Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, handed out top honors today at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Hosted for the second year in a row by acclaimed comedian Aidy Bryant, the awards ceremony was broadcast live on IMDb’s and Film Independent’s YouTube channels. The Spirit Awards are Film Independent’s largest annual celebration, making year-round programming for filmmakers and film loving audiences possible while amplifying the voices of independent storytellers and celebrating their diversity, originality and uniqueness of vision.
This year’s ceremony, the 40th in Film Independent’s history, celebrated both the best of the past year in film and television as well as the organization’s storied history of supporting independent artists. This included paying touching tribute to Josh Welsh, the beloved longtime president of Film Independent who passed away recently after a courageous five-year battle with cancer.
For this year’s awards, Anora led the way in the film categories with three wins, including Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison. Among the other films and artists honored, A Real Pain won Best Supporting Performance for Kieran Culkin and Best Screenplay for Jesse Eisenberg; Maisy Stella won Best Breakthrough Performance for My Old Ass; Dìdi won Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay for Sean Wang; Flow won Best International Film; No Other Land won Best Documentary; Best Cinematography went to Jomo Fray for Nickel Boys; and Hansjörg Weissbrich won Best Editing for September 5.
For the fifth time in its history, the Spirit Awards also honored exceptional content in television. This year’s major winners in the TV categories were Baby Reindeer, which won three awards including Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series for Richard Gadd, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series for Nava Mau and Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for Jessica Gunning; Shōgun, which won Best New Scripted Series; Hollywood Black, which won Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series; and How to Die Alone, which won Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.
The 17th annual Robert Altman Award, which was created in 2008 in honor of legendary film director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts, was awarded to His Three Daughters director Azazel Jacobs, alongside casting director Nicole Arbusto, as well as ensemble cast members Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr. and Jay O. Sanders.
Girls Will Be Girls was honored with the John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. Also celebrated were the previously announced honors including Sarah Friedland of Familiar Touch with the Someone to Watch Award, recognizing a filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition; Rachel Elizabeth Seed of A Photographic Memory with the Truer Than Fiction Award, presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has yet to receive significant recognition; and Sarah Winshall with the Producers Award, honoring emerging producers who demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films with limited resources.
The winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards are voted on by Film Independent Members. Membership is open to the public.
Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Premier Sponsor Lavazza Coffee, Principal Sponsor IMDbPro and Official Partners Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, FIJI Water and Miraval. Easterseals Disability Services is the accessibility partner. Hotel Casa del Mar and The Georgian are the Official Hotels. Pentagram is the Visual Branding Partner. Getty Images is the Official Photographer. Vision Media is the exclusive screening partner. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Caffeine Post, Cast & Crew, eTech Rentals, Illuminar and Town and Country Event Rentals are Official Providers.
The following is a complete list of the winners:
FILM CATEGORIES
Best Feature
Anora (NEON)
Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan
Best Director
Sean Baker, Anora (NEON)
Best Screenplay
Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures)
Best First Feature
Dìdi (Focus Features)
Director: Sean Wang
Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters
Best First Screenplay
Sean Wang, Dìdi (Focus Features)
John Cassavetes Award
(for best feature made under $1,000,000)
Girls Will Be Girls (Juno Films)
Writer/Director/Producer: Shuchi Talati
Producers: Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne
Best Breakthrough Performance
Maisy Stella, My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios)
Best Supporting Performance
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures)
Best Lead Performance
Mikey Madison, Anora (NEON)
Robert Altman Award
His Three Daughters (Netflix)
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Casting Director: Nicole Arbusto
Ensemble Cast: Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr., Jay O. Sanders
Best Cinematography
Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys (Amazon MGM Studios)
Best Editing
Hansjörg Weissbrich, September 5 (Paramount Pictures)
Best International Film
Flow (Sideshow and Janus Films)
Director: Gints Zilbalodis
Best Documentary
No Other Land
Director: Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
Producer: Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning
Someone to Watch
Sarah Friedland, Familiar Touch
Truer Than Fiction
Rachel Elizabeth Seed, A Photographic Memory
Producers Award
Sarah Winshall
TELEVISION CATEGORIES
Best New Scripted Series
Shōgun (FX)
Creators/Executive Producers: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Executive Producers: Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, Michael Clavell
Co-Executive Producers: Shannon Goss, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Jamie Vega Wheeler
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
Hollywood Black (MGM+)
Executive Producers: Shayla Harris, Dave Sirulnick, Stacey Reiss, Jon Kamen, Justin Simien, Kyle Laursen, Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jeffrey Schwarz, Amy Goodman Kass, Michael Wright, Jill Burkhard
Co-Executive Producers: David C. Brown, Laurens Grant
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
How to Die Alone (Hulu)
Ensemble Cast: Melissa DuPrey, Jaylee Hamidi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Arkie Kandola, Elle Lorraine, Michelle McLeod, Chris “CP” Powell, Conrad Ricamora, Natasha Rothwell, Jocko Sims
