#FIRSTLOOK: NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

The 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced today with Sean Baker‘s ANORA and Jane Schoenbrun‘s I SAW THE TV GLOW both leading the way with six nominations! The Awards take place February 22, 2025 in Santa Monica, marking the 40th edition of the Awards. SNL alumni Aidy Bryant returns to hosting duties.

Nominees are as follows:

Best Feature
“Anora”

“I Saw the TV Glow”

“Nickel Boys”

“Sing Sing”

“The Substance”

Best First Feature
“Didi”

“In the Summers”

“Janet Planet”

“The Piano Lesson”

“Problemista”

Best Director
Ali Abbasi, “The Apprentice”

Sean Baker, “Anora”

Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”

Alonso Ruizpalacios, “La Cocina”

Jane Schoenbrun, “I Saw the TV Glow”

Best Lead Performance
Amy Adams, “Nightbitch”

Ryan Destiny, “The Fire Inside”

Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”

Keith Kupferer, “Ghostlight”

Mikey Madison, “Anora”

Demi Moore, “The Substance”

Hunter Schafer, “Cuckoo”

Justice Smith, “I Saw the TV Glow”

June Squibb, “Thelma”

Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”

Best Supporting Performance
Yura Borisov, “Anora”

Joan Chen, “Didi”

Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”

Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson”

Carol Kane, “Between the Temples”

Karren Karagulian, “Anora”

Kani Kusruti, “Girls Will Be Girls”

Brigette Lundy-Paine, “I Saw the TV Glow”

Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, “Sing Sing”

Adam Pearson, “A Different Man”

Best Breakthrough Performance
Isaac Krasner, “Big Boys”

Katy O’Brian, “Love Lies Bleeding”

Mason Alexander Park, “National Anthem”

René Pérez Joglar, “In the Summers”

Maisy Stella, “My Old Ass”

Best Screenplay
Aaron Schimberg, “A Different Man”

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, “Heretic”

Jane Schoenbrun, “I Saw the TV Glow”

Megan Park, “My Old Ass”

Jesse Eisenberg, “A Real Pain”

Best First Screenplay
Joanna Arnow, “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed”

Annie Baker, “Janet Planet”

India Donaldson, “Good One”

Julio Torres, “Problemista”

Sean Wang, “Didi”

Best International Film
“All We Imagine as Light”

“Black Dog”

“Flow”

“Green Border”

“Hard Truths”

Best Documentary
“Gaucho Gaucho”

“Hummingbirds”

“No Other Land”

“Patrice: The Movie”

“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”

Best Cinematography
“La Cocina”

“The Fire Inside”

“Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell”

“Janet Planet”

“Nickel Boys”

Best Editing
“The Apprentice”

“Didi”

“Jazzy”

“Nightbitch”

“September 5”

Best New Scripted Series
“Baby Reindeer”

“Diarra from Detroit”

“English Teacher”

“Fantasmas”

“Shogun”

Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
Brian Jordan Alvarez, “English Teacher”

Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

Lily Gladstone, “Under the Bridge”

Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along”

Cristin Milioti, “The Penguin”

Julianne Moore, “Mary & George”

Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shogun”

Anna Sawai, “Shogun”

Andrew Scott, “Ripley”

Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
Tadanobu Asano, “Shogun”

Enrico Colantoni, “English Teacher”

Betty Gilpin, “Three Women”

Chloe Guidry, “Under the Bridge”

Moeka Hoshi, “Shogun”

Stephanie Koenig, “English Teacher”

Patti Lupone, “Agatha All Along”

Nava Mau, “Baby Reindeer”

Ruth Negga, “Presumed Innocent”

Brian Tee, “Expats”

Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”

Diarra Kilpatrick, “Diarra from Detroit”

Joe Locke, “Agatha All Along”

Megan Stott, “Penelope”

Hoa Xuande, “The Sympathizer”

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
“How to Die Alone”

Ensemble Cast: Melissa DuPrey, Jaylee Hamidi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Arkie Kandola, Elle Lorraine, Michelle McLeod, Chris “CP” Powell,Conrad Ricamora, Natasha Rothwell, and Jocko Sims

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
“Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color”

“Hollywood Black”

“Photographer”

“Ren Faire”

“Social Studies”

John Cassavetes Award
“Big Boys”

“Ghostlight”

“Girls Will Be Girls”

“Jazzy”

“The People’s Joker”

Producers Award
Alex Coco

Sarah Winshall

Zoe Worth

Robert Altman Award
“His Three Daughters”

Someone to Watch Award
Nicholas Colia

Sarah Friedland

Pham Tien An

Truer Than Fiction Award
Julian Brave Noisecat

Carla Gutierrez

Rachel Elizabeth Seed

#FIRSTLOOK: 2023 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Nominations were announced today for the 38th Annual FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS, set to take place March 4, 2023 in Santa Monica, California! The announcements were hosted by Raul Castillo (The Inspection) and Taylour Paige (Zola). Leading the pack with eight nominations this year is EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE!

