At the 97th Academy Awards, Anora became the night’s biggest winner, earning five Oscars, including Best Picture. The American rom-com starring Mark Eidelstein and Yuriy Borisov was a breakthrough moment for Sean Baker, who took home four awards, tying Walt Disney’s 1954 record.

While Anora introduced Baker to a wider audience, indie film fans have long recognised him as a filmmaker who blends social realism with humour and vibrant storytelling, bringing fresh perspectives to the screen.

The Early Passion for Film

Baker’s love for movies started in childhood. Growing up in Summit, New Jersey, he was fascinated by classic horror films and Spielberg’s blockbusters. As a teenager, he made Super 8 short films and later filmed his graduation project on VHS.

At NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he initially wanted to direct big-budget action films, but exposure to indie filmmakers like Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch, as well as European directors such as Ken Loach and Mike Leigh, shifted his focus toward intimate, character-driven stories.

The First Feature Film on a Small Budget

After graduating, Baker struggled to find work. Without career support from NYU, he had to fund his debut film himself. Using $50,000 from shooting 16mm commercials, he directed Four Letter Words, a mumblecore-style comedy about high school friends reconnecting. To save money, he bought leftover film stock from 12 Monkeys.

However, the project stalled in post-production. Frustrated, Baker took a TV job at FOX, directing the puppet sitcom Greg the Bunny. This experience helped him develop improvisational comedy skills, which later influenced his filmmaking.

After the show ended, he returned to indie filmmaking with producer Shih-Ching Tsou, whom he met at NYU. Their first collaboration, Take Out, introduced Baker’s signature blend of realism and humour, earning recognition on the festival circuit.

The Indie Films That Built His Career

Take Out follows an undocumented Chinese delivery worker in Manhattan, highlighting the struggles of migrant labourers. Shot on a $3,000 budget, Baker used a handheld camcorder, embracing a DIY aesthetic.

His next film, Prince of Broadway, centred on a street vendor selling counterfeit goods who suddenly discovers he has a child. Baker spent months interviewing real street vendors, eventually casting one of them as the lead.

Both films premiered at major festivals and earned Independent Spirit Award nominations, establishing Baker’s reputation in indie cinema.

Developing a Unique Filmmaking Style

Baker’s early films were low-budget and raw, but certain trademarks became clear:
* Stories about people on the fringes of society
* A focus on realistic, everyday struggles
* A mix of non-professional and professional actors

He refined this approach in Starlet, a story about an unlikely friendship between a young porn actress and an elderly woman. At the time, Baker was working on an MTV sitcom (Warren the Ape), where he met real adult film performers. Their experiences inspired him to create a film that portrayed their lives beyond clichés.

Although Starlet earned praise at SXSW and Locarno, its graphic sex scenes limited its release. Still, it caught the attention of Mark and Jay Duplass, who agreed to fund Baker’s next film—though at a much smaller budget than expected.

With limited resources, Baker made a career-changing decision:

He shot his next film entirely on an iPhone.

The Film That Changed Everything

• Tangerine was Baker’s first queer film, based on months of research into LA’s trans sex worker community.
• Shot entirely on an iPhone 5S, using anamorphic lenses, it looked cinematic despite its DIY approach.
• The film followed a trans woman hunting down her cheating pimp, blending comedy, drama, and documentary-style realism.

Premiering at Sundance, Tangerine was a game-changer, proving that strong storytelling matters more than expensive equipment.

His next film, The Florida Project, became his mainstream breakthrough. A vibrant drama about a struggling single mother raising her daughter in a motel near Disney World, it starred Willem Dafoe and social media star Bria Vinaite. The film earned an Oscar nomination, bringing Baker to global attention.

A Passion for Casting New Faces

Baker is known for discovering fresh talent, often mixing non-professional actors with Hollywood stars:

• In Starlet, he cast model Dree Hemingway alongside 85-year-old newcomer Besedka Johnson, whom his producer met at a gym.
• In The Florida Project, he cast six-year-old Brooklynn Prince and Instagram personality Bria Vinaite.
• In Red Rocket, he gave the lead to former MTV host Simon Rex, whose performance revived his career.
• In Anora, he introduced Russian actors Mark Eidelstein and Yuriy Borisov to Hollywood audiences.

Baker’s naturalistic casting process gives his films a raw, immersive quality.

Anora’s Success and What Comes Next

With Anora, Baker may have worked with fewer street-cast actors, but he stayed true to his style, blending humour, warmth, and realism. His visuals have evolved from DIY aesthetics to polished cinematography, but his commitment to authentic storytelling remains the same.

Winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, Anora is Baker’s most celebrated film yet. But beyond awards, his biggest achievement is proving that passion, creativity, and risk-taking can take indie filmmaking to the highest level.

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