Did Baker throw a ‘hissy fit’ on the set of ‘Anora’?
A day after Anora dominated the Oscars, an anonymous social media post threatened to disrupt its Cinderella indie-film narrative.
On Crew Stories, a popular industry message board, an unnamed critic alleged that director Sean Baker avoided working with the major crew union IATSE during part of the film’s 2023 production. The post claimed that by staying non-union, the production cut costs at the expense of crew members’ ability to accrue union benefits. When the crew successfully unionised mid-shoot, Baker allegedly reacted poorly, throwing a “hissy fit” and becoming distant toward the crew.
While anonymous online critiques of celebrated films are common, this one gained traction, prompting discussion about what really happened. Some crew members, including Anora’s prop master, a grip, and a best boy grip, publicly defended the production. The Hollywood Reporter reached out to dozens of people involved with the film, and though only a few spoke, they described a fairly standard transition – known as a “flip” – from a non-union to a union production.
A late-stage unionisation
For reasons unknown, IATSE did not step in early in Anora’s production. The union reportedly intervened just days before the New York portion of the film’s two-month shoot wrapped, shortly before the production moved to Nevada. Given Baker’s reputation in indie filmmaking – his prior films Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket garnered awards attention – some industry insiders found it surprising that IATSE hadn’t stepped in sooner. Of those films, only The Florida Project had been made under an IATSE contract.
It remains unclear who reported Anora to IATSE, alerting Local 52 (a branch of the United Association) that the non-union shoot could have been eligible for a Low Budget Theatrical Agreement, which would have required the production to contribute to union health and pension benefits. The film’s producers declined to comment.
A push to unionise?
Two Anora crew members told THR that the flip came as a surprise to nearly everyone on set. According to one, “99.9 per cent of us had no idea.” Wages were already close to union scale, and working conditions were described as standard for a non-union indie shot in New York. The biggest complaint? Catering. “We were shooting in Brighton Beach, so we just ran out for great Russian food. It was awesome,” another crew member recalled.
A third crew member described Anora’s working conditions as “nothing out of the ordinary” beyond a few long days. Public defenders of the film, including prop master Kendra Eaves, best boy grip Gabriel Armstrong, and grip Rachel Parrella, insisted they were paid fairly. “I got paid fairly and was never lied to about the budget,” Eaves wrote on Instagram. Parrella added, “[Baker] paid us the right wage from the start.”
Once IATSE was notified, Local 52 circulated a unionisation vote, which passed overwhelmingly. Union representatives arrived on set while Anora was filming at a private airfield in Amityville, Long Island. The set briefly shut down as negotiations took place.
Sean Baker’s response
While the social media post painted Baker as irate, crew members who spoke to the publication described a different scene. According to one, Baker reportedly addressed the crew, expressing appreciation and getting visibly emotional. “He was almost crying – not sobbing, but certainly beyond misty,” the crew member said. They recalled no “hissy fit.” A contract agreement was reached on March 15.
From a practical standpoint, the flip meant the production now contributed to union benefit plans, and for non-union crew, it could serve as an entry point into Local 52. But the attempt to initially avoid an IATSE contract wasn’t unusual for an indie project. Industry insiders noted that many $6 million films budget for a potential flip but start non-union to stretch resources.