2024 Independent Spirit Awards: A Triumph of Diversity and Talent

By Magrira | New York Amsterdam News
From – https://blackpressusa.com/
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News

The 2024 Independent Spirit Awards, produced by Film Independent, continues to be a shining example of diversity and inclusion across a challenging landscape.

The annual awards show—which took place beachside in Santa Monica, Calif., and was live-streamed on both IMDB’s YouTube and Film Independent’s YouTube channel—was hosted by former ”Saturday Night Live” star Aidy Bryant.

One of the key reasons we cover this event, to be frank, is the respectful treatment our outlet receives, starting with the public relations team at Ginsberg/Libby who set the tone. Even after attending the event over the years, the enduring sense of “I belong here” remains unchanged. This reaffirms our commitment to supporting such an intelligent and effective organization.

The competition at the awards ceremony was competitive with “Past Lives,” “May December,” and “American Fiction” battling it out with five nominations each—along with notable actors Greta Lee, Natalie Portman, Charles Melton, and Sterling K. Brown, who starred in the respective films.

Lily Gladstone also joined the festivities as honorary chair for this year’s awards.

Distributor A24 scooped up three wins: “Past Lives” for Best Feature and Best Director, and “Showing Up” for the Altman Award. Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios/Amazon Freevee won three awards: “American Fiction” for Best Screenplay and Best Lead Performance, and “Jury Duty” for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series. Focus Features won four awards: “The Holdovers” for Best Supporting Performance, Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Cinematographer, and “A Thousand and One” for Best First Feature. Netflix won three awards: “Beef” for Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and Best New Scripted Series, and “May December” for Best First Screenplay.

Check out the full list of winners below:

BEST FEATURE
“Past Lives”
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

BEST DIRECTOR
Celine Song, “Past Lives”

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Monica Sorelle, Director of “Mountains”

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Set Hernandez, Director of “Unseen”

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)
“A Thousand and One”
Director: A.V. Rockwell
Producers: Julia Lebedev, Rishi Rajani, Eddie Vaisman, Lena Waithe, Brad Weston

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast
“Showing Up”
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Casting Director: Gayle Keller
Ensemble Cast: André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez, Michelle Williams

PRODUCERS AWARD
Monique Walton

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Dominic Sessa, “The Holdovers”

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1 million
“Fremont”
Director/Writer: Babak Jalali
Writer: Carolina Cavalli
Producers: Rachael Fung, Chris Martin, Marjaneh Moghimi, George Rush, Sudnya Shroff, Laura Wagner

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Eigil Bryld, “The Holdovers”

BEST EDITING
Daniel Garber, “How to Blow Up a Pipeline”

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
“Beef”
Creator/Executive Producer: Lee Sung Jin
Executive Producers: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Jake Schreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich
Co-Executive Producers: Alice Ju, Carrie Kemper

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Ali Wong, “Beef”

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
“Dear Mama”
Executive Producers: Lasse Järvi, Quincy ‘QD3’ Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles D. King, Peter Nelson, Adel ‘Future’ Nur, Jamal Joseph, Ted Skillman, Allen Hughes, Steve Berman, Marc Cimino, Jody Gerson, John Janick, Nicholas Ferrall, Nigel Sinclair

BEST SCREENPLAY
Cord Jefferson, “American Fiction”

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik
“May December”

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
“Anatomy of a Fall”
France
Director: Justine Triet

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Keivonn Montreal Woodard, “The Last of Us”

BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Four Daughters”
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Producer: Nadim Cheikhrouha

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Nick Offerman, “The Last of Us”

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

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