Celine Song's romantic drama film is named Best Feature and earns her Best Director award, while 'The Holdovers' leads in terms of number in the movie field.
- Feb 25, 2024
AceShowbiz - Film Independent has had its say in the best works in movie and television in the past year at the 39th Independent Spirit Awards. Honoring the best independent films and TV series, the ceremony, which was held on Sunday, February 25 saw "Past Lives" and "Beef" taking the top honors.
Celine Song's feature directorial debut was chosen as Best Feature, beating out fellow nominees "All of Us Strangers", "American Fiction", "May December", "Passages" and "We Grown Now". The romantic drama film additionally earned her an award for Best Director.
"The Holdovers" led in terms of number in the movie department, bagging three awards out of its four nominations. Its stars Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa won Best Supporting Performance and Best Breakthrough Performance respectively, while Eigil Bryld nabbed Best Cinematography award for his work on the Alexander Payne-directed dramedy.
"American Fiction", which led the nominations with five, did not come home empty handed as it snatched Best Lead Performance for its star Jeffrey Wright. He beat out the likes of Jessica Chastain ("Memory") , Natalie Portman ("May December"), Andrew Scott ("All of Us Strangers") and Teyana Taylor ("A Thousand and One").
"American Fiction" won another award in Best Screenplay category for Cord Jefferson. Meanwhile, Best First Screenplay went to Samy Burch who wrote the script of "May December" based on a story by him and Alex Mechanik.
In the TV field, "Beef" took home the coveted prize of Best New Scripted Series. Its star Ali Wong was hailed for Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series, edging out her own co-star Steven Yeun as well as Emma Corrin ("A Murder at the End of the World") and Bella Ramsey ("The Last of Us") among other nominees for the award.
"The Last of Us" also won two, in Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series category for Nick Offerman and in Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series category for Keivonn Montreal Woodard.
During the event, which took place at Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California, a protester outside the venue blared on a loudspeaker a pre-recorded chant "Free Palestine" and "Ceasefire now" which played on a loop and was audible to everyone in the room. Host Aidy Bryant and winners Babak Jalali and Kelly Reichardt referenced the chants in their speeches.
Full Winner List of the 39th Independent Spirit Awards:
MOVIES
- Best Feature: "Past Lives"
- Best Director: Celine Song, "Past Lives"
- Best First Feature: "A Thousand and One"
- Best Lead Performance: Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"
- Best Supporting Performance: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"
- Best Breakthrough Performance: Dominic Sessa, "The Holdovers"
- Best Screenplay: Cord Jefferson, "American Fiction"
- Best First Screenplay: Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik, "May December"
- Best Cinematography: Eigil Bryld, "The Holdovers"
- Best Editing: Daniel Garber, "How to Blow Up a Pipeline"
- Best Documentary: "Four Daughters"
- Best International Film: "Anatomy of a Fall"
- Robert Altman Award: "Showing Up"
- Someone to Watch Award: Monica Sorelle, Director of "Mountains"
- Truer Than Fiction Award: Set Hernandez, Director of "unseen"
- John Cassavetes Award: "Fremont"
- Producers Award: Monique Walton
TELEVISION
- Best New Scripted Series: "Beef"
- Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series: "Dear Mama"
- Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series: Ali Wong, "Beef"
- Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series: Nick Offerman, "The Last of Us"
- Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series: Keivonn Montreal Woodard, "The Last of Us"
- Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series: "Jury Duty"
