Hosted for the second year in a row by Aubrey Plaza, the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards honored the best in independent cinema down at the Santa Monica Beach. The top honor of Best Picture this year went to “The Farewell,” which also took Best Supporting Actress for Zhao Shuzhen. Also winning big was Adam Sandler, who addressed his Oscars snub and offered a very funny acceptance speech.
BEST FEATURE
“The Farewell”
NOMINEES
- “Clemency”
- “A Hidden Life”
- “Marriage Story”
- “Uncut Gems”
BEST FIRST FEATURE
“Booksmart”
NOMINEES
- “The Climb”
- “Diane”
- “The Last Black Man In San Francisco”
- “The Mustang”
- “See You Yesterday”
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
“Give Me Liberty”
NOMINEES
- “Burning Cane”
- “Colewell”
- “Premature”
- “Wild Nights With Emily”
BEST DIRECTOR
Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie
“Uncut Gems”
NOMINEES
- Robert Eggers — “The Lighthouse”
- Alma Har’el — “Honey Boy”
- Julius Onah — “Luce”
- Lorene Scafaria — “Hustlers”
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Renée Zellweger
“Judy”
NOMINEES
- Karen Allen — “Colewell”
- Hong Chau — “Driveways”
- Elisabeth Moss — “Her Smell”
- Mary Kay Place — “Diane”
- Alfre Woodard — “Clemency”
BEST MALE LEAD
Adam Sandler
“Uncut Gems”
NOMINEES
- Chris Galust — “Give Me Liberty”
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. — “Luce”
- Robert Pattinson — “The Lighthouse”
- Matthias Schoenaerts — “The Mustang”
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Zhao Shuzhen
“The Farewell”
NOMINEES
- Jennifer Lopez — “Hustlers”
- Taylor Russell — “Waves”
- Lauren “Lolo” Spencer — “Give Me Liberty”
- Octavia Spencer — “Luce”
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Willem Dafoe
“The Lighthouse”
NOMINEES
- Noah Jupe — “Honey Boy”
- Shia Labeouf — “Honey Boy”
- Jonathan Majors — “The Last Black Man In San Francisco”
- Wendell Pierce — “Burning Cane”
BEST SCREENPLAY
“Marriage Story”
Noah Baumbach
NOMINEES
- “Clemency” — Chinonye Chukwu
- “High Flying Bird” — Tarell Alvin Mccraney
- “To Dust” — Jason Begue & Shawn Snyder
- “Uncut Gems” — Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, & Josh Safdie
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
“See You Yesterday”
Fredrica Bailey & Stefon Bristol
NOMINEES
- “Blow The Man Down” — Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy
- “Driveways” — Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen
- “Greener Grass” — Jocelyn Deboer & Dawn Luebbe
- “The Vast Of Night” — James Montague & Craig W. Sanger
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Lighthouse”
Jarin Blaschke
NOMINEES
- “Honey Boy” — Natasha Braier
- “Hustlers” — Todd Banhazl
- “Midsommar” — Pawel Pogorzelski
- “The Third Wife” — Chananun Chotrungroj
BEST EDITING
“Uncut Gems”
Ronald Bronstein & Benny Safdie
NOMINEES
- “Give Me Liberty” — Kirill Mikhanovsky
- “The Lighthouse” — Louise Ford
- “Sword Of Trust” — Tyler L. Cook
- “The Third Wife” — Julie Béziau
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“American Factory”
NOMINEES
- “Apollo 11”
- “For Sama”
- “Honeyland”
- “Island of the Hungry Ghosts”
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
“Parasite”
(South Korea)
NOMINEES
- “Invisible Life” (Brazil)
- “Les Miserables” (France)
- “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (France)
- “Retablo” (Peru)
- “The Souvenir” (United Kingdom)
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
“Marriage Story”
DIRECTOR
Noah Baumbach
CASTING DIRECTORS
Douglas Aibel | Francine Maisler
ENSEMBLE CAST
Alan Alda | Laura Dern | Adam Driver | Julie Hagerty | Scarlett Johansson | Ray Liotta | Azhy Robertson | Merritt Wever
Filmmaker Grants
PIAGET Producers Award
(The Producers Award, now in its 23rd year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
Mollye Asher
NOMINEES
- Krista Parris
- Ryan Zacarias
Someone to Watch Award
(The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 26th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
Rashaad Ernesto Green
“Premature”
NOMINEES
- Ash Mayfair — “The Third Wife”
- Joe Talbot — “The Last Black Man In San Francisco”
Bonnie Award
(Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo joined American Airlines in 1973 at age 24, becoming the first female pilot to fly for a major U.S. airline. In her honor, now in its 3rd year, the Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant sponsored by American Airlines.)
Kelly Reichardt
NOMINEES
- Marielle Heller
- Lulu Wang
Truer Than Fiction Award
(The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 25th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
Nadia Shihab
“Jaddoland”
NOMINEES
- Khalik Allah — “Black Mother”
- Davy Rothbart — “17 Blocks”
- Erick Stoll & Chase Whiteside — “América”