Nominees are as follows:

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)

Bones and All
Producers: Timothée Chalamet, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Luca Guadagnino, David Kajganich, Lorenzo Mieli, Marco Morabito, Gabriele Moratti, Theresa Park, Peter Spears

Everything Everywhere All At Once
Producers: Daniel Kwan, Mike Larocca, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang

Our Father, the Devil
Producers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono

Tár
Producers: Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan

Women Talking
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Frances McDormand

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

Aftersun
Director: Charlotte Wells
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Emily the Criminal
Director: John Patton Ford
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes

The Inspection
Director: Elegance Bratton
Producers: Effie T. Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon

Murina
Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Producers: Danijel Pek, Rodrigo Teixeira

Palm Trees and Power Lines
Director/Producer: Jamie Dack
Producer: Leah Chen Baker

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000; Award given to the writer, director, and producer)

The African Desperate
Writer/Director/Producer: Martine Syms
Writer/Producer: Rocket Caleshu
Producer: Vic Brooks

The Cathedral
Writer/Director: Ricky D’Ambrose
Producer: Graham Swon

Holy Emy
Writer/Director: Araceli Lemos
Writer/Producer: Giulia Caruso
Producers: Mathieu Bompoint, Ki Jin Kim, Konstantinos Vassilaros

A Love Song
Writer/Director/Producer: Max Walker-Silverman
Producers: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey

Something in the Dirt
Writer/Director/Producer: Justin Benson
Director/Producer: Aaron Moorhead
Producer: David Lawson Jr.

BEST DIRECTOR

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking

Halina Reijn
Bodies Bodies Bodies

BEST SCREENPLAY

Lena Dunham
Catherine Called Birdy

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joel Kim Booster
Fire Island

Jamie Dack, Audrey Findlay; Story by Jamie Dack
Palm Trees and Power Lines

K.D. Dávila
Emergency

Sarah DeLappe, Story by Kristen Roupenian
Bodies Bodies Bodies

John Patton Ford
Emily the Criminal

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Cate Blanchett
Tár

Dale Dickey
A Love Song

Mia Goth
Pearl

Regina Hall
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Paul Mescal
Aftersun

Aubrey Plaza
Emily the Criminal

Jeremy Pope
The Inspection

Andrea Riseborough
To Leslie

Taylor Russell
Bones and All

Michelle Yeoh
Everything Everywhere All At Once

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Jamie Lee Curtis
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Brian Tyree Henry
Causeway

Nina Hoss
Tár

Brian d’Arcy James
The Cathedral

Ke Huy Quan
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Trevante Rhodes
Bruiser

Theo Rossi
Emily the Criminal

Mark Rylance
Bones and All

Jonathan Tucker
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Gabrielle Union
The Inspection

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE (New Award)

Frankie Corio
Aftersun

Gracija Filipović
Murina

Stephanie Hsu
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Lily McInerny
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Daniel Zolghadri
Funny Pages

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Florian Hoffmeister
Tár

Hélène Louvart
Murina

Gregory Oke
Aftersun

Eliot Rockett
Pearl

Anisia Uzeyman
Neptune Frost

BEST EDITING

Ricky D’Ambrose
The Cathedral

Dean Fleischer Camp, Nick Paley
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Blair McClendon
Aftersun

Paul Rogers
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Monika Willi
Tár

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast)

Women Talking
Director: Sarah Polley
Casting Directors: John Buchan, Jason Knight
Ensemble Cast: Shayla Brown, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Kira Guloien, Kate Hallett, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Sheila McCarthy, Frances McDormand, Michelle McLeod, Liv McNeil, Ben Whishaw, August Winter

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

All That Breathes
Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen
Producers: Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Director/Producer: Laura Poitras
Producers: Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons

A House Made of Splinters
Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producers: Monica Hellström

Midwives
Director/Producer: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Producers: Mila Aung-Thwin, Ulla Lehmann, Bob Moore

