The Oscar race is heating up, and a surprising contender is making waves. Sean Baker's comedy "Anora" is suddenly the talk of the town.  It didn't win any awards at the Golden Globes, but now it's a front-runner for the Oscars.

        This past Saturday in Los Angeles, "Anora" won big at both the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Producers Guild of America (PGA) awards.  This is a big deal because since 2009, when these awards shows expanded from five to ten nominees for best film, the winner of the PGA has gone on to win the best-picture Oscar all but three times.

        Baker had a busy night. He had to dash from the DGAs to the PGAs because they were held at the same time and in different places.  He even admitted to feeling a bit overwhelmed when he accepted his award at the DGAs.

        "I'm really feeling like a fraud right now, " Baker said. "My cortisol levels are through the roof. "

        It was a great weekend for "Anora. "  It also won the top prize at the Critics Choice Awards on Friday night.  Not bad for a film that didn't win at the Golden Globes.

        This isn't the first time a film has had a great night at the guilds and then a big win at the Oscars.  In fact, 18 of the last 20 DGA winners have gone on to win the best-director Oscar.

        Other winners at these shows included "Shogun" and "Hacks. "  "Shogun" took home the drama-series award, while "Hacks" won for comedy-series.  RaMell Ross, the director of "Nickel Boys, " won the DGA award for first-time theatrical filmmaker.  This is an exciting development in the film industry.  We'll see if "Anora" can keep up the momentum.

        Now, let's think about this.  Why do you think "Anora" is suddenly doing so well at these awards shows?  Could it be that the film is actually very good, or is there something else going on?

        It's not too late to see "Anora" before the Oscars.  But maybe go watch it and decide for yourself if the film deserves a best picture.

An Unlikely Winner Emerges in the Oscar Race

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