In a beachside tent just steps away from the sand and surf in foggy Santa Monica, California, on Saturday afternoon, Demi Moore, Emma Stone, and Michelle Yeoh were among the many stars that convened for the 40th edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The annual celebration, known for its casual, hip, day-drinking beach party atmosphere, honors the best in indie movies and television of the past year. The provocative, romantic comedy Anora was the big winner at the ceremony, nabbing three trophies—including best feature film, lead performance for Mikey Madison, and best director for Sean Baker.
“It’s been a really interesting year,” Madison said about her breakout success in the pressroom moments after winning. “Since May, I have not expected any of this. Going to the Cannes Film Festival [where the film debuted] was a dream of mine and a career-long journey, so everything that has followed has been a truly lovely and pleasant surprise. But I always go into these [award shows] without really expecting anything. I’m really grateful for the love that people have shown Anora.”
Madison’s performance as a young Brooklyn sex worker, who has a whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian billionaire, defeated Moore (The Substance), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), and Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) for the top acting prize. Since 2023, the Spirit Awards have enforced a gender-neutral policy regarding its acting categories, which now include 10 spots each. Amy Adams (Nightbitch) and Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo) were among the other nominees. Madison and her film’s big wins might foreshadow next Sunday’s Oscars.
Other potential Oscar winners at the Indie Spirit Awards include Kieran Culkin, who won the supporting performance award for A Real Pain, and Jesse Eisenberg—director, co-star, and writer—who won best screenplay. The comedy-drama, about two mismatched cousins reuniting for a Holocaust tour in Poland to honor their grandmother, was produced by Stone.
“I met Emma when we were in Zombieland together in 2009, and since then, I have written little magazine articles, and she’s the only person— including my mom—who takes screenshots of them over the last 15 years and sends me things like, ‘This is such a funny line,’” Eisenberg shared from the podium, with Stone sitting in the crowd. “At the time, she was—and still is—the most famous person I know, yet also the most dedicated to encouraging me as a writer. I think of her not as my producer, but as my fairy godmother, and I’m riding the coattails of her goodwill.” Stone was visibly moved by Eisenberg’s speech and became teary-eyed.
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