Riotsville, U.S.A.
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Corsage
Austria/Luxembourg/France/Belgium/Italy/England
Director: Marie Kreutzer

Joyland
Pakistan/USA
Director: Saim Sadiq

Leonor Will Never Die
Philippines
Director: Martika Ramirez Escobar

Return to Seoul
Cambodia
Director: Davy Chou

Saint Omer
France
Director: Alice Diop

PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 26th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Liz Cardenas

Tory Lenosky

David Grove Churchill Viste

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 29th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Adamma Ebo
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Nikyatu Jusu
Nanny

Araceli Lemos
Holy Emy

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 28th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Isabel Castro
Mija

Reid Davenport
I Didn’t See You There

Rebeca Huntt
Beba

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by the Official Spirit, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, and the Official Water, FIJI Water. Getty Images is the Official Photographer.

More here.

#FIRSTLOOK: 2022 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS TO AIR IN CANADA ON HOLLYWOOD SUITE

For the ninth year, Hollywood Suite will be the exclusive Canadian home of the Film Independent Spirit Awards! The Awards, honouring the best in independent Film, now it their 37th year, will be hosted by both Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally!

Best Feature nominees this year are: CHIARA, C’MON C’MON, THE LOST DAUGHTER, THE NOVICE and ZOLA.

“In a crowded awards season that can often see the same big-budget films lauded over and over again, the Film Independent Spirit Awards are a breath of fresh air,” commented David Kines, President Hollywood Suite. “The awards are bold, smart, and hilarious. As an independent ourselves, we are proud to showcase the cream of the indie crop as the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of the awards for the 9th year.”

The Awards return again to an in-person format after going virtual last year.

The 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards air Sunday, March 6 at 5pm ET on Hollywood Suite.

Do not forget to catch past Best Feature winners on Hollywood Suite. Schedule below:

The Grifters – Friday, March 4 at  9pm on HS90

Fargo – Saturday, March, 5 at 9pm on HS90

Rambling Rose – Saturday, March 5 at 10:40pm on HS90

Silver Linings Playbook – Sunday, March 6 at 7:35pm on HS00

Brokeback Mountain – Sunday, March 6 at 11:25pm on HS00

We’ve been so lucky to attend in past years in-person. See some of our coverage here.

#FIRSTLOOK: 2022 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

After going virtual last year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards are back in-person on Santa Monica Pier! Nominees were announced this morning and leading the way in nominations with five nominations is IFC Films Thriller THE NOVICE, followed by THE LOST DAUGHTER, the directorial debut of Maggie Gyllenhaal. While the Awards traditionally are held the weekend of the Oscars, an earlier date this year allow the ceremony to be more of a precursor to Awards Season. Some of the presenters this year include Regina Hall, Naomi Watts and Beanie Feldstein.

Full list of nominees:

Best Feature
“A Chiara”
“C’mon C’mon”
“The Lost Daughter”
“The Novice”
“Zola”

Best Director
Janicza Bravo, “Zola”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Lost Daughter”
Lauren Hadaway, “The Novice”
Mike Mills, “C’mon C’mon”
Ninja Thyberg, “Pleasure”

Best Male Lead
Clifton Collins Jr., “Jockey”
Frankie Faison, “Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain”
Michael Greyeyes, “Wild Indian”
Udo Kier, “Swan Song”
Simon Rex, “Red Rocket”

Best Female Lead
Isabelle Fuhrman, “The Novice”
Brittany S. Hall, “Test Pattern”
Patti Harrison, “Together Together”
Taylour Paige, “Zola”
Kali Reis, “Catch the Fair One”

Best Supporting Female
Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter”
Amy Forsyth, “The Novice”
Ruth Negga, “Passing”
Revika Reustle, “Pleasure”
Suzanna Son, “Red Rocket”

Best Supporting Male
Colman Domingo, “Zola”
Meeko Gattuso, “Queen of Glory”
Troy Kotsur, “CODA”
Will Patton, “Sweet Thing”
Chaske Spencer, “Wild Indian”

Best Screenplay
Nikole Beckwith, “Together Together”
Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris, “Zola”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Lost Daughter”
Mike Mills, “C’mon C’mon”
Todd Stephens, “Swan Song”

Best First Screenplay
Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr., “Wild Indian ”
Matt Fifer; Story by Sheldon D. Brown, “Cicada”
Shatara Michelle Ford, “Test Pattern ”
Fran Kranz, “Mass”
Michael Sarnoski; Story by Vanessa Block, Michael Sarnoski, “Pig”

