Celine Song’s quiet romance “Past Lives” won two of the biggest awards at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Sunday afternoon, including best feature and best director. Other big winners were Cord Jefferson’s comedic satire “ American Fiction,” with Jeffrey Wright winning for lead performer; and Alexander Payne’s “ The Holdovers,” which won prizes for Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa.
Her film was among the top nominated at the show, alongside “May December,” which won only one award and “American Fiction,” which fared better. “Welcome to the Film Independent Spirit Awards, also known as the bisexual oscars,” host Aidy Bryant said. Bryant called it “the only place in the world where $20 million is like no money.”
Randolph beat out the likes of Anne Hathaway , Charles Melton and Sterling K. Brown for the prize. The Spirit Awards switched to gender neutral acting awards in 2022. The first awards were given at the 2023 show.“I promise it’s not all downhill from here,” Sessa said, thanking his high school acting teachers.
“Los Angeles has a special place in my heart. It’s the city of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands,” Triet said. “Without discovering them at their films at the age of 20, I wouldn’t have had the desire to make my own films and I wouldn’t be here today.”