Sean Baker wins best director Oscar for Anora

<p>Director who made his name with microbudget indie films wins with his self-penned drama about a lapdancer who falls for one of her clients</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/19/oscars-academy-award-best-picture-movies">Oscars 2025 — follow live Academy Awards updates</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/02/oscars-academy-awards-winners-live">See complete list of winners</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2025/mar/03/oscars-2025-the-red-carpet-in-pictures">photos from the red carpet</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/sean-baker">Sean Baker</a> has won the best director <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/oscars">Oscar</a> for Anora at the Academy Awards, which are taking place in Los Angeles, California.</p><p>A romance/thriller about a lapdancer who impulsively marries a Russian playboy, Anora stars <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/mikey-madison">Mikey Madison</a> and Mark Eydelshteyn. It is Baker’s eighth feature, having made his debut with the microbudget indie Four Letter Words in 2000, and his fourth film since making a breakthrough in 2015 with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/12/tangerine-review-trans-drama">Tangerine</a>, a drama about trans sex workers shot on iPhones.</p><p>Anora wins best<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/oscar-sean-baker-best-original-screenplay-anora"> original</a> and Conclave wins best<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/oscar-conclave-peter-straughan-best-adapted-screenplay"> adapted</a> screenplay</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/kieran-culkin-oscar-actor-a-real-pain">Kieran Culkin</a> and<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/zoe-saldana-best-supporting-actress-oscar-emilia-perez"> Zoe Saldaña</a> win supporting prizes</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/no-other-land-wins-best-documentary-feature-oscar">No Other Land</a> wins best documentary and<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/oscar-flow-best-animated-feature">Flow</a> wins best animated feature</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/oscar-sean-baker-best-director-anora">Continue reading...</a>