Big news for Anora! The film shone bright at the 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards held at Santa Monica Pier, winning top honors. It snagged Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison.
During his acceptance speech for Best Director, Baker spoke passionately about the challenges facing independent filmmakers. He mentioned that many struggle to make ends meet, saying, “The system has to be changed; it’s completely unsustainable.”
After the awards, Baker reflected on his journey in filmmaking. He emphasized how important it is for him to be recognized as an independent filmmaker. “I’ll always be one,” he stated.
Mikey Madison was equally thrilled. Reflecting on her journey, she shared how going to the Cannes Film Festival was a dream come true. “I’ve been grateful for all the love shown to Anora,” she added.
Another highlight of the event was A Real Pain, a buddy comedy that won two awards. Writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg took home the Best Screenplay award, and Kieran Culkin won for his Supporting Performance. Eisenberg praised Culkin’s dedication to his craft, noting his strong theater background.
Sean Wang’s coming-of-age film Dìdi also earned recognition, winning Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay.
Flow, a dialogue-free animated film from Latvia, won Best International Feature. The documentary No Other Land, about the impact of occupation on a village, took home the award for Best Documentary.
Other notable winners included Jomo Fray for Best Cinematography for Nickel Boys and Hansjörg Weissbrich for Best Editing for September 5. Maisy Stella won Best Breakthrough Performance for her role in My Old Ass.
All these wins set a backdrop for the Oscars, but it’s important to note that the results of the Spirit Awards won’t affect the Oscars, as voting has already concluded.
To qualify for these awards, films must have a production budget below $30 million. This means some popular titles, like Netflix’s Emilia Perez, were not eligible.
In the realm of TV, Netflix’s Baby Reindeer was the star, winning three awards, including Lead Performance for Richard Gadd and Breakthrough Performance for Jessica Gunning. Gadd expressed his shock at how much the show resonated with viewers.
FX’s Shōgun was recognized as Best New Scripted Series, topping the TV nominations for the day.
2025 Spirit Awards Winners
BEST FEATURE: Anora
Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE: Mikey Madison, Anora
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES: Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer
BEST DIRECTOR: Sean Baker, Anora
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM: Flow, Latvia, France, Belgium, Director: Gints Zilbalodis
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
BEST EDITING: Hansjörg Weissbrich, September 5
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY: Sean Wang, Dìdi
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES: Shōgun
BEST DOCUMENTARY: No Other Land
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Maisy Stella, My Old Ass
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD: Girls Will Be Girls, Writer/Director/Producer: Shuchi Talati
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: His Three Daughters, Director: Azazel Jacobs
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: Sarah Friedland, Director of Familiar Touch
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A Real Pain,Awardsnews,Baby Reindeer,Didi,Film Independent,Film Independent Spirit Awards,Shogun,Spirit Awards
