“Anora” director Sean Baker has become the first person to win four Oscars in the same year for the same film.
During Sunday’s ceremony, Baker and “Anora” won Oscars for original screenplay, film editing, directing and best picture. With the wins, Baker ties another famous filmmaker: Walt Disney. But while Disney won four Oscars in the same night in 1953, it was for four different films (“The Living Desert,” “The Alaskan Eskimo,” “Bear Country” and “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom”). Disney was also nominated that year for “Ben and Me” and “Rugged Bear.”
It’s highly unusual for a film’s director to win an editing Oscar, but not without precedent. In addition to his directing award, Alfonso Cuarón won an editing Oscar alongside editor Mark Sanger for his 2013 film “Gravity;” while in addition to best picture and director, James Cameron was one of three who earned an editing Oscar for his 1997 epic “Titanic.”
Director Bong Joon Ho came close to Baker’s record in 2020 with “Parasite,” which won Oscars for best picture, director, original screenplay and international film. But since the Oscar for international film technically goes to the country, Bong won three Oscars instead of four, with the Oscar going to South Korea.
“Anora” has cleaned up throughout the season, coming into the Oscars with wins at the Producers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards and Writers Guild Awards for original screenplay. In addition to Baker’s wins, Mikey Madison won for best actress and Yura Borisov was nominated for best supporting actor.
This isn’t the first Baker film to make its way to the Oscars, as Willem Dafoe was nominated for his supporting role in “The Florida Project.” However, “Anora” marked the first time that Baker himself was nominated for his work as a writer or director.