The muses of cinema are smiling. Sean Baker’s Best Director Oscar is a victory for independent filmmaking, for risk-taking, and for all those who defy the major studios, holding onto their ideas and making films even if it means doing so without a budget. The 56-year-old American director has spent his career portraying the marginalized communities of the United States, and with Anora, he has crafted a film that encapsulates the very best of his visual and thematic style. The movie tells the story of a stripper and sex worker whose life takes an unexpected turn for the better—only for her to fight tooth and nail to keep the world from stealing that change away. It’s a comedy as wild and entertaining as it is deeply tragic.

The Palme d’Or and now the Oscar for Anora not only solidify Mikey Madison as Hollywood’s next big star but also shine a light on the people Sean Baker’s films are about—immigrants, sex workers, and those struggling to get by with barely a dollar to their name. The very same people excluded from the glitzy parade outside the Dolby Theatre just hours ago.

“I’m an independent filmmaker for life,” Baker declared months ago while accepting a Spirit Award, delivering one of the most defiant speeches in recent memory. “I don’t see my films as stepping stones to land a TV show or a studio project. I want to make personal films, for theaters, about stories that major studios would never approve. With full creative freedom. Without being forced to cast actors based on their box office draw or social media following. That needs to end.”

Sean Baker’s filmography

Four Letter Words (2000)

Take Out (2004)

Prince of Broadway (2008)

Starlet (2012)

Tangerine (2015)

The Florida Project (2017)

Red Rocket (2021)

Anora (2024)

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