Sean Baker’s film “Anora” triumphed at the Independent Spirit Awards, securing the titles of best film, best director, and best actor for Mikey Madison. The event took place on Saturday, and with the Oscars set for the following week, “Anora” is being viewed as a strong contender in the awards season after detailing a Brooklyn sex worker’s intense romance with the son of a Russian oligarch.
The Spirit Awards, celebrated in a casual beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, serves as a more relaxed counterpart to the Academy Awards, focusing on achievements in independent film and television. Host Aidy Bryant humorously referred to it as perhaps “Hollywood’s third or fourth biggest night.”
During his acceptance speech for best director, Baker passionately addressed the challenges faced by independent filmmakers, particularly in an industry that is increasingly hesitant to back riskier productions. He warned that the independent film sector risks being reduced to mere “calling card films,” which serve only as vehicles for directors to secure larger projects. “The system has to change because this is simply unsustainable,” Baker emphasized, eliciting enthusiastic applause from the audience. “We shouldn’t be barely getting by.”
“Anora” faced competition for best film from various noteworthy titles, including Jane Schoenbrun’s psychological horror “I Saw the TV Glow,” RaMell Ross’ poignant adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s “Nickel Boys,” Greg Kwedar’s stirring incarceration drama “Sing Sing,” and Coralie Fargeat’s body horror piece “The Substance.”
Among other awards recipients, Kieran Culkin, thought to be an Oscar favorite, clinched the supporting performance award for his role in “A Real Pain.” His multi-talented co-star and director, Jesse Eisenberg, received the best screenplay award for the film, which follows two cousins on a Holocaust tour in Poland. Although Culkin was absent to accept his award, as he had also missed the BAFTAs due to family obligations, several Oscar nominees were present, including Madison and Demi Moore.
Madison, who recently won the top acting prize over Moore at the BAFTAs, with a brief interaction involving Moore’s dog Pilaf while heading to the stage. The acting categories at the Spirit Awards are gender-neutral and feature 10 slots each, creating an inclusive environment where Madison and Moore competed alongside Oscar nominees like Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”) and Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”).
The documentary award went to “No Other Land,” a critical work by a Palestinian-Israeli collective shining a light on the devastation of a West Bank village, which currently lacks distribution but stands as a strong entry for the Oscars. The filmmakers, however, did not attend the ceremony to collect their award.
The internationally acclaimed animated film “Flow,” featuring a wordless storyline and centered around a cat in Latvia, took home the best international film award. It has been nominated at the Oscars in both the international film and animation categories.
While there is often a divergence between Spirit Award winners and Academy Award nominees, the Spirit Awards tend to capture a growing consensus, similar to the recognition for “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” The eligibility criteria for the Spirit Awards restrict entries to productions with budgets of $30 million or less, thus excluding more lavish Oscar contenders such as “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two.”
Sean Wang received accolades for best first feature and best first screenplay for “Dìdi” and shared a special moment on stage with one of his stars, Joan Chen, who was also nominated for a similar award 25 years ago for “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.”
Meanwhile, the Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” garnered multiple awards for its cast members, including Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, and Nava Mau. Mau, who identifies as trans, spoke on the need for unity among actors as they embrace an uncertain future. “We are the people and our labor is everything,” she stated.
In television categories, “Sh?gun” was awarded best new scripted series, while “How to Die Alone” took home the honor for best ensemble. Natasha Rothwell, the creator and star of “How to Die Alone,” delivered an emotional acceptance speech for the ensemble award, reflecting on the show’s recent cancellation after just one season. Rothwell poignantly remarked on the importance of visibility for Black stories, calling it a necessity rather than a privilege and affirming the right to occupy space within the industry fully.
While maintaining a generally upbeat atmosphere, the ceremony acknowledged the devastating impact of recent wildfires in Los Angeles. Bryant urged viewers, whether in the audience or online, to assist in laying the groundwork for recovery. She highlighted a QR code that appeared during the livestream, encouraging donations to the Film Independent Emergency Filmmaker Relief Fund, which provides essential grants to filmmakers affected by the fires.
The event also honored Josh Welsh, the long-serving president of Film Independent, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 62 due to colon cancer. In her opening remarks, Bryant commented on the duality of the year, celebrating cinema while simultaneously acknowledging the losses in human life. The “Saturday Night Live” alum lightheartedly kicked off the festivities by playfully teasing some nominees, including Emma Stone.
“Emma was a producer on four nominated projects tonight,” Bryant quipped. “But even more importantly, her hair is short now.” Stone was prominently mentioned in Eisenberg’s speech, where he acknowledged her integral role in supporting his writing endeavors since their initial meeting on “Zombieland” in 2009 and her contributions as a producer to both his films.
As the event unfolded, it was noted that “I Saw the TV Glow” entered the awards with a total of six nominations, tying with “Anora,” yet it ultimately secured just one award for producer Sarah Winshall.
