35th Independent Spirit Awards

{{Short description|US film awards ceremony in 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox film awards | number = 35 | award = Independent Spirit Awards | awarded_for = Best in independent film | image = | caption = | date = February 8, 2020 | site = Santa Monica Pier <br /> Santa Monica, California, U.S. | preshow = | producer = | director = | host = Aubrey Plaza | free_award_type = Best Feature | free_award = ''The Farewell'' | most_wins = ''Uncut Gems'' (3) | channel = IFC | most_nominations = ''The Lighthouse'' (5)<br>''Uncut Gems'' (5) | duration = | ratings = | last = 34th | next = 36th }}

The '''35th Film Independent Spirit Awards''', honoring the best independent films of 2019, were presented by Film Independent on February 8, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2020/02/spirit-awards-2020-winners-35-film-independent-spirit-awards-1202854430/ |title=Independent Spirit Awards Redresses Female Balance with Wins for Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde & Julia Reichert – Complete Winners List |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |last2=Blyth |first2=Antonia |date=February 8, 2020 |work=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref> The nominations were announced on November 21, 2019 by actresses Zazie Beetz and Natasha Lyonne.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/natasha-lyonne-zazie-beetz-announce-nominees-independent-spirit-awards-1252672/ |title=Natasha Lyonne, Zazie Beetz to Announce Nominees for Film Independent Spirit Awards (Exclusive) |last=Sinha-Roy |first=Piya |date=November 6, 2019 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=November 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/11/spirit-awards-nominations-full-list-nominees-indie-film-ifp-1202792053/ |title=Spirit Award Nominations: A24 leads for 4th Straight Year with 18 Noms as 'Uncut Gems' & 'The Lighthouse' Come Up Big |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=November 21, 2019 |work=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/spirit-award-nominations-2020-complete-list-1250773/ |title=Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Uncut Gems', 'The Lighthouse' lead Nominations |last=Lewis |first=Hilary |date=November 21, 2019 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref> The ceremony was televised in the United States by IFC, taking place inside its usual tent setting on a beach in Santa Monica, California. Aubrey Plaza returned to host the ceremony for the second time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/aubrey-plaza-to-return-as-host-of-the-35th-film-independent-spirit-awards/ |title=Aubrey Plaza to Return as Host of the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards |last=Warren |first=Matt |date=December 5, 2019 |publisher=Film Independent |access-date=December 5, 2019}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style="width=100%" |- !style="width=50%" | Best Feature !style="width=50%" | Best Director |- | valign="top" | '''''The Farewell''''' * ''Clemency'' * ''A Hidden Life'' * ''Marriage Story'' * ''Uncut Gems'' | valign="top" | '''Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie – ''Uncut Gems''''' * Robert Eggers – ''The Lighthouse'' * Alma Har'el – ''Honey Boy'' * Julius Onah – ''Luce'' * Lorene Scafaria – ''Hustlers'' |- !style="width=50%" | Best Male Lead !style="width=50%" | Best Female Lead |- | valign="top" | '''Adam Sandler – ''Uncut Gems'' as Howard Ratner''' * Chris Galust – ''Give Me Liberty'' as Vic * Kelvin Harrison Jr. – ''Luce'' as Luce Edgar * Robert Pattinson – ''The Lighthouse'' as Ephraim Winslow * Matthias Schoenaerts – ''The Mustang'' as Roman Coleman | valign="top" | '''Renée Zellweger – ''Judy'' as Judy Garland''' * Karen Allen – ''Colewell'' as Nora Pancowski * Hong Chau – ''Driveways'' as Kathy * Elisabeth Moss – ''Her Smell'' as Becky Something * Mary Kay Place – ''Diane'' as Diane * Alfre Woodard – ''Clemency'' as Bernadine Williams |- !style="width=50%" | Best Supporting Male !style="width=50%" | Best Supporting Female |- | valign="top" | '''Willem Dafoe – ''The Lighthouse'' as Thomas Wake''' * Noah Jupe – ''Honey Boy'' as Otis Lort * Shia LaBeouf – ''Honey Boy'' as James Lort * Jonathan Majors – ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' as Montgomery "Mont" Allen * Wendell Pierce – ''Burning Cane'' as Reverend Tillman | valign="top" | '''Zhao Shu-zhen – ''The Farewell'' as Nai Nai''' * Jennifer Lopez – ''Hustlers'' as Ramona Vega * Taylor Russell – ''Waves'' as Emily Williams * Lauren "Lolo" Spencer – ''Give Me Liberty'' as Tracy * Octavia Spencer – ''Luce'' as Harriet Wilson |- !style="width=50%" | Best Screenplay !style="width=50%" | Best First Screenplay |- | valign="top" | '''Noah Baumbach – ''Marriage Story''''' * Jason Begue and Shawn Snyder – ''To Dust'' * Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, and Benny Safdie – ''Uncut Gems'' * Chinonye Chukwu – ''Clemency'' * Tarell Alvin McCraney – ''High Flying Bird'' | valign="top" | '''Fredrica Bailey and Stefon Bristol – ''See You Yesterday''''' * Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen – ''Driveways'' * Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy – ''Blow the Man Down'' * Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe – ''Greener Grass'' * James Montague and Craig W. Sanger – ''The Vast of Night'' |- !style="width=50%" | Best First Feature !style="width=50%" | Best Documentary Feature |- | valign="top" | '''Olivia Wilde – ''Booksmart''''' * Stefon Bristol – ''See You Yesterday'' * Michael Angelo Covino – ''The Climb'' * Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre – ''The Mustang'' * Kent Jones – ''Diane'' * Joe Talbot – ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' | valign="top" | '''''American Factory''''' * ''Apollo 11'' * ''For Sama'' * ''Honeyland'' * ''Island of the Hungry Ghosts'' |- !style="width=50%" | Best Cinematography !style="width=50%" | Best Editing |- | valign="top" | '''Jarin Blaschke – ''The Lighthouse''''' * Todd Banhazl – ''Hustlers'' * Natasha Braier – ''Honey Boy'' * Chananun Chotrungroj – ''The Third Wife'' * Pawel Pogorzelski – ''Midsommar'' | valign="top" | '''Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie – ''Uncut Gems''''' * Julie Béziau – ''The Third Wife'' * Tyler L. Cook – ''Sword of Trust'' * Louise Ford – ''The Lighthouse'' * Kirill Mikhanovsky – ''Give Me Liberty'' |- ! colspan="2" style="width=50%" | Best International Film |- | colspan="2" valign="top" | '''''Parasite'' ({{flag|South Korea}})''' * ''The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão'' ({{flag|Brazil}}) * ''Les Misérables'' ({{flag|France}}) * ''Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' ({{flag|France}}) * ''Retablo'' ({{flag|Peru}}) * ''The Souvenir'' ({{flag|United Kingdom}}) |}

