The True Winners of the Independent Spirit Awards 2025
Though its timing has changed over the years, the Film Independent Spirit Awards still marks the final turn toward the finish line of awards season, putting a spotlight on both the films that are major Oscar contenders, as well as the projects that prove great cinema can be made at the most micro of budgets.
While the show was expansive in terms of what it honored, including the best of television as well, there was a certain throughline in what was recognized at the Independent Spirit Awards this year. Below, IndieWire dives into the true winners of the 2025 Indie Spirits.
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“Anora”
We must start by stating the obvious, as the Palme d’Or winning film released by Neon not only won Best Film, but Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison right on the heels of a handful of key awards wins at places like the PGA Awards, the DGA Awards, and the BAFTAs. Baker’s acceptance speech in particular seems to preview what he may be planning to say at the Academy Awards should the film earn Best Picture.
“I’m an indie film lifer, and I know that there are other indie film lifers in this room, those who don’t see indie films as calling cards, those who don’t make these films to land a series or a studio film,” said the Oscar-nominated filmmaker. “Some of us want to make personal films that are intended for theatrical release with subject matter that would never be greenlit by the big studios. We want complete artistic freedom and the freedom to cast who is right for the role, not who we’re forced to cast considering box office value, or how many followers they have on social media. The system has to change because this is simply unsustainable.”
Sundance Film Festival
From Best First Film to Best Screenplay to the John Cassavetes Award honoring features with a budget under $1 million, many of the winners for the biggest categories on the film side of the Independent Spirit Awards went to films that first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Looking at its 2024 edition alone, winners Maisy Stella (“My Old Ass”), Sean Wang (“Dìdi”), and Shuchi Talati (“Girls Will Be Girls”) got their start there, and therefore thanked the festival, and some of the key figures working at the Sundance Institute like Michelle Satter in their acceptance speeches. It all served as a reminder that despite recent conversations about Sundance’s place in the film ecosystem, the festival is still a major player in awards conversations.
Emma Stone
Even though the production company Fruit Tree did not win all the awards it could have, its founders Emma Stone and Dave McCary still got plenty of shoutouts from the stage, having been a part of getting nominees “A Real Pain,” “I Saw the TV Glow,” “Problemista,” and “Fantasmas” made. In addition to Stone being game for some fun gags shepherded by host Aidy Bryant, “A Real Pain” writer/director Jesse Eisenberg (another Sundance 2024 alum) dedicated the end of his acceptance speech to the Oscar winning actress, and said in the winners room ““Every single person in the world who opens a Final Draft folder wants to write something for Emma Stone. She’s the greatest in everything ever.”
Trans talent
On the television side of the Independent Spirit Awards, the biggest winner was “Baby Reindeer,” which collected trophies for Best Lead Performance, Best Breakthrough Performance, and Best Supporting Performance, with the latter going to Nava Mau. The award is another win for the trailblazing trans star, made all the more special by it being presented to her by her peer Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”). Though Mau’s speech more broadly called for unity among the labor that is truly responsible for making film and TV, “How to Not Die Alone” creator/star Natasha Rothwell did use part of her acceptance speech for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series to let the trans community know that she and the creative community is here for them. Films with trans themes like “I Saw the TV Glow” and “The People’s Joker” were also among the nominees for big categories at the awards show.
Tributes
One special moment right before the aforementioned John Cassavetes Award was handed out was presenters Natasha Lyonne and Patti Lupone declaring that this year they would be changing the award’s name to the Gena Rowlands Award in honor of the filmmaker’s primary partner in his life and work, “A Woman Under the Influence” actress Rowlands, who died in August 2024.
Later, as Film Independent representatives came out to give a reminder of the awards being a fundraiser for many of the organization’s efforts to keep independent filmmaking alive, two standing ovations were given to Josh Welsh, the late President of Film Independent whose many years of work helped make the night possible in the first place.
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