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
