By ‘Past Lives,’ ‘American Fiction,’ and ‘The Holdovers’ secured top honors at the 39th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. Despite being overlooked by the Oscars in the Best Director category, director Celine Song claimed the award for her debut feature film, ‘Past Lives.’ Jeffrey Wright, the star of ‘American Fiction,’ received the award for Best Lead Performance in the Amazon MGM Studios comedy. His recognition, presented by fellow Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, brought a change in perspective for Wright, who humorously remarked, “It’s funny, you go to these award shows, and you kind of grow tired of them. And then you get one. It changes the vibe a little bit.” The film also secured the Best Screenplay award. ‘The Holdovers’ took an early lead at the Spirit Awards, with Dominic Sessa winning Best Breakout Performance, Eigil Bryld receiving Best Cinematography, and Da’vine Joy Randolph earning Best Supporting Performance. While Randolph’s fellow cast and crew members received their first awards, Randolph herself has been consistently recognized throughout the awards season, clinching Best Supporting Actress titles at the SAG Awards, BAFTA, Critics Choice, and Golden Globes. She is now widely anticipated to secure victory at the upcoming Oscars.
‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ and ‘Beef’ emerged as significant victors at the 39th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, securing accolades for Best New Scripted Series and Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series, awarded to Ali Wong.
Check out the comprehensive list of winners below:
Best Feature Film
- All of Us Strangers
- American Fiction
- May December
- Passages
- Past Lives – WINNER
- We Grown Now
Best Director
- Andrew Haigh, All of Strangers
- Todd Haynes, May December
- William Oldroyd, Eileen
- Celine Song, Past Lives – WINNER
- Ira Sachs, Passages
Best First Feature
- All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
- Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
- Earth Mama
- A Thousand and One – WINNER
- Upon Entry
Best Lead Performance
- Jessica Chastain, Memory
- Greta Lee, Past Lives
- Trace Lysette, Monica
- Natalie Portman, May December
- Judy Reyes, Birth Rebirth
- Franz Rogowski, Passages
- Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers
- Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One
- Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction – WINNER
- Teo Yoo, Past Lives
Best Supporting Performance
- Erica Alexander, American Fiction
- Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
- Noah Galvin, Theater Camp
- Anne Hathaway, Eileen
- Glenn Howerton, Blackberry
- Marin Ireland, Eileen
- Charles Melton, May December
- Da’vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers – WINNER
- Catalina Saavedra, Rotting in the Sun
- Ben Wishaw, Passages
Best Breakthrough Performance
- Marshawn Lynch, Bottoms
- Atibon Nazaire, Mountains
- Tia Nomore, Earth Mama
- Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers – WINNER
- Anaita Wali Zada, Fremont
Best Screenplay
- American Fiction – WINNER
- Birth Rebirth
- Bottoms
- Past Lives
- The Holdovers
Best First Screenplay
- Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
- May December – WINNER
- The Starling Girl
- Theater Camp
- Upon Entry
Best International Feature Film
- Anatomy of a Fall, France – WINNER
- Godland, Denmark, Iceland
- Mami Wata, Nigeria
- Totem, Mexico
- The Zone of Interest, UK, Poland, USA
Best Documentary Feature Film
- Bye Bye Tiberias
- Four Daughters – WINNER
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
- Kokomo City
- The Mother of All Lies
Best Cinematography
- All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
- Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
- The Holdovers – WINNER
- Monica
- We Grown Now
Best Editing
- How to Blow Up a Pipeline – WINNER
- Rotting in the Sun
- Theater Camp
- Upon Entry
- We Grown Now
John Cassevetes Award — Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000
- The Artifice Girl
- Cadejo Blanco
- Fremont – WINNER
- Rotting in the Sun
- The Unknown Country
Robert Altman Award — Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast
- Showing Up
Producers Award
- Rachael Fung
- Graham Swon
- Monique Walton – WINNER
Someone to Watch Award
- Joanna Arnow
- Laura Moss
- Monica Sorelle – WINNER
Truer Than Fiction Award
- Set Hernandez – WINNER
- Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
- Sierra Urich
Best New Scripted Series
- Beef – WINNER
- Dreaming Whilst Black
- I’m a Virgo
- Jury Duty
- Slip
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
- Emma Corin, A Murder at the End of the World
- Dominique Fishback, Swarm
- Betty Gilpin, Mrs. Davis
- Jharel Jerome, I’m a Virgo
- Zoe Lister-Jones, Slip
- Bel Powley, A Small Light
- Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
- Ramon Rodriguez, Will Trent
- Ali Wong, Beef – WINNER
- Steven Yeun, Beef
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
- Murray Bartlett, The Last of Us
- Billie Eilish, Swarm
- Jack Farthing, Rain Dogs
- Nick Offerman, The Last of Us – WINNER
- Adina Porter, The Changeling
- Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry
- Benny Safdie, The Curse
- Luke Tennie, Shrinking
- Olivia Washington, I’m a Virgo
- Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
- Deadlock: How America Shaped the Supreme Court
- Dear Mama – WINNER
- Murder in Big Horn
- Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
- Wrestlers
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
- Clark Backo, The Changeling
- Aria Mia Loberti, All the Light We Cannot See
- Adjani Salmon, Dreaming Whilst Black
- Keivonn Woodard, The Last of Us – WINNER
- Kara Young, I’m a Virgo
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
- Jury Duty
