Exclusive: Sean Baker’s Sundance Smash ‘Tangerine’ Gets a Gorgeous, Retro Poster

Micro-budget auteur Sean Baker (“Prince of Broadway,” “Starlet”) has been a festival fixture for a number of years now, but this year marked the first time that the Sundance Film Festival screened one of his projects. His third feature, “Tangerine,” played in this year’s NEXT section and emerged as one of the true breakouts of the event, earning distribution through Magnolia Pictures and rave reviews across the board: Indiewire’s Eric Kohn called the film –which made headlines at Sundance for being shot entirely on an iPhone 5 by Baker’s usual cinematographer Radium Cheung — “wildly entertaining” in his A- review. Audiences will have the chance to see what all the fuss is about when Magnolia opens the comedy on July 10 in select theaters. For now, take a look at Magnolia’s new poster for the film, exclusive to Indiewire.

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“That image was actually taken by Radium, who took the shot when we were basically between takes,” Baker said about the poster to Indiewire. “I was like, ‘That shot will never make it into the film, it’s way too stylized, not happening.’ And then a year later it ends up being our poster. I’m so happy with the poster because it has this throwback to this classic studio feel from the ’80s which I love — I mean it takes place in Hollywood.”

Here’s Magnolia’s official synopsis for “Tangerine”: It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend (James Ransone) hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra (newcomer Mya Taylor), embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.

Director Sean Baker’s prior films brought rich texture and intimate detail to worlds seldom seen on film. “Tangerine” follows suit, bursting off the screen with energy and style. A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the streets of L.A., “Tangerine” defies expectation at every turn.

READ MORE: Critic’s Notebook: Why This Year’s Sundance Revealed an Exciting Stage for American Movies