Sean Baker is scrappy. For years, the writer-director has been making independent films about marginalized groups, from undocumented immigrants to sex workers. He casts his own movies, working with friends and talent he finds on social media.

As a writer and director, Baker has dedicated much of his career to elucidating the subtleties of figures like Ani who are often relegated to the background. He’s allowed us to peer inside the fictional lives of trans sex workers on Hollywood Boulevard in his 2015 breakout “ Tangerine ,

Starring an inspired Mikey Madison, who dominates in the role of a stripper who falls for the wrong guy, Sean Baker's high-energy comedy comes with a side of sadness.

Yura Borisov is Baker's hidden weapon. He plays the quiet Russian who falls for Anora, and he tells IndieWire about his path to the role — and what else he helped shape in the Palme d’Or winner.

Sean Baker's “Anora” is by wide consensus one of the year’s best films and a best picture contender at the Oscars.

Leonardo DiCaprio & Quentin Tarantino Break Down Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Main Character 'Anora' director Sean Baker breaks down a scene alongside Mikey Madison who stars as Ani in the film. Sean dishes on finding the "most luxurious" mansion via Google Earth,

Sean Baker‘s “Anora” is one of the best-reviewed movies of the year. This seriocomic tale about an exotic dancer (Mikey Madison) and her whirlwind love affair with a Russian oligarch’s son (Mark Eydelshteyn) opens in limited release on.