Up and coming star Mikey Madison plays a New York sex worker entangled with the son of a Russian Oligarch in Sean Baker’s Cannes Fest Palme d’Or winner, Anora.

She says that “besides winning the Palme” back in May, the “highlight” since wrapping the picture was hosting a screening for real-life sex workers and strippers.

“That was something I wanted to do for a long time,” Madison said. “I could probably cry talking about it. It’s the most important thing because the movie is for sex workers. So that was really special. Just to walk in and all of these amazing women are clapping with their heels, giving us applause. That was beautiful.”

Madison and Baker were joined by the rest of the leading cast outside of Los Angeles’ Vista Theater Tuesday night to celebrate “Anora’s” LA premiere, which featured the first screening of the film’s 35mm film scan.

Baker had “kept an eye” on Madison since seeing her performance in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” But after seeing her in the 2022 “Scream” reboot, he and his producer and wife Samantha Quan immediately knew she was their Ani.

“In ‘Scream,’ she was playing a young woman who was fun and cool of attitude, and really could hold her own,” Baker said. “She had a very interesting physicality and face. I knew she was going photograph so well, so we made our decision right there.”

“Anora” hit theaters October 18.