The Oscar race got a little less cloudy in Feb. 8 following awards from the Producers Guild and Directors Guild. AnoraMy imposter syndrome is skyrocketing right now, as well as my cortisol levels, director Sean Baker said as he accepted the DGA prize for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature FilmIts such an honor to be recognized by my peers.Recommended VideosAfter thanking his team and the folks at Neon who produced the film, he acknowledged that they were able to film the film on location in New York City for just $6 million. He also called out the films cast, especially star Mikey Madison, who he said changed the way hell be working with actors moving forward.ANORA - Official Trailer #2 - In Select Theaters OctoberWorking with [Madison] has changed the way I will be directing actors in the future, because of what she gave, Baker said. Hearing her incredible ideas a year before production, what she wanted to bring to the production and what shedidbring to it. [She has] an incredible career ahead.Please enable Javascript to view this contentAnoras wins cement its frontrunner status. 25 of the past 34 PGA Theatrical Motion Picture winners have gone on to repeat in Best Picture, and 19 of the past 22 DGA winners have repeated in Best Director at the Oscars. While there are certainly years that buck this trend, its an auspicious sign for a movie that emerged as a potential frontrunner all the way back at the Cannes Film Festival in May.While some pundits worried thatAnoramight be too controversial or spiky, given that its about an erotic dancer who marries a wealthy Russian boy only to see the marriage fall apart, it seems like there are people in Academy who are ready to reward it. The only question remaining is whether the movie will be able to keep up this momentum.Editors Recommendations