2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ is the top winner

February 23, 2019

With three awards, including Best Feature, “If Beale Street Could Talk” was the biggest winner at the 34th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, which took place in Santa Monica, California, on February 23, 2019. IFC had a live telecast of the show, which was hosted by Aubrey Plaza. The Spirit Awards honor independently financed films that were released in U.S. cinemas the previous year.

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” based on James Baldwin’s novel of a young African-American couple who are separated after the man is falsely imprisoned for rape, also won the prizes for Best Director (for Barry Jenkins) and Best Supporting Female (Regina King).

Glenn Close won Best Female Lead for “The Wife,” while Ethan Hawke was named Best Male Lead for “First Reformed.”

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” based on Lee Israel’s memoir of her experiences as literary forger, won two awards: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Male (Richard E. Grant). Luca Guadagnino’s remake of the horror movie “Suspiria” received the awards for Best Cinematography (for Sayombhu Mukdeeprom) and the Robert Altman Award, a non-competitive prize whose recipients are announced on the same day as the nominations.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 2019 Spirit Awards:

*=winner

BEST FEATURE

(Award given to the producer)

Eighth Grade
PRODUCERS: Eli Bush, Scott Rudin, Christopher Storer, Lila Yacoub

First Reformed
PRODUCERS: Jack Binder, Greg Clark, Gary Hamilton, Victoria Hill, David Hinojosa, Frank Murray, Deepak Sikka, Christine Vachon

If Beale Street Could Talk*
PRODUCERS: Dede Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner, Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski

Leave No Trace
PRODUCERS: Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Anne Rosellini

You Were Never Really Here
PRODUCERS: Rosa Attab, Pascal Caucheteux, Rebecca O’Brien, Lynne Ramsay, James Wilson

BEST FIRST FEATURE

(Award given to the producer and director)

Hereditary
DIRECTOR: Ari Aster
PRODUCERS: Kevin Frakes, Lars Knudsen, Buddy Patrick

Sorry to Bother You*
DIRECTOR: Boots Riley
PRODUCERS: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jonathan Duffy, Charles D. King, George Rush, Forest Whitaker, Kelly Williams

The Tale
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Jennifer Fox
PRODUCERS: Sol Bondy, Lawrence Inglee, Mynette Louie, Oren Moverman, Simone Pero, Reka Posta, Laura Rister, Regina K. Scully, Lynda Weinman

We the Animals
DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Zagar
PRODUCERS: Andrew Goldman, Christina D. King, Paul Mezey, Jeremy Yaches

Wildlife
DIRECTOR: Paul Dano
PRODUCERS:  Andrew Duncan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker, Oren Moverman, Ann Ruark, Alex Saks

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Schrader, First Reformed
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk*
Debra Granik, Leave No Trace
Tamara Jenkins, Private Life
Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here

BEST SCREENPLAY

Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty, Can You Ever Forgive Me?*
Richard Glatzer (writer, story by), Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Wash Westmoreland, Colette
Paul Schrader, First Reformed
Tamara Jenkins, Private Life
Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Quinn Shephard (writer, story by), Laurie Shephard (story by), Blame
Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade*
Christina Choe, Nancy
Jennifer Fox, The Tale
Cory Finley, Thoroughbreds

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

(Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000; given to the writer, director and producer)

A Bread Factory
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Patrick Wang
PRODUCERS: Daryl Freimark, Matt Miller

En el Séptimo Dia*
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Jim McKay
PRODUCERS: Alex Bach, Lindsey Cordero, Caroline Kaplan, Michael Stipe

Never Goin’ Back
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Augustine Frizzell
PRODUCERS:  Liz Cardenas, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston

Socrates
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Alex Moratto
WRITER: Thayná Mantesso
PRODUCERS: Ramin Bahrani, Jefferson Paulino, Tammy Weiss

Thunder Road
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Jim Cummings
PRODUCERS: Natalie Metzger, Zack Parker, Benjamin Weissner

BEST MALE LEAD

Daveed Diggs, Blindspotting
Ethan Hawke, First Reformed*
John Cho, Searching
Christian Malheiros, Sócrates
Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Toni Collette, Hereditary
Helena Howard, Madeline’s Madeline
Regina Hall, Support the Girls
Glenn Close, The Wife*
Carey Mulligan, Wildlife

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Adam Driver, BLACKkKLANSMAN
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?*
Josh Hamilton, Eighth Grade
John David Washington, Monsters and Men
Raúl Castillo, We the Animals

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Tyne Daly, A Bread Factory
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk*
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Leave No Trace
J. Smith-Cameron, Nancy
Kayli Carter, Private Life

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Ashley Connor, Madeline’s Madeline
Benjamin Loeb, Mandy
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Suspiria*
Zak Mulligan, We the Animals
Diego Garcia, Wildlife

BEST EDITING

Luke Dunkley, Nick Fenton, Chris Gill, Julian Hart, American Animals
Nick Houy, Mid90s
Anne Fabini, Alex Hall, Gary Levy, The Tale
Keiko Deguchi, Brian A. Kates, Jeremiah Zagar, We the Animals
Joe Bini, You Were Never Really Here*

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Burning (South Korea)
DIRECTOR: Lee Chang-Dong

Happy as Lazzaro (Italy)
DIRECTOR: Alice Rohrwacher

Roma (Mexico)*
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón

Shoplifters (Japan)
DIRECTOR: Kore-eda Hirokazu

The Favourite (United Kingdom)
DIRECTOR: Yorgos Lanthimos

BEST DOCUMENTARY

(Award given to the director and producer)

Hale County This Morning, This Evening
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: RaMell Ross
PRODUCERS: Joslyn Barnes, Su Kim

Minding the Gap
DIRECTOR: Bing Liu
PRODUCER: Diane Quon

Of Fathers and Sons
DIRECTOR: Talal Derki
PRODUCERS: Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, Tobias N. Siebert

On Her Shoulders
DIRECTOR: Alexandria Bombach
PRODUCERS: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams

Shirkers
DIRECTOR: Sandi Tan
PRODUCERS: Jessica Levin, Maya Rudolph

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?*
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Morgan Neville
PRODUCERS: Caryn Capotosto, Nicholas Ma

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

(Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)

Suspiria

DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino
CASTING DIRECTORS: Avy Kaufman, Stella Savino
ENSEMBLE CAST: Malgosia Bela, Ingrid Caven, Lutz Ebersdorf, Elena Fokina, Mia Goth, Jessica Harper, Dakota Johnson, Gala Moody, Chloë Grace Moretz, Renée Soutendijk, Tilda Swinton, Sylvie Testud, Angela Winkler

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

(The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 24th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.) 

Minding the Gap*
DIRECTOR: Bing Liu

Of Fathers and Sons
DIRECTOR: Talal Derki
PRODUCERS: Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, Tobias N. Siebert

On Her Shoulders
DIRECTOR: Alexandria Bombach
PRODUCERS: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

(The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 24th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

Lemonade
DIRECTOR: Ioana Uricaru

Sócrates*          
DIRECTOR: Alex Moratto

We the Animals 
DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Zagar

PRODUCERS AWARD

(The Producers Award, now in its 22nd year, 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.)

Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams
Gabrielle Nadig
Shrihari Sathe*

BONNIE AWARD SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES

(Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo joined American Airlines in 1973 at age 24, becoming the first female pilot to fly for a major U.S. airline. In her honor, the inaugural Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.)

Debra Granik*
Tamara Jenkins
Karyn Kusama

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