Collider - Sean Baker

Collider's Next FYC Screening Is 'Left-Handed Girl' With a Sean Baker, Shih-Ching Tsou, and Nina Ye Q&A

Tamera Jones — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 19:19:24 GMT

For Collider’s next FYC screening, we’re excited to announce that we’re partnering with Netflix to offer audiences in Los Angeles the opportunity to see director, producer, and co-writer Shih-Ching Tsou’s (Take Out) solo directorial debut, Left-Handed Girl, in theaters again after its initial limited theatrical run earlier this year. This intergenerational drama is inspired by the director's own upbringing, and is currently among the 15 films shortlisted for Best International Feature Film, representing Taiwan at the 98th Academy Awards, alongside Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value. Following the movie, Tsou, co-writer and longtime collaborator Sean Baker (Anora), and star Nina Ye will hit the stage for an exclusive Q&A conversation.

Netflix’s ‘Left-Handed Girl’ Sneak Peek Delivers a Much Needed and Well Deserved Noodle Break [Exclusive]

Britta DeVore — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 01:00:14 GMT

Depending on where and when you went to school, you may have heard of educators looking down on or even forbidding students from using their left hand over their right when learning how to write. Although, at its core, it may be a coming-of-age tale that spans multiple generations, the story at the center of Shih-Ching Tsou’s Left-Handed Girl stems from the struggles of a young woman whose dominant hand gets her in trouble with her old-school grandparents. Today, as part of Collider’s Exclusive Preview event, we have a sneak peek at the upcoming Netflix film that is set for a theatrical release on November 14 ahead of its streaming debut on November 28. Following the story of a single mother (Janel Tsai) who struggles with being the solo caretaker of two daughters, our exclusive sneak peek gives audiences a good idea of the trio’s tight and light-hearted bond with one another.

‘Left-Handed Girl’ Review: After 20 Years, Shih-Ching Tsou Returns With 'Anora's Sean Baker for a Stunning Oscar Contender

Ross Bonaime — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:56:43 GMT

In 2004, Shih-Ching Tsou made her directorial debut with Take Out, an underrated and powerful modern neorealist film, with co-writer and co-director Sean Baker. In the two decades since Take Out’s release, Baker has become one of the most exciting filmmakers in independent cinema, making films like Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket— all of which were produced by Tsou. After more than two decades, Tsou has made her solo directorial debut with Left-Handed Girl, a wonderful, moving debut, which she co-wrote with Baker. Not only does Left-Handed Girl capture the beauty and warmth that comes out of nowhere to surprise you, which has become notable in Baker’s work, but it also shows that over the last two decades, it’s a damn shame we haven’t been getting more films from Tsou.

“Don’t Expect a Marvel Film": 'Anora' Director Reveals New Details About His Next Movie

Denis Kimathi — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:43:38 GMT

Sean Baker could make any movie he wants. That's the privilege associated with making an award-winning one like Anora, which walked away from the 97th Academy Awards with five wins. Baker has, for a long time, made movies about forgotten people in society. His films have a personal brand that sets him apart from other filmmakers. That's why he would like to keep that streak going by directing indie movies after Anora, even when he could be working on a huge studio movie, like some filmmakers before him.

The Oscars Are Forcing Voters To See Every Nominated Movie — but How? The Answer Is Simpler (and Better) Than You Think

Logan Kelly — Thu, 01 May 2025 21:45:26 GMT

The Academy Awards have long been the personification of the movie industry. From unforgettable hosts to various scandals and legendary victories, the Oscars are just as much a part of the Hollywood zeitgeist as the movies themselves. But, following the 2025 ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed an interesting and surprising new requirement. It was recentlyannounced that all Academy voters must view every single nominated film in order to participate in the ballot. In short, you can't vote unless you've watched all films in full. While many are surprised that this wasn’t always the practice, others wonder just how the Academy plans to enforce the rule, and why it is now going into effect.

