Tag Archives: Sean Baker

Academy Awards, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Oscar

Oscar Winners 2025

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

It was quite a night at the 97th Academy Awards inside the Dolby Theatre at Ovation in Hollywood, California. Indie filmmaker Sean Baker walked away with four Oscars for his latest work, Anora. Meanwhile, his lead actress, Mikey Madison, walked away with an Oscar of her own, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, for her portrayal of sex worker Anora. There were many highlights to the evening including a stand up performance by Conan O’Brien as this year’ s host, a magical opening montage, A-list presenters, song and dance routines, a tribute to the late Quincy Jones, and a “wicked” performance from Arianna Grande and Cynthia Erivo. A complete list of Oscar winners is below:

Oscar Winners 2025

Best Picture

  • Anora – WINNER
  • The Brutalist
  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia Pérez
  • I’m Still Here
  • Nickel Boys
  • The Substance
  • Wicked

Best Director

  • Sean Baker (Anora) – WINNER
  • Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
  • James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)
  • Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez)
  • Coralie Fargeat (The Substance)

Actor in a Leading Role

  • Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) – WINNER
  • Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown)
  • Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
  • Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
  • Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)

Actress in a Leading Role

  • Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)
  • Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez)
  • Mikey Madison (Anora) – WINNER
  • Demi Moore (The Substance)
  • Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here)

Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Yura Borisov (Anora)
  • Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) – WINNER
  • Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown)
  • Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
  • Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)

Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown)
  • Ariana Grande (Wicked)
  • Felicity Jones (The Brutalist)
  • Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)
  • Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) – WINNER

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave – WINNER
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Nickel Boys
  • Sing Sing

Writing (Original Screenplay)

  • Anora – WINNER
  • The Brutalist
  • A Real Pain
  • September 5
  • The Substance

Cinematography

  • The Brutalist – WINNER
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Maria
  • Nosferatu

Animated Feature Film

  • Flow – WINNER
  • Inside Out 2
  • Memoir Of A Snail
  • Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
  • The Wild Robot

Music (Original Score)

  • The Brutalist – WINNER
  • Conclave
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Wicked
  • The Wild Robot

Music (Original Song)

  • El Mal (Emilia Pérez) – WINNER
  • The Journey (The Six Triple Eight)
  • Like A Bird (Sing Sing)
  • Mi Camino (Emilia Pérez)
  • Never Too Late (Elton John: Never Too Late)

Production Design

  • The Brutalist
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Nosferatu
  • Wicked – WINNER

Film Editing

  • Anora – WINNER
  • The Brutalist
  • Conclave
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Wicked

Documentary Feature Film

  • Black Box Diaries
  • No Other Land – WINNER
  • Porcelain War
  • Soundtrack To A Coup D’Etat
  • Sugarcane

Documentary Short Film

  • Death By Numbers
  • I Am Ready, Warden
  • Incident
  • Instruments Of A Beating Heart
  • The Only Girl In The Orchestra – WINNER

International Feature Film

  • I’m Still Here (Brazil) – WINNER
  • The Girl With The Needle (Denmark)
  • Emilia Pérez (France)
  • The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (Germany)
  • Flow (Latvia)

Makeup and Hairstyling

  • A Different Man
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Nosferatu
  • The Substance – WINNER
  • Wicked

Visual Effects

  • Alien: Romulus
  • Better Man
  • Dune: Part Two – WINNER
  • Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
  • Wicked

Costume Design

  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Gladiator II
  • Nosferatu
  • Wicked – WINNER

Animated Short Film

  • Beautiful Men
  • In The Shadow Of The Cypress – WINNER
  • Magic Candies
  • Wander To Wonder
  • Yuck!

Live-Action Short Film

  • A Lien
  • Anuja
  • I’m Not A Robot – WINNER
  • The Last Ranger
  • The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Sound

  • A Complete Unknown
  • Dune: Part Two – WINNER
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Wicked
  • The Wild Robot
#AFI, #AFIFEST, AFI FEST, Feature Film, Film Festival, Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatre

FILM CAPSULE: Sean Baker’s RED ROCKET

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Sean Baker ( Tangerine, The Florida Project, Starlet) and A24’s Red Rocket, a dramedy, featuring Simon Rex, a standout media personality, Suzanna Son, and Bree Elrod, tells the tale of Mikey Saber, a washed up, 20 year veteran performer in the adult film industry who returns home for more of the same, screened last night at the 2021 AFI FEST.

Simon Rex as Mikey Saber in Sean Baker’s Red Rocket (Photo from fest.afi.com)

Red Rocket, follows Mikey Saber (played by a compelling Simon Rex), as he futilely careens in and out of harrowing situations in dark places never fully grasping the ramifications of his actions and choices. Bree Elrod as Lexi, and Suzanna Son as Strawberry, deliver riveting performances with exquisite line execution. Rex turns in a tour de force performance as Mikey Saber.

Red Rocket is Sean Baker at his best in this low, low-budget filmmaking. Providing a snapshot of Mikey and the socially marginalized characters that are in his orbit, Baker elevates Red Rocket with snappy dialogue, carefully executed camera work, and the trust he places in the audience. Captivating work from start to finish.

Interestingly,  the Q & A immediately following the screening led by AFI Programming Director Sarah Harris got a little saucy. Baker and Rex took exception when an audience member, who coincidentally works in the adult film industry and performs in Ninja Thyberg’s Pleasure, also screening at AFI FEST 2021, stated his displeasure hearing the audience guffawing loudly at a term thrown out by Lexi at Red Rocket’s end.

(Left to right) Sarah Harris, AFI Programming Director, Director Sean Baker, Actor Simon Rex, Actor Bree Elrod, and Actor Suzanna Son participate in a Q&A, on November 12, 2021, following the AFI FEST screening of RED ROCKET, at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGLee)

Baker shared the film had five consultants work over the script and scene work to make Red Rocket’s depiction of a former porn star as realistic as possible. Rex chimed in stating few people in the audience would recognize the industry term.

Red Rocket is Sean Baker’s strongest work to date. Not for the faint of heart. Earthy with frontal nudity. Coming to theatres December 10th. Very warmly recommended!