Vancouver producer Samantha Quan is part of the team that has won the best picture Oscar for “Anora.”
The sex worker dramedy by U.S. director Sean Baker beat out nine other films including the papal thriller “Conclave” and box-office smash “Wicked.”
Quan and Baker won the best picture award alongside Alex Coco on a night of victories for the film, which won five Oscars including best screenplay, directing, editing, and best lead actress for Mikey Madison.
The film stars Madison as Brooklyn stripper Anora, who finds her life upended when she crosses paths with Mark Eydelshteyn’s Vanya, the reckless son of a Russian billionaire, and marries him in a whirlwind romance.
Quan recently told the Canadian Press that the film’s emergence in the Oscars race felt “wonderful and discombobulating,” especially given its modest $6-million U.S. budget.
Baker and Quan, who are married, have been collaborating on films since 2017’s “The Florida Project.”
Accepting the award on Sunday, Quan reflected on making “Anora” with “very little money but all of our hearts.”
“To all of the dreamers and the young filmmakers out there, tell the stories you want to tell,” she said.
“Tell the stories that move you. I promise you, you will never regret it.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2025.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
