2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners: Everything Everywhere All at Once Sweeps
Over a week ago, independent filmmakers gathered under Film Independent's trademark tent on the beach at Santa Monica Pier.
This year marks the 38th Film Indepdendent Spirit Awards ceremony that saw Hasan Minhaj hosting the festivities with plenty of jabs at the film industry and its hyprocrisy (specifically, IFC for choosing to not carry this year's ceremony and Deadline for their headlines).
A24's Everything Everywhere All at Once, which has become a huge hit with audiences and critics alike, performed the best of the film nominees with eight nominations that included Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay (The Daniels) and three performance nominations: Michelle Yeoh in Lead, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis in Supporting. The film made Spirit Awards history with seven wins (the only loss being Curtis losing to Quan in Supporting Performance). At the time of the win, the film also made SAG history by sweeping those awards. More recently, the film made Oscars history by being the only film in the 95 years of Oscar ceremonies to win four above-the-line Oscars, is the only film to win three acting Oscars and also win for Best Picture, and also holds the records for most wins for a Best Picture winner since Slumdog Millionaire in 2008, which won eight Oscars.
Focus Features' Tár was also a huge hit in the nominations round of the 38th Film Independent Spirit Awards with seven nominations including Best Feature, Best Director, Lead Performance (Cate Blanchett) and Supporting Performance (Nina Hoss); though the film's sole win being that for Florian Hoffmeister's cinematography.
Robert Altman Award recipitent Women Talking earned four nominations including Best Feature, a category which features Luca Guadagnino's Bones and All and Our Father, the Devil. Charlotte Wells' directorial debut feature Aftersun earned five nominations and took home the award Best First Feature, about a month after she won the BAFTA for Debut Feature.
New this year is the Best Breakthrough Performance category, which Film Independent is using to highlight actors that becomes known to wider audiences through a noteworthy character portrayal. The first round of nominees include Stephanie Hsu of Everything Everywhere All at Once, Frankie Corio of Aftersun, Gracija Filipović of Murina, Lily McInerny of Palm Trees and Power Lines and Daniel Zolghadri of Funny Pages. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to those who have seen Everything Everywhere All at Once, but Hsu took the Spirit Award in this category.
Joining other awards shows such as The Grammys, The Gotham Awards, The British Independent Film Awards, and the MTV Movie & TV Awards, Film Independent moved to gender-neutral performance categories, with the former gender-specific performance categories being replaced by Best Lead and Best Supporting Performance, with ten nominees in each category. In Lead Performance, Michelle Yeoh took home the Spirit Award amongst fierce compeition from Cate Blanchett and Paul Mescal. The Supporting Performance category also went to a member of Everything Everywhere All at Once: Ke Huy Quan.
In the submissions round of the 38th Film Independent Spirit Awards, 409 films were submitted - a record number for Film Independent. This year's nominating committees electected nominees from over 25 different countries, with the guidelines that the film has to carry the following qualities: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means. The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other professionals in the film industry. Of the nominated writers and directors, 61% are women and 34% are BIPOC. Of all nominated actors, 70% are women and 27% are BIPOC. And of all 2023 nominees, 51% are women and 33% are BIPOC. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 50% female, 6% Nonbinary, 3% Transgender, and 61% BIPOC; 32% identify as LGBTQ+ and 8% identify as people with disabilities (PWD).
The budget cap for eligible films is increased to $30 million and the cap for the John Cassavetes Award has also doubled to $1 million. The John Cassavetes Award went to The Cathedral, both written and directed by Ricky D’Ambrose.
Moving to the TV nominees, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Severance and Station Eleven tied for first place with three nominations each for scripted series. FX's The Bear ended the night with the most wins for a scripted series with two wins: Best New Scripted Series and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series. Surpisingly, Severance and Station Eleven exited the Spirit Awards tent with no wins.
On the other side of TV, the Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series category, the nominees comprised of FX's Children of the Underground, HBO's Mind Over Murder and The Rehearsal, Netflix's Pepsi, Where's My Jet?, and Showtime's We Need to Talk About Cosby. Surprisngly, Nathan Fielder ended up winning in the category, which usually leans more towards true-crime stories.
Like the film nominees, the switch to gender-neutral performance categories extends into the Spirit Awards TV performance category Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series. As a result, Film Independent has added a Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series. Quinat Brunson won the Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series for her role in Abbott Elementary. In Supporting Performance, Ayo Edebiri won for her performance in FX's The Bear. Pachinko took home the Spirit Award for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.
The Spirit Awards Television Nominating Committees used the same guidelines as the Spirit Awards Film Nominating Committees. Of all nominated television creators, executive producers and co-executive producers, 37% are women and 26% are BIPOC. Of all nominated television performers, 47% are women and 67% are BIPOC. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 50% female, 6% Nonbinary, 3% Transgender, and 61% BIPOC; 32% identify as LGBTQ+ and 8% identify as people with disabilities (PWD).
