Not in Hollywood, not at night, not at a gala, not on a red carpet, much less with Scorsese or
Barbenheimer
.
The independent film awards, the Spirit Awards, which considered
Past Lives
the best film of the year, are made of a different stuff, as independent as their name suggests.
To qualify for them, the maximum budget of a film must be 20 million dollars, and not only the winners, but the categories are very different from those of other installments.
Some have up to nine nominees, others just three;
There is no separation between female and male interpretation, new films are awarded in many categories.
The atmosphere is also different: in the morning, in some ephemeral tents erected next to the beach in Santa Monica, relaxed and full of laughter and applause.
It was not difficult to see actresses barefoot in the middle of the gala, or actors drinking coffee with sunglasses between awards.
“If you're an actress who wears her own shoes in the movie, that's
indie
, honey.
And when there is solidarity between the members of the writers' and actors' unions, that's
indie
, baby,” joked comedian Aidy Bryant, the host of the Spirit, in her speech.
After the night of the actors' union awards, which were more demanding, those on Sunday were festive and light.
Independents.
Will Ferrell arrived on the blue carpet in a suit and sneakers;
Anne Hathaway in a sequin jumpsuit.
The crew of the Spanish film
Upon Entry
was elegant, with its directors, Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez, and its protagonist, Alberto Ammann, in suits and no ties, and its actresses, Bruna Cusí and Laura Gómez, in long dresses.
And everyone happy, smiling.
They seemed surprised, “like being in a movie,” they said, to see themselves surrounded by stars and walking through the gala.
Whether they won or not, they were going to celebrate, without a doubt.
His three nominations ultimately did not become awards:
Secrets of a Scandal
won for best first screenplay ,
How to Dynamite an Oil Pipeline for best editing, and
One Thousand and One
for best new film
.
More information
'Past Lives', the 'indie' film that smells like Oscar
The team of the Spanish film 'Upon Entry' on the carpet at the 2024 Spirit Awards, on February 25, 2024 in Santa Monica (California).
From left to right Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Alberto Ammann, Laura Gómez, Alejandro Rojas, Alberto Ammann and Bruna Cusí.M.
Porcel
In the film section,
Past Lives made a double,
with awards for best film and best direction, for Celine Song.
“I feel very lucky,
Past Lives
would never have existed without this entire team, they believed in us,” she smiled, surrounded by her people.
In addition to Da'Vine Joy Randolph, for
Those Who Remain
, in cast, the best performance went to Jeffrey Wright, the frustrated and cheating writer of
American Fiction:
“We wanted to delve into these stories in a personal way, but also laugh, without fear of this conversation, because there is nothing to fear.
We did it for that reason.
It has a beautiful script, a great group of actors.
This is the true gratitude that this story has been so well received.
Maybe with this we can reach a larger audience.
It's great to be recognized, it's been a long season, but it shows interest in our work,” he calmly thanked the press.
Dominic Sessa, the moody alum from
Those Who Remain
, won for best new performance.
“This film has changed my life, Alexander Payne has changed my life,” he thanked, excited.
There were classics of the season that won the award, like Joy Randolph, who has not lost one in these months and whose Oscar can already be engraved in her name.
Justine Triet was crowned again with
Anatomy of a Fall
as an international film, which has five Oscar nominations (but precisely not for international film; France did not select it).
Celine Song and her team collect the award for best film for 'Past Lives' at the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, on February 25, 2024. MARIO ANZUONI (REUTERS)
Secrets of a Scandal
won best first screenplay;
Best Screenplay went to
American Fiction
.
Kaouther ben Hania, director of
The Four Daughters
, winner and now candidate for the Oscar for best documentary, stated in the press room that awards like this “show that all stories are universal.”
The award for best first film went to
One Thousand One,
the award for best editing went to
How to Dynamite an Oil Pipeline
, and the award for best photography went to
Los que se quenta
.
The John Cassavetes Award, for best film costing less than a million dollars, went to
Fremont
, written and directed by Babak Jalali, which portrays the life of Donya, a lonely twenty-something Afghan immigrant who works as a translator in a small town. from California and whose boring life changes when he starts writing the messages that go inside fortune cookies.
The Robert Altman award for the entire cast went to the story of a sculptor
Showing Up
, starring Michelle Williams and which passed through Cannes in 2022.
Kaouther Ben Hania wins the award for Best Documentary for 'The Four Daughters', at the Film Independent Spirit Awards held on February 25, 2024 in Santa Monica, California.MARIO ANZUONI (REUTERS)
As for series, there are few categories, and they tied with two
The Last of Us
and
Bronca
.
The first emerged as the winner by awarding both best supporting actor in a new series (Nick Offerman) and best acting discovery in a new series (which went to little Keivonn Montreal Woodard, 11 years old).
The second triumphed in the best performance, for the highly awarded Ali Wong, and in the best new series.
The best cast went to
Jury Duty.
The five-episode documentary series
Dear Mama
(can be seen on Disney+/Hulu), which reviews the life of the late rapper Tupac Shakur and his mother, activist Afeni Shakur, emerged as the winner in its category.
The presenter Aidy Bryant, the presenter of the Spirit Awards, made it clear and with good emphasis in her opening speech: “These awards can only be held in the United States, where 20 million dollars is a trifle.”
He was not lacking in reason.
Compared to the giants of American cinema, the projects that win independent film awards are small... if you take into account that the budget of films like
Those Who Stay
is 16 million dollars and that of series like
The Last of Us
, between 10 and 15 million per chapter.
“This is a healthy business for both the ego and the soul,” Bryant said, “and under this tent there are great writers, visionary directors and legendary actors, or as one anonymous executive would say, useless content pigs who could be replaced by computers,” he joked.
While that happens, there is time to continue celebrating.
The next and last stop will be March 10, already at the Oscars.