Sean Baker achieved something rare at this year’s Oscars. The talented writer, editor, and director won four Academy Awards in one night.
This has only happened once before in the 97-year history of the awards. However, the previous record was set across four different films, while Baker won all four for one movie—this year’s Best Picture winner, Anora.
Baker received awards for Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. Walt Disney was the only other person to win four Oscars in a single night. He accomplished this in 1954 at the 26th Academy Awards.
Disney won for The Living Desert (Best Documentary Feature), The Alaskan Eskimo (Best Documentary Short Subject), Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Best Short Subject, Cartoon), and Bear Country (Best Short Subject, Two-Reel).
Before Baker, the record for most Oscars won by one person for a single film was three. Several filmmakers have achieved that, including Bong Joon-Ho, who won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for Parasite in 2020. Though Parasite also won Best International Feature, that award is given to the country that submitted the film, not directly to the director or producers.
Who Is Sean Baker?
Sean Baker grew up in New Jersey and worked for many years in independent film before gaining mainstream recognition. His movies often focus on people who live on the edges of society. His first four films—Four Letter Words (2000), Take Out, Prince of Broadway, and Starlet—did not receive much attention.
His breakthrough came with Tangerine in 2015, a comedy-drama about a transgender sex worker. He filmed it using three iPhones, and it premiered at Sundance, earning critical praise. He followed that with The Florida Project, his biggest film at the time.
The movie starred Willem Dafoe as a motel manager who cares for a group of children living there. Dafoe received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and the film earned over $11 million at the box office on a $2 million budget.
In 2021, Baker released Red Rocket, a story about a former adult film star, played by Simon Rex. The movie had less success, partly because it came out during the pandemic.
Anora became his biggest success, both critically and commercially. The film made $41 million at the box office on a $6 million budget. It has now won multiple Oscars, making it the most awarded film of this year’s ceremony.
Baker was not the only winner from Anora. The film’s lead actress, Mikey Madison, won the Oscar for Best Actress. She plays Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, an exotic dancer from Brighton Beach who unexpectedly marries the heir of a wealthy Russian family.
Anora is now available to rent or buy digitally. Stay tuned for more updates on this award-winning film.
Also Read: Anora Movie Ending Explained: What Does The Climax Reveal About The Characters?