Best First Feature
“7 Days”
“Holler”
“Queen of Glory”
“Test Pattern”
“Wild Indian”

John Cassavettes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
“Cryptozoo”
“Jockey”
“Shiva Baby”
“Sweet Thing”
“This is Not a War Story”

Best Cinematography
“A Chiara”
“Blue Bayou”
“The Humans”
“Passing”
“Zola”

Best Documentary
“Ascension”
“Flee”
“In The Same Breath”
“Procession”
“Summer of Soul”

Best Editing
“A Chiara”
“The Nowhere Inn”
“The Novice”
“Zola”
“The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain”

Robert Altman Award (Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
“Mass”

Best International Film
“Compartment No. 6”
“Drive My Car”
“Parallel Mothers”
“Pebbles”
“Petite Maman”
“Prayers for the Stolen”

Producers Award (Honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.)
Brad Becker-Parton
Pin-Chun Liu
Lizzie Shapiro

Someone to Watch Award
Alex Camilleri, “Luzzu”
Michael Sarnoski, “Pig”
Gillian Wallace Horvat, “I Blame Society”

“The Truer Than Fiction Award” (Presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.)
Angelo Madsen Minax, “North By Current”
Jessica Beshir, “Faya Dayi”
Debbie Lum, “Try Harder!”

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
“Black and Missing”
“The Choe Show”
“The Lady and The Dale”
“Nuclear Family”
“Philly D.A.”

Best New Scripted Series
“Blindspotting”
“It’s a Sin”
“Reservation Dogs”
“The Underground Railroad”
“We Are Lady Parts”

Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series
Thuso Mbedu, “The Underground Railroad”
Anjana Vasan, “We Are Lady Parts”
Jana Schmieding, “Rutherford Falls”
Jasmine Cephas Jones, “Blindspotting”
Deborah Ayorinde, “THEM: Covenant”

Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series
Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game”
Olly Alexander, “It’s a Sin”
Michael Greyeyes, “Rutherford Falls”
Murray Bartlett, “The White Lotus”
Ashley Thomas, “THEM: Covenant”

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
“Reservation Dogs”

The 37th annual FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS take place Sunday, March 6, 2022.

(Photo credit: IFC Films )

#FIRSTLOOK: 2021 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards take place Thursday, April 22, 2021 and nominations were announced today. NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS takes the lead with a total seven nominations, with MINARI, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM and NOMADLAND tying in second with six nods apiece. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, the Feature directorial debut of Oscar winner Regina King will be awarded the Robert Altman Award this year.

Interestingly, we see Chadwick Boseman, whom posthumously has been a frontrunner in the Support Actor category this Awards Season, is in the Lead Actor category here for his work in MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM.

The Spirit Awards’ commitment and diversity can be felt this year across several categories and in the Director race we have two Asian-American Filmmakers nominated in Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland). Three out of five nominees in the category are female.

The Cast of HBO‘s I MAY DESTROY YOU starring, written, directed, produced by Michaela Coel also will be honoured for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.

Nominees are as follows:

Best Feature
“First Cow”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Minari”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Nomadland”

Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
Eliza Hittman,” Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Kelly Reichardt, “First Cow”
Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland”

Best First Feature
“I Carry You With Me”
“The 40 Year Old Version”
“The Sound of Metal”
“Miss Juneteenth”
“Nine Days”

Best Female Lead
Nicole Beharie, “Miss Juneteenth”
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Julia Garner, “The Assistant”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”

Best Male Lead
Riz Ahmed, “The Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Rob Morgan, “Bull”
Steven Yeun, “Minari”
Adarsh Gourav, “The White Tiger”

Best Supporting Female
Alexis Chikaeze, “Miss Juneteenth”
Yeri Han, “Minari”
Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit”
Talia Ryder, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Yuh-jung Youn, “Minari”

Best Supporting Male
Coleman Domingo, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Orion Lee, “First Cow”
Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”
Glynn Turmann, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Benedict Wong, “Nine Days”

Best Screenplay
“Bad Education”
“Minari”
“The Half of It”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Promising Young Woman”

Best First Screenplay
Kitty Green, “The Assistant”
Noah Hutton, “Lapsis”
Channing Godfrey Peoples, “Miss Juneteenth”
Andy Siara, “Palm Springs”
James Sweeney, “Straight Up”

Best Cinematography
Jay Keitel, “She Dies Tomorrow”
Shabier Kirchner, “Bull”
Michael Latham, “The Assistant”
Hélène Louvart, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland”

Best Editing
“I Carry You With Me”
“The Invisible Man”
“Residue”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Nomadland”

Robert Altman Award
“One Night in Miami”

Best Documentary
“Collective”
“Crip Camp”
“Dick Johnson Is Dead”
“Time”
“The Mole Agent”

Best International Film
“Bacurau”
“The Disciple”
“Night of the Kings”
“Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time”
“Quo Vadis, Aida?”

