Sean Baker '98 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film & TV) was the recipient of the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for his film Anora. The Palme d'Or is the most prestigious prize at the annual festival in Cannes, France, and Baker's win marks the first time an American filmmaker has taken home the prize since 2011.
Anora tells the story of a sex worker from Brooklyn who meets and marries the son of an oligarch.
"This Palme is for all sex workers, I’ve spoken about them in several of my films, all these individual stories may not change the world but they can help to eliminate prejudice. I hope it will help people to see sex workers in a more positive light. Anora isn’t exactly a mainstream film, but I hope that thanks to the Palme d’Or, we’ll be able to show it in cinemas and remind the general public that films like this do exist."
- Sean Baker, director