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Every year there’s a new wave of screenwriting contests that a screenwriter can enter in the hopes of getting more eyes on their feature screenplay or TV pilot. Some of these annual contests, like Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest, show winning scripts to A-list management companies and it’s led to many screenwriters getting representation and launching a career.

At this year’s Oscars, Anora filmmaker Sean Baker made history by personally receiving 4 Academy Award wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. Only Warren Beatty, Alan Menken, Alfonso Cuaron and Chloe Zhao had achieved the record 4 nominations for a single film before him. And while the film’s success has introduced Baker to his biggest audience yet, he’s been steadily releasing independent films about misfits, immigrants and sex workers on the margins of American society for 25 years. Here are the 7 films that paved the way to Anora.

There is a reason why Hollywood is such a driving force in the world — a majority of the world’s population loves movies and television. The enjoyment of the stories we see on the big or small screen comes in many different ways.