Sean Baker wins best director Oscar for 'Anora' in Academy Awards sweep

Source: AP

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
Updated 10:49 PM CST, March 2, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Anora” creator Sean Baker won best director, best picture and two other Academy Awards at the Oscars on Sunday, bookending a dominant awards season for the American filmmaker whose stories seek to humanize sex workers and immigrants.

Baker, 53, wrote, produced, directed and edited the film, and he swept in all four categories. The comedy-drama stars Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who marries the impetuous son of a Russian oligarch. They impulsively tie the knot on a ketamine-induced Las Vegas getaway, angering his parents, who send their bumbling henchmen after the couple to force an annulment.

With his four Oscars, Baker ties Walt Disney for the most wins in a single year in Academy Awards history. “Anora” was the night’s big winner with five overall — two more than “The Brutalist.” (Unlike Disney in 1954, all Baker’s wins were for a single project. Bong Joon Ho was the previous record holder for most wins for a single film, in 2017 for “Parasite.”)

In addition to best director and best picture, Baker won for best original screenplay and best editing — a rarity as directors don’t typically cut their own films. He came into the night the favorite for the directing Oscar after earning the top prize from the Directors Guild of America, a win that historically all but guarantees an Oscars victory. He also took home the top awards at the Producers Guild and Independent Spirit Awards.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2025-oscars-5d037ce0db30f741f616e2faa97c3fdc