In the interest of transparency, I am a Film Independent member, which means that I will be voting on the winners from the below nominees. As opposed to organizations like the HFPA and CCA, the winners are determined by Film Independent members like me!
Like all my previous awards season content, there'll be links to any available reviews.
The winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards are voted on by Film Independent Members. Membership is open to the public.
The following is a complete list of the winners:
Film Categories
Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)
Bones and All
Producers: Timothée Chalamet, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Luca Guadagnino, David Kajganich, Lorenzo Mieli, Marco Morabito, Gabriele Moratti, Theresa Park, Peter Spears
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Producers: Daniel Kwan, Mike Larocca, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang
Our Father, the Devil
Producers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono
Tár
Producers: Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan
Women Talking
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Frances McDormand
Best First Feature (Award given to director and producer)
Aftersun
Director: Charlotte Wells
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski
Director: John Patton Ford
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes
The Inspection
Director: Elegance Bratton
Producers: Effie T. Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon
Murina
Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Producers: Danijel Pek, Rodrigo Teixeira
Palm Trees and Power Lines
Director/Producer: Jamie Dack
Producer: Leah Chen Baker
John Cassavetes Award – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director, and producer.)
The African Desperate
Writer/Director/Producer: Martine Syms
Writer/Producer: Rocket Caleshu
Producer: Vic Brooks
The Cathedral
Writer/Director: Ricky D’Ambrose
Producer: Graham Swon
Holy Emy
Writer/Director: Araceli Lemos
Writer/Producer: Giulia Caruso
Producers: Mathieu Bompoint, Ki Jin Kim, Konstantinos Vassilaros
A Love Song
Writer/Director/Producer: Max Walker-Silverman
Producers: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey
Something in the Dirt
Writer/Director/Producer: Justin Benson
Director/Producer: Aaron Moorhead
Producer: David Lawson Jr.
Best Director
Todd Field
Tár
Kogonada
After Yang
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Sarah Polley
Women Talking
Halina Reijn
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Best Screenplay
Lena Dunham
Catherine Called Birdy
Todd Field
Tár
Kogonada
After Yang
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Sarah Polley
Women Talking
Best First Screenplay
Joel Kim Booster
Fire Island
Jamie Dack, Audrey Findlay; Story by Jamie Dack
Palm Trees and Power Lines
K.D. Dávila
Emergency
Sarah DeLappe, Story by Kristen Roupenian
Bodies Bodies Bodies
John Patton Ford
Emily the Criminal
Best Lead Performance
Cate Blanchett
Tár
Dale Dickey
A Love Song
Mia Goth
Pearl
Regina Hall
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Paul Mescal
Aftersun
Aubrey Plaza
Emily the Criminal
Jeremy Pope
The Inspection
Andrea Riseborough
To Leslie
Taylor Russell
Bones and All
Michelle Yeoh
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Best Supporting Performance
Jamie Lee Curtis
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Brian Tyree Henry
Causeway
Nina Hoss
Tár
Brian d’Arcy James
The Cathedral
Ke Huy Quan
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Trevante Rhodes
Bruiser
Theo Rossi
Emily the Criminal
Mark Rylance
Bones and All
Jonathan Tucker
Palm Trees and Power Lines
Gabrielle Union
The Inspection
Best Breakthrough Performance
Frankie Corio
Aftersun
Gracija Filipović
Murina
Stephanie Hsu
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Lily McInerny
Palm Trees and Power Lines
Daniel Zolghadri
Funny Pages
Best Cinematography
Florian Hoffmeister
Tár
Hélène Louvart
Murina
Gregory Oke
Aftersun
Eliot Rockett
Pearl
Anisia Uzeyman
Neptune Frost
Best Editing
Ricky D’Ambrose
The Cathedral
Dean Fleischer Camp, Nick Paley
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Blair McClendon
Aftersun
Paul Rogers
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Monika Willi
Tár
Robert Altman Award – Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast
Women Talking
Director: Sarah Polley
Casting Directors: John Buchan, Jason Knight
Ensemble Cast: Shayla Brown, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Kira Guloien, Kate Hallett, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Sheila McCarthy, Frances McDormand, Michelle McLeod, Liv McNeil, Ben Whishaw, August Winter
Best Documentary (Award given to the director and producer)
All That Breathes
Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen
Producers: Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Director/Producer: Laura Poitras
Producers: Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons
A House Made of Splinters
Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producers: Monica Hellström
Midwives
Director/Producer: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Producers: Mila Aung-Thwin, Ulla Lehmann, Bob Moore
Riotsville, U.S.A.
