said Faith and Denise entered not guilty pleas at their court appearance on March 4. The two were refused bail, and the case was scheduled for a hearing later this month, he said.

The case is a stark example of the environment that many people accused of being LGBTQ in Africa face.

While attitudes vary, the majority of African nations criminalize same-sex relations. On top of that, a host are tightening rules further. The reasons why are complex. But activists and analysts say one factor is attitudes in the United States, something that has only worsened during the second term of Donald Trump’s presidency.

A difficult climate

In late February, Senegal joined the growing number of countries on the continent whose leaders were advocating for stricter anti-LGBTQ laws. In this largely Muslim West African nation, often regarded as one of Africa’s most stable and progressive democracies, same-sex relationships have been illegal for more than six decades.

Last week, Senegal’s parliament approved a bill that doubles the penalty for same-sex relations, increasing the maximum prison sentence to 10 years. The legislation also imposes three to seven-year sentences for those advocating for LGBTQ rights.

In Ghana, also in West Africa, lawmakers are reviving a similar bill that seeks to impose up to three years of imprisonment for identifying as LGBTQ, with advocates facing potential sentences of up to 10 years.

Although this bill was first introduced in 2021 and initially passed in 2024, it was not signed into law by

By Jessie Yeung, CNN

(CNN) — US President Donald Trump is trying to garner international support for securing the Strait of Hormuz – the vital waterway where the transport of oil has shuddered to a halt since the US and Israel began their war with Iran.

He claimed the US has gotten “some positive response” after reaching out to countries for help – but a few “would rather not get involved.” So far no country has made a firm commitment of sending warships.

Meanwhile, the price of oil is rising, while strikes on the ground continue roiling the Middle East.

Here’s what to know on day 17.

What are the main headlines?

• War timeline: Trump said the US and Israel are largely aligned in their military goals, though he acknowledged their objectives may not be identical. His administration officials said they expect the conflict with Iran to come to an end within weeks or “sooner.” Meanwhile, Israel told CNN it’s planning to strike “thousands” of targets over the next three weeks, with potentially more to follow.
• Strait of Hormuz: Trump tried to allay concerns about the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, saying that “hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others” will send warships to help secure the vital shipping lane. He warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if US allies fail to assist. So far, Australia and Japan said they are not planning to send any ships. When asked by CNN if they’d send ships, the United Kingdom said it was discussing options, and China called for an immediate end to hostilities. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran is open to holding talks with countries wanting to safely access the strait.
• Threat to ships: The strait remains under “critical” threat even though no incidents have been reported in the past three days, according to the UK’s maritime agency. At least 20 vessels have been attacked around the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman since the war began, it said.
• Oil prices spike: The price of oil rose to its highest level since July 2022 Sunday evening. Brent crude went up to about $106.12 a barrel while US oil rose to $101.53.

What’s happening on the ground?

• Strikes continue: Israel and Iran continued trading attacks on Sunday. Israel said it was targeting Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and air defense systems, claiming it had struck more than 200 targets over the past day. Iran claimed it has fired about 700 missiles and 3,600 drones at US and Israeli targets since the war started.
• Regional attacks: A fuel tank caught fire near Dubai International Airport after a “drone-related incident” early Monday, causing flights to be temporarily suspended. In Iraq, five people were wounde