Sean Baker‘s Tangerine remains one of the most audacious and poignant indie films of the past couple years. Newcomers Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez brought a searing authenticity to a story about trans women of color living in Hollywood, characters rarely if ever explored on screen with dignity and compassion. And with Baker’s follow-up, The Florida Project, he once again looks at the lives of characters living on the fringes of society.

The Florida Project, which debuted at Cannes with near-unanimous critical praise, follows a low-rent motel on the outskirts of Orlando, Florida where a young girl, Moonee (Broolynn Prince) and her mother (Brina Vinaite) live. Willem Dafoe plays the motel manager who looks after Moonee and the other kids who trickle in and out. A24 released the first trailer and official poster today, and it’s nothing short of mesmerizing. Here’s the full official synopsis:

Warm, winning and gloriously alive, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is a deeply moving and unforgettably poignant look at childhood.

Set on a stretch of highway just outside the imagined utopia of Disney World, The Florida Project follows six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince in a stunning breakout turn) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinaite, another major discovery) over the course of a single summer. The two live week to week at “The Magic Castle,” a budget motel managed by Bobby (a career-best Willem Dafoe), whose stern exterior hides a deep reservoir of kindness and compassion.
Despite her harsh surroundings, the precocious and ebullient Moonee has no trouble making each day a celebration of life, her endless afternoons overflowing with mischief and grand adventure as she and her ragtag playmates—including Jancey, a new arrival to the area who quickly becomes Moonee’s best friend—fearlessly explore the utterly unique world into which they’ve been thrown. Unbeknownst to Moonee, however, her delicate fantasy is supported by the toil and sacrifice of Halley, who is forced to explore increasingly dangerous possibilities in order to provide for her daughter.
With The Florida Project, Sean Baker gives life and a voice to a community rarely seen on screen. Through the winsome eyes and pained glances of Moonee, Halley, and Bobby, Baker has created a spellbinding and transformative portrait of contemporary lives lived in the margins that are otherwise too easily forgotten. The Florida Project declares, boldly and proudly, that anywhere can be a Magic Kingdom - it just depends on how you see it.

From the trailer alone you can tell Prince will be a fall season breakout – will she be the Quevenzhané Wallis or Jacob Tremblay of the 2017 awards season? – and Dafoe might just be doing some of his best work yet. The Florida Project debuts at New York Film Festival before it hits theaters October 6. Check out the colorful poster below:

The-Florida-Project-poster-Sean-Baker
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