Here are the winners of the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards

William Hughes

Feb. 22, 2025, 7:21 p.m.

Today marked the 40th installment of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the show that dares to ask: What if the Oscars recognized and awarded movies (and TV) that people think are genuinely cool? (A contrast usually highlighted by the event traditionally taking place on the Saturday right before the Academy Awards, but no such luck in this fire-plagued year.) Still, the show—which primarily focuses on movies that cost less than $30 million to make—did have plenty of statues to handout, and Aidy Bryant to oversee the efforts to do so, so let’s hop into the winners.

Which included some early recognition for Sean Wang’s Didi, with Wang himself winning for Best First Screenplay, and the coming-of-age film picking up the Best First Feature award. Also in the “first-time winners” category: Maisy Stella, who won Best Breakthrough Performance In A Film for My Old Ass, and, over in TV, Jessica Gunning, who won Best Breakthrough Performance In A New Scripted Series for her work on Baby Reindeer. (Which actually swept the TV acting categories, with Richard Gadd and Nava Mau winning, too, while Shōgun won for best new series overall.)

In the less conditional awards: Jesse Eisenberg picked up a Best Screenplay win for his film A Real Pain, which also earned a Best Supporting Performance win for Kieran Culkin. Best director went to Anora‘s Sean Baker, who gave an impassioned speech about the need to change the funding model for independent film in a world where DVDs are no longer a reliable way to earn their creators a living wage. His star, Mikey Madison, took home Best Lead Performance In A Film—and then Baker was back up on the stage again when Anora won for Best Feature, too.

In other categories, Nickel Boys picked up an award for Best Cinematography, September 5‘s Hansjörg Weissbrich was named for Best Editing, and No Other Land scored the win for Best Documentary.

You can read the full list of winners at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards below:

Best Feature: Anora

Best First Feature: Didi

The John Cassavetes Award (given for films made for less than $1 million): Girls Will Be Girls

Best Director: Sean Baker, Anora

Best Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain

Best First Screenplay: Sean Wang, Didi

Best Lead Performance In A Film: Mikey Madison, Anora

Best Supporting Performance In A Film: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Best Breakthrough Performance In A Film: Maisy Stella, My Old Ass

Best Cinematography: Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys

Best Editing: Hansjörg Weissbrich, September 5

The Robert Altman Award (for best ensemble): His Three Daughters

Best Documentary: No Other Land

Best International Film: Flow

Producers Award: Sarah Winshall, I Saw The TV Glow

Someone To Watch Award: Sarah Friedland, Familiar Touch

Truer Than Fiction Award: Rachel Elizabeth Seed, A Photographic Memory

Best New Non-Scripted Or Documentary Series: Hollywood Black

Best New Scripted Series: Shōgun

Best Lead Performance In A New Scripted Series: Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer

Best Supporting Performance In A New Scripted Series: Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer

Best Breakthrough Performance In A New Scripted Series: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Best Ensemble Cast In A New Scripted Series: How To Die Alone