Sean Baker, long a leading figure of the US independent movie circuit, who is now shooting to mainstream success, has won multiple prizes for 'Anora'.
Sean Baker, whose low-budget movie 'Anora' is the frontrunner for next weekend's Oscars, delivered an impassioned plea to 'keep indie film alive' as he won top prize at the Spirit Awards Saturday. Sean Baker, whose low-budget movie "Anora" is the frontrunner for next weekend's Oscars, delivered an impassioned plea to "keep indie film alive" as he won top prize at the Spirit Awards Saturday.
His latest film "Anora" portrays Ani, a stripper and escort, whose whirlwind marriage to the son of a Russian oligarch rapidly unravels in disastrous circumstances. But Baker warned that the collapse of DVD sales, which once supported up-and-coming filmmakers, means creatives like him rarely make any money even when their movies succeed in theaters. He warned that major Hollywood studios swallow profits, refuse to "green light" movies tackling controversial subjects, and force directors to cast actors based on "how many followers they have on social media.
Kieran Culkin also won best supporting performance for the comedy, about two polar opposite US cousins retracing their Jewish heritage in Poland. Best documentary went to "No Other Land," about the destruction of a village in the occupied West Bank. It is the favorite to win the same prize at the Academy Awards on March 2, yet still has not been able to find a distributor in the United States.
The Spirit Awards will not affect this year's Oscars, as voting has already ended for the season-capping 97th Academy Awards. Originally published on doc.
