Like some kind of glorious Oscars pre-game, the2020 Independent Spirit Awardstook place on Saturday, February 8. Hosted by Aubrey Plaza, the historically vivacious, cheeky awards show puts its focus on honoring the best in independent film from the previous year. After a very fun opening monologue from Plaza, the winners were announced in traditional categories (Best Director, Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, etc.) and categories unique to the Spirit Awards (Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, and the Robert Altman Award).
A24 walked away the big winner of the night thanks to a few of the studio’s releases:The Farewell,Uncut Gems, andThe Lighthouse. DirectorLulu Wang’s semi-autobiographical filmThe Farewellwalked away with the evening’s top honor, Best Feature, as well as Best Supporting Female for breakout starZhao Shuzhen, who unfortunately couldn’t travel to the award show from her home country of China due to issues around the coronavirus.Uncut Gemswas also a big winner, scooping up the Best Director forJoshandBenny Safdie’s work, Best Male Lead forAdam Sandler’s performance, and Best Editing awards. As forThe Lighthouse,Willem Dafoewon the Best Supporting Male award andJarin Blaschkewon for Best Cinematography.
Check out the complete 2020 Independent Spirit Awards winners list below. For more, get caught up on all of our 2020 Oscars coveragehere.
Best Feature
The Farewell(WINNER)
Producers: Anita Gou, Daniele Melia, Andrew Miano, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Lulu Wang, Chris Weitz, Jane Zheng
A Hidden Life
Producers: Elisabeth Bentley, Dario Bergesio, Grant Hill, Josh Jeter
Producers: Timur Bekbosunov, Julian Cautherley, Bronwyn Cornelius, Peter Wong
Marriage Story
Producers: Noah Baumbach, David Heyman
Uncut Gems
Producers: Eli Bush, Sebastian Bear-McClard, Scott Rudin
Best First Feature
Booksmart(WINNER)
Director: Olivia Wilde
Producers: Chelsea Barnard, David Distenfeld, Jessica Elbaum, Megan Ellison, Katie Silberman
Director/Producer: Michael Angelo Covino
Producers: Noah Lang, Kyle Marvin
Director: Kent Jones
Producers: Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Caroline Kaplan, Oren Moverman
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Director/Producer: Joe Talbot
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Khaliah Neal, Christina Oh
The Mustang
Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
Producer: Ilan Goldman
See You Yesterday
Director: Stefon Bristol
Producer: Spike Lee
Best Director
Best Female Lead
Best Male Lead
Best Supporting Female
Best Supporting Male
Best Screenplay
Best First Screenplay
Best International Film
Best Documentary
American Factory(WINNER)
Director/Producer: Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert
Producers: Julie Parker Benello, Jeff Reichert
Director/Producer: Todd Douglas Miller
Producers: Evan Krauss, Thomas Baxley Petersen
Director: Edward Watts
Director/Producer: Waad al-Kateab
Director: Tamara Kotevska
Director/Producer: Ljubo Stefanov
Producer: Atanas Georgiev
Island of the Hungry Ghosts
Director/Producer: Gabrielle Brady
Producers: Gizem Acarla, Samm Haillay, Alex Kelly, Alexander Wadouh
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Robert Altman Award
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
John Cassavetes Award
Give Me Liberty(WINNER)
Writer/Director/Producer: Kirill Mikhanovsky
Writer/Producer: Alice Austen
Producers: Val Abel, Wally Hall, Michael Manasseri, George Rush, Sergey Shtern
Burning Cane
Writer/Director/Producer: Phillip Youmans
Producers: Ojo Akinlana, Jakob Johnson, Karen Kaia Livers, Mose Mayer, Wendell Pierce, Isaac Webb, Cassandra Youmans
Writer/Director: Tom Quinn
Producers: Joshua Blum, Alexandra Byer, Craig Shilowich, Matthew Thurm
Writer/Director/Producer: Rashaad Ernesto Green
Writer: Zora Howard
Producer: Darren Dean, Joy Ganes
Wild Nights With Emily
Writer/Director/Producer: Madeleine Olnek
Producers: Anna Margarita Albelo, Casper Andreas, Max Rifkind-Barron
Bonnie Award
Producers Award
Someone to Watch Award
Truer Than Fiction Award
