LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Sean Baker won the y Oscar for about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch, on Sunday at the Baker also directed, produced and edited the film starring Mikey Madison.
鈥淭his is crazy,鈥� a smiling Baker said onstage.
Baker thanked his cast, telling them, 鈥淵ou elevated everything I wrote and made me look very good.鈥�
Baker also won Oscars and editing for 鈥淎nora.鈥� The film won best picture, and it's star, Madison, took home the Academy Award. Previously, Baker won the Writers Guild of America award for 鈥淎nora.鈥�
The film is the biggest success of Baker鈥檚 career. It had a $6 million budget and has earned over $40 million at the box officer.
The 54-year-old filmmaker has focused on portraying outcasts and characters from underrepresented subcultures and he singled them out onstage.
鈥淚 want to thank the sex worker community,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淭hey have shared their stories, they have shared their life experience with me over the years. My deepest respect. I share this with you.鈥�
鈥淎nora鈥� won the Palme d鈥橭r at Cannes, making Baker the first American director since Terrance Malick in 2011 to take the festival鈥檚 top prize.
鈥淎nora鈥� won over 鈥淎 Real Pain,鈥� 鈥淭he Brutalist,鈥� 鈥淭he Substance鈥� and 鈥淪eptember 5.鈥�
Oscar went to the written by Peter Straughan. It was based on the book written by fellow Brit . The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you how much this means to me,鈥� Straughan said backstage. 鈥淚 started out as a playwright in the northeast of England. The first time I got an agent, she said, 鈥榃ould you like to work in film?鈥� I said, 鈥楴o, I just want to work in theater鈥� because it seemed like sort of alien. It鈥檚 surreal to me that I鈥檓 standing here now holding this.鈥�
鈥淐onclave鈥� beat out the Bob Dylan biopic 鈥淎 Complete Unknown,鈥� as well as 鈥淓milia P茅rez,鈥� 鈥淣ickel Boys鈥� and 鈥淪ing Sing.鈥�
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Beth Harris, The Associated Press
