Sean Baker picked up his third prize of the night for ‘Anora’, after wins for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing, to take the statuette ahead of Brady Corbet, James Mangold, Jacques Audiard and Coralie Fargeat
Sean Baker urged for the preservation of traditional cinema as he accepted the Best Director accolade at the prestigious Academy Awards on Sunday.
Clinching his third trophy of the evening for Anora, following triumphs in the Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing categories, Sean won in the Best Director category, where Brady Corbet with The Brutalist, James Mangold for A Complete Unknown, Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance were also nominated.
During an impassioned speech, the director urged the audience to safeguard the cinematic experience. Sean received the award from screen legend Quentin Tarantino at LA’s Dolby Theater, where he expressed his gratitude: “Wow, OK, Quentin if you didn’t cast Mikey Madison in Once Upon a Time…, there would be no Anora. thank you so much, and for all your incredible work.
“I’m gonna take the time up here really quick to read something I’m very passionate about. First off, thank you to the Academy, this means so much. Thank you to my fellow nominees, your films are incredible and it’s an honour to be in this category with you.”
Highlighting the emotional connection everyone shares with movies, Sean said: “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 theatre. Watching a film in a theatre with an audience is an experience we can laugh together, cry together, scream, perhaps sit in devastated silence together.
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“And in a time in which the world can feel divided, this is more important than ever. It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home. Right now, the theatre-going experience is under threat. Movie theatres, especially independently-owned theatres are struggling and it’s up to us to support them.”
He painted a dire picture of the current landscape, revealing the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cinema.
“During the pandemic, we lost nearly 1,000 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,” he said.
“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. Neon did that for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
He added: “Parents, introduce your children to feature films in movie theatres and you’ll be moulding the next generation of movie-lovers and filmmakers. And for all of us, when we can , please watch movies in the theatre and let’s keep the great tradition of the movie-going experience alive and well.”
Sean ended his heartfelt speech by dedicating his win to his mother, adding: “One last thing, my mother introduced me to the cinema at five years old. Today is also her birthday. Happy birthday mom, I love you, thank you for everything. This is for you.”
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