Film Independent celebrates 2022 Spirit Awards winners

Film Independent handed out top honours at the 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony on the beach in Santa Monica.

Hosted by comedy power couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, the ceremony was broadcast live on IFC and AMC+. In addition to being the celebration that honours artist-driven films and shows that embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the Spirit Awards is the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs.

This year’s major winners in the film categories were The Lost Daughter which won Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay; Passing which won Best Supporting Female and Edu Grau ASC AEC took home the Best Cinematography award; Zola which won Best Female Lead and Best Editing; 7 Days which won Best First Feature; Pig which won Best First Screenplay; Red Rocket which won Best Male Lead; CODA which won Best Supporting Male; Drive My Car which won Best International Film; Summer of Soul which won Best Documentary; and Shiva Baby which received the John Cassavetes Award.

For the second time in its history, this year’s Spirit Awards also honored exceptional content in television. This year’s major winners in the TV categories were Reservation Dogs which won Best New Scripted Series and Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series; Black and Missing which won Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series; The Underground Railroad which won Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series; and Squid Game which won Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series.

The 14th annual Robert Altman Award, which was created in 2008 in honor of legendary film director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts, was awarded to Mass director Fran Kranz, alongside casting directors Henry Russell Bergstein and Allison Estrin as well as ensemble cast Kagen Albright, Reed Birney, Michelle N. Carter, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton and Breeda Wool.

Previously announced winners of the Emerging Filmmaker Awards Grants are Alex Camilleri (Luzzu) who received the Someone to Watch Award; Lizzie Shapiro who received the Producers Award; and Jessica Beshir (Faya Dayi) who received the Truer Than Fiction Award.

The following is a complete list of the winners:

FILM CATEGORIES

Best Cinematography

Edu Grau ASC AEC, Passing (Netflix)

Best Feature

The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

Producers: Charles Dorfman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Osnat Handelsman Keren, Talia Kleinhendler

Best Director

Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

Best Screenplay

Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

Best First Feature

7 Days (Cinedigm)

Director: Roshan Sethi

Producers: Liz Cardenas, Mel Eslyn

Best First Screenplay

Michael Sarnoski, Story by Vanessa Block and Michael Sarnoski, Pig (NEON)

John Cassavetes Award

(for best feature made under $500,000)

Shiva Baby (Utopia)

Writer/Director/Producer: Emma Seligman

Producers: Kieran Altmann, Katie Schiller, Lizzie Shapiro

Best Supporting Female

Ruth Negga, Passing (Netflix)

Best Supporting Male

Troy Kotsur, CODA (Apple+)

Best Female Lead

Taylour Paige, Zola (A24)

Best Male Lead

Simon Rex, Red Rocket (A24)

Robert Altman Award

Mass (Bleecker Street)

Director: Fran Kranz

Casting Directors: Henry Russell Bergstein, Allison Estrin

Ensemble Cast: Kagen Albright, Reed Birney, Michelle N. Carter, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Breeda Wool

Best Editing

Joi McMillon, Zola (A24)

Best International Film

Drive My Car (Sideshow in association with Janus Films)

Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Best Documentary

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures, Onyx Collective, Hulu)

Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

Producers: David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best New Scripted Series

Reservation Dogs (FX)

Creators/Executive Producers: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi

Executive Producer: Garrett Basch

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series

Black and Missing (HBO/HBO Max)

Series By/Executive Producers: Soledad O’Brien, Geeta Gandbhir

Executive Producers: Jo Honig, Patrick Conway, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series

Thuso Mbedu, The Underground Railroad (Prime Video)

Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series

Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game (Netflix)

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series

Reservation Dogs (FX)

Ensemble Cast: Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Paulina Alexis, Sarah Podemski, Zahn McClarnon, Lil Mike, FunnyBone