===Films with multiple nominations and awards=== {{col-float}}

{| class="wikitable" rowspan=2 border=2 style="text-align:center;" |+ Films that received multiple nominations |- ! scope="col" width="50" | Nominations ! scope="col" width="275" | Film |- | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | 5 | ''The Lighthouse'' |- | ''Uncut Gems'' |- | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | 4 | ''Give Me Liberty'' |- | ''Honey Boy'' |- | rowspan=6 style="text-align:center;" | 3 | ''Clemency'' |- | ''Hustlers'' |- | ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' |- | ''Luce'' |- | ''Marriage Story'' |- | ''The Third Wife'' |- | rowspan=8 style="text-align:center;" | 2 | ''Burning Cane'' |- | ''Colewell'' |- | ''Diane'' |- | ''Driveways'' |- | ''The Farewell'' |- | ''The Mustang'' |- | ''Premature'' |- | ''See You Yesterday'' |}

{| class="wikitable" rowspan=2 border=2 style="text-align:center;" |+ Films that won multiple awards |- ! scope="col" width="50" | Awards ! scope="col" width="275" | Film |- | 3 | ''Uncut Gems'' |- | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | 2 | ''The Farewell'' |- | ''The Lighthouse'' |- | ''Marriage Story'' |}

==Special awards==

===John Cassavetes Award=== '''''Give Me Liberty''''' * ''Burning Cane'' * ''Colewell'' * ''Premature'' * ''Wild Nights with Emily''

===Robert Altman Award=== (The award is given to its film director, casting director, and ensemble cast)

* '''''Marriage Story''''' – Noah Baumbach, Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler, Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Adam Driver, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, and Merritt Wever

===Someone to Watch Award=== Recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl's.

* '''Rashaad Ernesto Green – ''Premature''''' ** Ash Mayfair – ''The Third Wife'' ** Joe Talbot – ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco''

===The BONNIE Award=== Recognizes mid-career women directors with a body of work that demonstrates uniqueness of vision and a groundbreaking approach to film making. The award includes a $50,000 unrestricted grant funded by American Airlines.

* '''Kelly Reichardt''' ** Marielle Heller ** Lulu Wang

===Producers Award=== Honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

* '''Mollye Asher''' ** Krista Parris ** Ryan Zacarias

===Truer than Fiction Award=== Presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

* '''Nadia Shihab – ''Jaddoland''''' ** Khalik Allah – ''Black Mother'' ** Davy Rothbart – ''17 Blocks'' ** Erick Stoll and Chase Whiteside – ''América''

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/}}

2019 Independent Spirit Awards Independent Spirit Awards