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot
Best International Film (Award given to the director)
Corsage
Austria/Luxembourg/France/Belgium/Italy/England
Director: Marie Kreutzer
Joyland
Pakistan/USA
Director: Saim Sadiq
Leonor Will Never Die
Philippines
Director: Martika Ramirez Escobar
Return to Seoul
South Korea/France/Belgium/Romania
Director: Davy Chou
Saint Omer
France
Director: Alice Diop
Producers Award presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 26th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films.
Liz Cardenas - recent films produced include Acidman, last year’s Spirit Awards nominee for Best First Feature 7 Days, the short film Burros, and many more.
Tory Lenosky - recent films produced include The Hater, Resurrection, and many more.
David Grove Churchill Viste - recent films produced include The Visitor, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Diary of a Spy, and many more.
Someone to Watch Award – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 29th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.
Adamma Ebo
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Nikyatu Jusu
Nanny
Araceli Lemos
Holy Emy
Truer Than Fiction Award – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 28th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.
Isabel Castro
Mija
Reid Davenport
I Didn’t See You There
Rebeca Huntt
Beba
TV Categories
Best New Scripted Series
The Bear Creator/Executive Producer: Christopher Storer Executive Producers: Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, Hiro Murai Co-Executive Producer: Rene Gube
Pachinko Creator/Executive Producer: Soo Hugh Executive Producers: Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, Theresa Kang-Lowe, Richard Middleton, Justin Chon, Kogonada Co-Executive Producers: Dani Gorin, Sebastian Lee, David Kim, Ethan Kuperberg
The Porter Creators/Executive Producers: Marsha Greene, Annmarie Morais, Arnold Pinnock Creator/Co-Executive Producer: Bruce Ramsay Creator: Aubrey Nealon Executive Producers: Ian Dimerman, Jennifer Kawaja, Charles Officer, R.T. Thorne, Aml Ameen, Bruno Dubé, Alfre Woodard, Rose Catherine Pinkney, Devin Griffin Co-Executive Producers: Elise Cousineau, Andrea Glinski, Steve Cochrane, Daphne Park
Severance Creator/Executive Producer: Dan Erickson Executive Producers: Ben Stiller, Nicholas Weinstock, Jackie Cohn, Mark Friedman, Andrew Colville, Chris Black, John Cameron Co-Executive Producers: Jill Footlick, Kari Drake
Station Eleven Creator/Executive Producer: Patrick Somerville Executive Producers: Jessica Rhoades, Scott Steindorff, Dylan Russell, Scott Delman, Jeremy Podeswa, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson Co-Executive Producers: David Nicksay, Nick Cuse
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
Children of the Underground
Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Ted Gesing, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Kate Barry
Co-Executive Producer: Julie Gaither
Mind Over Murder
Executive Producers: Marc Smerling, Nanfu Wang, Max Heckman, Chad Mumm, Mark W. Olsen, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?
Executive Producers: Nick Boak, Andrew Renzi, Andrew D. Corkin, Theo James, Andrew Fried, Jordan Wynn, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma Co-Executive
Producer: Jeremiah Murphy
The Rehearsal
Creator/Executive Producer: Nathan Fielder
Executive Producers: Dave Paige, Dan McManus, Christie Smith
Co-Executive Producers: Carrie Kemper, Eric Notarnicola
We Need to Talk About Cosby
Executive Producers: W. Kamau Bell, Andrew Fried, Katie A. King, Vinnie Malhotra, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn Co-Executive Producer: Geraldine L. Porras
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
Aml Ameen The Porter
Mohammed Amer Mo
Quinta Brunson Abbott Elementary
Bridget Everett Somebody Somewhere
KaMillion Rap Sh!t
Melanie Lynskey Yellowjackets
Himesh Patel Station Eleven
Sue Ann Pien As We See It
Adam Scott Severance
Ben Whishaw This Is Going to Hurt
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
Danielle Deadwyler Station Eleven
Ayo Edebiri The Bear
Jeff Hiller Somebody Somewhere
Gbemisola Ikumelo A League of Their Own
Janelle James Abbott Elementary
Ebon Moss-Bachrach The Bear
Frankie Quiñones This Fool
Sheryl Lee Ralph Abbott Elementary
Molly Shannon I Love That For You
Tramell Tillman Severance
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
Pachinko Ensemble Cast: Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Inji Jeong, Minha Kim, Kaho Minami, Lee Minho, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Anna Sawai, Jimmi Simpson, Yuh-jung Youn
The final tally is as follows:
Everything Everywhere All At Once – 7
The Bear (TV)- 2
Abbott Elementary (TV) - 1
Aftersun - 1
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed - 1
The Cathedral - 1
Emily the Criminal - 1
I Didn't See You There - 1
Joyland - 1
Nanny - 1
Pachinko (TV) - 1
The Rehearsal (TV) - 1
Tár - 1
Women Talking - 1
What do you think of the winners? What have you seen? What haven't you seen? What do you think got snubbed? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time!
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