Piaget Producers Award
Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim

Someone to Watch Award
David Midell, “The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain”
Ekwa Msangi, “Farewell Amor”
Annie Silverstein, “Bull”

Truer Than Fiction Award
Cecilia Aldarondo, “Landfall”
Elegance Bratton, “Pier Kids”
Elizabeth Lo, “Stray”

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
“Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children”
“City So Real”
“Immigration Nation”
“Love Fraud”
“We’re Here”

Best Scripted Series
“I May Destroy You”
“Little America”
“Small Axe”
“A Teacher”
“Unorthodox”

Best Female Performance in a Scripted Series
Elle Fanning, “The Great”
Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”
Abby McEnany, “Work in Progress
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, “Never Have I Ever”
Jordan Kristine Seamón, “We Are Who We Are”

Best Male Performance in a Scripted Series
Conphidance, “Little America”
Adam Ali, “Little America”
Nicco Annan, “P-Valley”
Amit Rahav, “Unorthodox”
Harold Torres, “Zero, Zero, Zero”

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
“I May Destroy You”
Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Wruche Opia,
Stephen Wight

Complete Nominee List and more here.

(Photo credit: Film Independent)

#SPOTTED: “UNCUT GEMS” + “THE FAREWELL” TAKE TOP HONOURS AT 2020 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

While the 2020 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS didn’t see a clean sweep for any particular Film, what made it most unique was the split of awards among deserving titles which may have been overseen on other circuits. Taking home top honours at this year’s Awards, held once again at Santa Monica Pier, was Lulu Wang‘s THE FAREWELL. The Film won Best Feature and Best Supporting Actress with Zhao Shuzhen, who sadly was unable to celebrate due to the Coronavirus situation in China. Wang‘s partner Barry Jenkins was with her to support her, showing his pride backstage.

UNCUT GEMS which surprisingly for many failed to garner an Academy Award nomination, performed very well at the Spirit Awards, rewarding Best Director to Co-Directors The Safdie Brothers and also Best Male Lead (Adam Sandler). Sandler gave a spirited speech delivered completely as a different character, before thanking his family, while the Safdie Brothers both delivered a comical speech which saw them talking over one another.

Much like the rest of Awards Season, Renée Zellweger took home Best Female Lead for her work in JUDY, marking her first Spirit Award win after three nominations. Returning Host Aubrey Plaza delivered an opening number, a version of Judy Garland‘s Get Happy with hilarious lyrics, delivering the chuckles once again.

 

Watch it here:

 

MARRIAGE STORY also saw recognition with the Film’s team being awarded the Robert Altman Award, along with its Director/Writer Noah Baumbach who was also awarded Best Screenplay. Baumbach gave thanks to his partner Greta Gerwig, telling the audience “Even though she made a Movie (Little Women) too expensive to be here, she is just as independent as any of us.”. This was Baumbach‘s first Spirit Award.

 

Watch Film Independent’s YouTube Channel for more clips and speeches here.

We were thrilled once again to partner with Hollywood Suite, exclusive Canadian Broadcaster of the Awards!

 

See some of our star-studded Snaps. Navigate Albums by selecting the right arrow.

 

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#SpiritAwards: Volume 1. #LuluWang #ReneeZellweger #AdamSandler #SafdieBrothers #RachelBrosnahan #NaomiWatts #JoeyKing #HunterKing #KaitlynDever #BeanieFeldstein #LauraDern #GretaGerwig

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Feb 8, 2020 at 5:23pm PST

 

 

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#SpiritAwards Volume 2: #BongJoonHo #NoahBaumbach #Booksmart #IdinaMenzel #ElisabethMoss #JenniferLopez #JLO #WillemDafoe #MargaretQualley #LaurenSpencer #HunterSchafer

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Feb 8, 2020 at 5:25pm PST

 

 

