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Sean Baker took home the gold statuette for his work on Anora. Alamy Stock Photo

'Keep making cinema': Anora director's makes history by winning four Oscars for the same movie

Sean Baker urged filmmakers to keep making movies for theatrical release.

LAST UPDATE | 3 Mar

SEAN BAKER URGED filmmakers to keep making movies for theatrical release in a “battle cry” delivered after he won the Oscar for best director for Anora. 

The film emerged as the big winner of the night, winning five of the six awards it was nominated for – including best picture and best actress for Mikey Madison.

For Anora, Baker also took home the awards for best film editing, best original screenplay, and as producer wins an Oscar for its best film award. 

It means he won four awards on the night, the first time an individual as won four awards on a night since Walt Disney did it in in 1954 with four movies. Baker became the first to do it for a single film.  

“We’re all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater,” Baker said in his acceptance speech.

Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream and fight together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together. In a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever.

Baker said the experience was one that “you simply don’t get at home”, but warned that it is now under threat and that cinemas were struggling to stay afloat. 

“It’s up to us to support them,” he said.

“During the pandemic, we lost nearly a thousand screens in the US, and we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture.

“This is my battle cry. Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen. I know I will. Distributors, please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films. Parents, introduce your children to feature films in movie theaters, and you’ll be molding the next generation of movie lovers.

“For all of us, when we can, please watch movies in the theater, and let’s keep the great tradition of the movie-going experience alive and well.”

Best film editing

In winning best editing, Bakle beat Lisburn-man Nick Emerson to the gold statuette. The Northern Ireland film editor had been nominated for his work on the Vatican thriller Conclave. 

He won the Bafta for his work earlier this month. 

Accepting the award for his work on Anora, which tells the story of a young sex worker from Brooklyn who marries a Russian oligarch, Baker thanked the cast of the film and the “sex worker community”.

los-angeles-united-states-02nd-mar-2025-nick-emerson-arrives-on-the-red-carpet-for-the-97th-academy-awards-in-the-hollywood-section-of-los-angeles-on-sunday-march-2-2025-photo-by-john-angelillo Despite winning the Bafta last month, Nick Emerson missed out on the Oscar for his editing work on Conclave. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

“They have shared their stories, they have shared their experience with me over the years, they have my deepest respect, thank you,” he said. 

Baker joked that he truly appreciated the recognition for his work on the black comedy, “because God, if you saw that footage, I saved this film in the edit. Trust me, that director should never work again”.

The other nominees in the best film editing category were David Jancso for The Brutalist, Juliette Welfling for Emilia Pérez and Myron Kerstein for Wicked. 

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    Mute Marcus Maher - Triskellion Films
    Favourite Marcus Maher - Triskellion Films
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    Mar 3rd 2025, 5:42 AM

    Really good filmmaker, his Florida Project was one of the best films of the last 10 years.

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    Mute eoin fitzpatrick
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    Mar 3rd 2025, 9:10 AM

    @Marcus Maher – Triskellion Films: Red Rocket was fantastic too. Brilliant unique director.

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    Mute John Doe
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    Mar 3rd 2025, 2:32 AM

    Sean Baker fully deserved the Oscar for his editing hands down

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    Mar 3rd 2025, 10:44 AM

    Those using the public to air issues in their lives should be honestly called out. They should pay private medical experts that can help them.

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