It’s IndieWire’s honor to announce that Sean Baker will be joining us in a keynote chat for our Future of Filmmaking Summit, happening in Los Angeles on November 2.
Baker, who won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May for his latest film “Anora” — a major player this awards season — will share his advice to summit attendees and his thoughts about where the industry is going. For a limited time, IndieWire is offering an early-bird discount, with tickets for the all-day event being just $125.
Purchase Early Bird Discount Tickets Here
A testament to adaptation and flexibility while never losing sight of his voice, Baker’s career includes acclaimed low-budget features “Prince of Broadway,” “Starlet,” and “Tangerine.” His 2017 drama “TheFlorida Project” premiered at Director’s Fortnight in Cannes and received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Willem Dafoe. In 2021, “Red Rocket” became his first film in the Cannes maincompetition and it revived the career of Simon Rex, who won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.
IndieWire first interviewed Baker in 2008 for the release of his second film, “Take Out,” about an undocumented Chinese immigrant working as a delivery person in New York City. However, “Take Out” premiered at Slamdance in 2004; it was four years before it found distribution. That also illustrates why Baker is the ideal keynote for our inaugural Future of Filmmaking summit: He adapts his vision to circumstance and he doesn’t give up.
When he received the Palme D’Or for “Anora” in May, Baker’s acceptance speech offered a snapshot of how he sees the future of filmmaking. “I will continue to fight for cinema because right now, as filmmakers, we have to fight to keep cinema alive,” he said. “This means making feature films intended for theatrical exhibition. The world has to be reminded that watching a film at home while scrolling through your phone and checking mail, emails and half paying attention is just not the way, although some tech companies would like us to think so. Watching a film with others in a movie theater is one of the great communal experiences. We share laughter, sorrow, anger, fear, and, hopefully, have a catharsis with our friends and strangers, and that’s sacred. So I see the future of cinema is where it started: in a movie theater.” Attending the Summit will provide a one-of-a kind opportunity to hear Baker’s iconoclastic vision. The keynote will not be available on video and is for in room only.
Buy Your Early Bird Discount Tickets for the Summit Here
Here’s a list of what you can look forward to at the Future of Filmmaking Summit:
Shooting Outside Hollywood: Challenges, Opportunities, and Passports
Runaway production has been atomized as states and countries compete to offer producers the hottest deals. We bring together industry experts to discuss what it means for the rest of us.
State of Independent Film Distribution: A Special Report
This one has it all: Exclusive research, real numbers, and the unexpected opportunities in theaters and at home for filmmakers who have found a world beyond the competitive festival circuit.
Pitching Your Project: Why Producers Now Expect More
Learn valuable insights from both emerging and established filmmakers whose projects have been greenlit, and explore how to leverage the latest tools to create a stunning visual pitch deck.
How Filmmakers Are — and Aren’t — Using AI
Every day brings another AI announcement, but our panel will look beyond the money, the controversy and the hype to discuss the ideas and products most likely to be meaningful for you.
The Future of Film Is Interactive
A panel with the heads of KINO, who will discuss their company’s cutting-edge technology that offers filmmakers an interactive social streaming platform that provides invaluable data insights and a strategic launchpad to connect with their audience.
Awards Season Stories — Talent Discussions from Top Contenders
Individual panelists will be announced soon.