Forget ‘Pretty Woman’ — This Oscar Winning Classic Nailed the Sex Worker Cinderella Story 68 Years Before 'Anora'

Edward Douglas — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 19:24:12 GMT

Weeks after winning Best Picture at the Oscars, with Mikey Madison winning an Oscar for playing the title role, Sean Baker's Anora is finally streaming on Hulu, which means that many more people are going to be able to discover it. Ever since the movie debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, comparisons have been made to Julia Roberts' 1990 romantic comedy, Pretty Woman, in which the previous Oscar winner played Vivian, a Hollywood call girl, who finds her "handsome prince" in Richard Gere's Edward, a corporate exec who begins lavishing gifts on his favorite escort. Baker's indie film probably owes more to an even older film, Federico Fellini's Oscar-winning 1957 film, Nights of Cabiria, starring his wife, Giulietta Masina, in the title of a sex worker looking for her own Prince Charming on the streets of Rome. In fact, when L.A.'s American Cinematheque recently held a retrospective of Baker's work, it included a screening of Fellini's film, and that was probably not a coincidence.

I Wish I Was Wrong, but Theatrical Releases Are Never Going To Bounce Back

Shane Vassar — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:00:20 GMT

Recently, it was reported that Bong Joon Ho’s sci-fi adventure-comedy, Mickey 17, would land on digital streaming on Tuesday, March 25, just 18 days after its theatrical release. This news added fuel to a debate that’s been ongoing in Hollywood since the logistics of the theatrical release model were forced to change during the pandemic. Studios are now more willing than ever to pull their films from theaters within weeks of their initial release and drop them on VOD and streaming if early box office returns are deemed unsatisfying. This strategy has become the norm, despite years of vocal opposition from film lovers and industry creatives.

'Anora' Passes New Box Office Milestone After Best Picture Win at the Oscars

Rohan Naahar — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 15:02:57 GMT

Director Sean Baker made an impassioned plea in support of the theatrical experience (and independent cinema) when he picked up four Academy Awards recently. And it’s fitting that his Best Picture-winning Anora has passed its biggest box office milestone on the same weekend as Joe Russo and Anthony Russo debuted their Netflix film The Electric State. Produced on a reported budget of $320 million, The Electric State is the antithesis of the kind of cinema that Baker stands for. He has declared that he’s an indie filmmaker for life, and that his follow-up to Anora will likely be an even smaller project.

New Report Alleges Sean Baker Had a "Hissy Fit" When 'Anora' Crew Members Attempted To Unionize

Ryan O'Rourke — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 21:22:36 GMT

In the wake of its Best Picture win at the Oscars, Anora has remained clouded by controversy. A day after Sean Baker's indie darling took home five awards at the ceremony, including a Best Achievement in Directing nod for the filmmaker, an anonymous social media post via the popular hub Crew Stories alleged that the film had not involved the prominent crew union International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) for much of the production. Reportedly, the goal was to keep costs down, in turn denying them working hours that would've counted toward union-co-administered health benefits. The critic also alleges that Baker had a "hissy fit” and became colder toward the crew when the set ultimately unionized in March 2023. Since then, however, multiple members of the team have come forward to defend the production and dispute the claims with their own experiences.

‘Anora’ Will Dance Past One More Domestic Box Office Milestone This Weekend as Oscars Buzz Wears Off

Adam Blevins — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:18:18 GMT

Anora will look to pass one final box office milestone this weekend now nearly two weeks removed from its big night at the Oscars. Currently sitting at a $19.1 million domestic total, if Anora can perform this weekend similar to how it did last weekend, it will pass $20 million at the domestic box office, which will likely be its final major domestic milestone. The Best Picture-winning film has also added $28.1 million from international markets for a global total of $47.3 million, and while $50 million globally may not be completely out of reach, it will require a much greater push than $20 million domestically. Anora is one of the top five highest-grossing movies ever for Neon, recently passing Ferrari (Adam Driver).