Film Independent’s 2016 Spirit Awards ceremony took place last night in Los Angeles, marking the 31st edition of the awards show that celebrates the best of independent film. Spirit Awards were given out in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary and Best Editing.
The Filmmaker Awards include the Piaget Producers Award, the Truer Than Fiction Award and the Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award.
Of note, with respect to this blog’s interest are: "Beasts of No Nation" picked up 2 trophies (Abraham Attah for Best Actor and Idirs Elba for Best Supporting Actor); and Mya Taylor won the Best Supporting Actress Spirit Award for her performance in "Tangerine." I should note that, with her win, Taylor becomes the first transgender actress in American history to win a film award at this level.
The 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards was broadcast exclusively on IFC last night, with Jessica Chastain serving as Honorary Chair.
Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions returned for his second year as executive producer of the show held in its usual tent on the beach in Santa Monica, in a new location this year just north of the Santa Monica Pier. Producer Shawn Davis returned for his 14th show and Rick Austin for his second year as producer.
The full list of the 2016 Spirit Award nominations and winners (in bold) follows below, and underneath, you’ll find all 3 acceptance speeches (Elba, Attah and Taylor):
BEST PICTURE
"Anomalisa"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Carol"
"Spotlight"
"Tangerine"
BEST DIRECTOR
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"
David Robert Mitchell, "It Follows"
Sean Baker, "Tangerine"
Todd Haynes, "Carol"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
BEST ACTOR
Abraham Attah, "Beasts of No Nation"
Ben Mendelsohn, "Mississippi Grind"
Christopher Abbott, "James White"
Jason Segel, "The End of the Tour"
Kudos Seihon, "Mediterranea"
BEST ACTRESS
Bel Powley, "Diary of a Teenage Girl"
Brie Larson, "Room"
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, "Tangerine"
Rooney Mara, "Carol"
Idris Elba, "Beasts of No Nation"
Kevin Corrigan, "Results"
Michael Shannon, "99 Homes"
Paul Dano, "Love & Mercy"
Richard Jenkins, "Bone Tomahawk"
Cynthia Nixon, "James White"
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Anomalisa"
Marin Ireland, "Glass Chin"
Mya Taylor, "Tangerine"
Robin Bartlett, "H."
BEST SCREENPLAY
Charlie Kaufman, "Anomalisa"
Donald Marguiles, "The End of the Tour"
Phyllis Nagy, "Carol"
S. Craig Zahler, "Bone Tomahawk"
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, "Spotlight"
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Ed Lachman, "Carol"
Joshua James Richards, "Songs My Brothers Taught Me"
Michael Gioulakis, "It Follows"
Reed Morano, "Meadowland"
BEST FILM EDITING
Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie, "Heaven Knows What"
Julio C. Perez IV, "It Follows"
Kristan Sprague, "Manos Sucias"
Nathan Nugent, "Room"
Tom McArdle, "Spotlight"
BEST DOCUMENTARY
"(T)error"
"Best of Enemies"
"Heart of a Dog"
"Meru"
"The Look of Silence"
"The Russian Woodpecker"
BEST INTERNATIONAL PICTURE
"A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence"
"Embrace of the Serpent"
"Girlhood"
"Mustang"
"Son of Saul"
BEST FIRST FEATURE
"James White"
"Manos Sucias"
"Mediterranea"
"Songs My Brothers Taught Me"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Emma Donoghue, "Room"
Jesse Andrews, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh, and Myna Joseph, "The Mend"
Jonas Carpignano, "Mediterranea"
Marielle Heller, "The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (best feature made for under $500,000)
"Advantageous"
"Christmas, Again"
"Heaven Knows What"
"Krisha"
"Out of My Mind"