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#SpiritAwards Selfies: #AdamSandler #LauraDern #RachelBrosnahan #MargaretQualley #HunterSchafer #MindyKaling #AmericaFerrara #BoBurnham #SafdieBrothers #JulieHagerty

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Feb 8, 2020 at 5:49pm PST

 

Team Hollywood Suite: Cam Maitland x Alicia Fletcher

So happy to be here with the Team from @hollywoodsuite: @camfess and Alicia Fletcher! The Blue Carpet starts soon and broadcast 5 PM ET. #SpiritAwards pic.twitter.com/1ovx6iUoSu

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) February 8, 2020

 

While Awards Season is about to conclude with the Academy Awards taking place tomorrow, we’ll look back at this year’s Spirit Awards as an unforgettable one!

 

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Film Independent)

#SPOTTED: “IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK” TAKES TOP HONOURS AT INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

Now in their 34th year, the FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS took place in Santa Monica this past weekend, celebrating the achievement in Independent Film over the past year. Taking top honours was Barry Jenkins’ IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, winning Best Feature. The Adaptation of the Novel by James Baldwin also was awarded Best Director and Supporting Actress, Regina King who the next day, would win an Oscar for the same performance.

As is consistent with most of this Awards Season, we’ve seen a split in the recognition of Films and the Spirit Awards were on-trend. CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? and SUSPIRIA received two awards each, the former winning for Best Supporting Actor, Richard E. Grant and Best Screenplay, Jeff Whitty and Nicole Holofcener. Grant shared some inspiring words about his experience playing Jack Hock, himself having seen several of his friends die victims of HIV. He dedicated his award in memory of those who passed away as a result of the disease.

The Cast of SUSPIRIA received the prestigious Robert Altman Award, honouring its Female Ensemble including Chloë Grace-Moretz, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Dakota Johnson and more. Its Cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom also was awarded for her work.

Hosted by Aubrey Plaza, the audience were treated to her expletive-filled dead-pan humour where several including Netflix nor even THE FAVOURITE Director Yorgos Lanthimos (equating the sound of his name to a Harry Potter spell, “You just shout Yorgos Lanthimos and someone gets fingered in a corset!”) were safe from her jokes. Kidding aside, she points out that 60% of Director nominees at the Spirit Awards this year were women, stating “Don’t get too excited, in this case 60% just means three women, but calling it 60% makes it sound way scarier to your uncles.”.  On the growing phenomenon of Films getting digital releases over theatrical, she says, “I truly believe people should see movies how they’re meant to seen in the theatres.”.

 

Plaza‘s amazing Opening Monologue

 

Not only did Best Actress winner Glenn Close rule at the Awards, she and her adorable Havanese dog Pip charmed on the Blue Carpet, she dressed in a shimmery pink lamé suit, before getting her own private dinner hosted by Chanel at STK. Pip also attended.

The Cast of Suspiria also ruled the Blue Carpet with Mother Suspiriorum herself, Dakota Johnson, leading the charge and giving her time generously to fans who queued on the sand for a chance to see the stars.

 

See some of our Snaps:

 

Glenn Close x Pip

 

Aubrey Plaza

 

Barry Jenkins and “If Beale Street Could Talk” Team

 

Joaquin Phoenix

 

Josh Hamilton, Elsie Fisher x Bo Burnham

 

Jon Hamm

 

Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth and the ladies of Suspiria

 

Chloë Grace Moretz x Riley Keough

 

John Waters

 

Ray Romano x Mark Duplass

 

Yalitza Aparicio x Javier Bardem

 

Taraji P. Henson x Shangela

 

You also cannot miss Shangela’s daring performance

 

 

Finn Wolfhard

 

Carey Mulligan x Zoe Kazan

 

Kiki Layne

 

Jeff Witty x Nicole Holofcener

 

Debra Granik

 

Toni Collette

 

Regina Hall

 

Regina King

 

Morgan Neville

 

 

Boots Riley

 

Richard E. Grant

 

Viggo Mortensen

 

Alfonso Cuarón

 

Alfonso Cuarón with Thomasin McKenzie

 

Complete list of winners here.

We attended together with our friends at Hollywood Suite, the exclusive broadcaster of the Spirit Awards and will never forget this amazing journey. Their Cam Maitland did an awesome job interviewing talent on the Blue Carpet which will air at later points. You can subscribe via your television provider at $6 per month, plus basic cable. Hollywoodsuite.com.

 

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

 

Photos taken on the Nikon D3400.