Idea #81 - A Director, an iPhone, and a Critically Acclaimed Film

Today we learned about the making of Tangerine - a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Sean Baker, shot entirely on an iPhone 5s! The movie has won several local as well as international Film Festival awards for its direction and screenplay.

Apart from being completely filmed on an iPhone alone, Tangerine is gritty as well as humorous at the same time. It not only captures the everyday life of trans sex workers in Hollywood but also brings to light the smaller ethnic groups of Los Angeles.

We also watched Academy Museum’s video with Sean Baker himself, breaking down for us the concept and execution of the film. With a cost of about 100k, the movie grossed over 600k, and was critically acclaimed across a diverse range of audience.

Tangerine’s filmmaking is a testament that you do not need an exorbitant budget to make a masterpiece. The characters, writing, and pacing made the movie an absolute delight to watch!

Written by: Arya Kastwar

Curated by: Shweta Singh