Sean Baker

About

Director and filmmaker who rose to prominence after having directed numerous independent films such as Starlet, Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket, all of which revolved around the lives of sex workers. Additionally, his 2024 Mikey Madison-starring film Anora, after having premiered at the esteemed Cannes Film Festival, earned the event's prestigious Palme d'Or. Between 2002 and 2006, he also developed the Seth Green and Eugene Levy-starring television sitcom Greg the Bunny for FOX and IFC.

Before Fame

He discovered his passion or film when he was just a child, when his mother brought him to observe local library screenings of Universal Monster flicks. After graduating from Gill St. Bernard's High School in 1989, he earned a bachelor's degree in film studies from New York University's renowned Tisch School of the Arts.

Trivia

He earned a Robert Altman Award in the year 2013 from the Independent Spirit Awards, for his direction of Starlet. His work on The Florida Project led him to receive Best Director and Director of the Year honors from the Detroit Film Critics society, and the London and the New York Film Critics' Circles.

Family Life

His mother worked as a teacher and his father was a patent lawyer. His sister, who has worked in production design and produced music in the synth-pop genre, has collaborated with him on several of his films. He married film producer Samantha Quan.

Associated With

In a 2021 interview with Far Out Magazine, he expressed that Hal Ashby, John Cassavetes, Ken Loach, and Mike Leigh were among the directors that he considered to be his greatest influences as a filmmaker.