Warm, winning, and gloriously alive, 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, six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince in a stunning breakout turn) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinaite, another major discovery) live week to week at the Magic Castle, a budget motel managed by Bobby (a career-best Willem Dafoe). Shot in rich 35mm, the Florida day-glo and candy-colored surroundings create the perfect backdrop for endless afternoons of friendship and mischief, despite the increasingly dangerous struggles and sacrifices Halley makes to provide for her daughter. The film premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it was reaffirmed that director Sean Baker (Tangerine) is “one of the most innovative American directors working today” (Indiewire).