‘Get Out’ was the big winner at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday (03.03.18).
The low-budget horror thriller took home the night’s biggest prize, Best Feature, as well as Best Director for delighted filmmaker Jordan Peele.
Speaking at the ceremony in Santa Monica, California, he said: "This project didn’t start as a statement, it began as me wanting to make a film in my favourite genre…
"Our truths are the most powerful weapons we have against the lies in this world so keep doing what you’re doing."
Frances McDormand added to her 2018 award wins with Best Female Lead for her portrayal of a grieving mother in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ and relished the chance to swear in her acceptance speech.
She said: "What I know about today, I get to swear. Do you know how hard it’s been not to swear over the last couple of months?
"This award convention goes on for-****ing-ever.
"(My director) Martin McDonagh knows a well-placed f**k makes a sentence sing like nothing else."Thank you for having me here. I am independent and I am spirited."
And her co-star Sam Rockwell was named Best Supporting Male for his turn as a racist cop.
He observed: "I’ve been in like 932 independent films. I’m very familiar with the phrase micro-budget."
Best Male Lead went to Timothée Chalamet for his role in ‘Call Me by Your Name’, and he used his speech to poke fun about his infamous scene with a piece of fruit in the coming-of-age drama.
He said: "Two years ago I could get away with doing a movie where I had sex with a peach because no one knew who I was but now I have to be a bit more careful."
Allison Janney scooped another Best Supporting Actress win, while Greta Gerwig was "grateful and shocked" to win Best Screenplay for ‘Lady Bird’, a semi-autobiographical tale.
‘Mudbound’ won the Robert Altman award, which is given to the year’s best director, casting director and ensemble cast, but filmmaker Dee Rees slammed the practice of handing out awards when she picked up the prize.
She said: "Nothing diminishes or enhances the value of the work except the work itself and that’s what we put on screen."
A new category was introduced by Ava DuVernay, with ‘The Rider’ filmmaker Chloe Zhao picking up the inaugural Bonnie award, which recognised the work of a female director whose career shows promise at an early age.
Nick Kroll and John Mulaney returned as hosts for the ceremony and mocked the series of scandals to have hit Hollywood over the last year.
John said: "Last year everyone famous died. This year everyone famous wishes they were dead."
After telling stories about Harvey Weinstein and Brett Ratner, the presenters debated whether it is possible to separate art from the artists, prompting John to quip it would now be difficult to enjoy Woody Allen’s "last 20 unwatchable movies".
Independent Spirit Awards 2018 list of winners:
Best Feature:
‘Get Out’
Best Director:
Jordan Peele, ‘Get Out’
Best First Feature:
‘Ingrid Goes West’
Best Female Lead:
Francis McDormand, ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’
Best Male Lead:
Timothee Chalamet, ‘Call Me by Your Name’
Best Supporting Female:
Allison Janney, ‘I, Tonya’
Best Supporting Male:
Sam Rockwell, ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’
Best Screenplay:
‘Lady Bird’
Best First Screenplay:
‘The Big Sick’
Best Cinematography:
‘Call Me by Your Name’
Best Editing:
‘I, Tonya’
John Cassavetes Award:
‘Life and Nothing More’
Robert Altman Award:
‘Mudbound’
Best Documentary:
‘Faces Places’
Best International Film:
‘A Fantastic Woman’
Piaget Producers Award:
Summer Shelton
Annual Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award:
Justin Chon, ‘Gook’
Truer Than Fiction Award:
Jonathan Olshefski, ‘Quest’
Annual Bonnie Award:
Chloe Zhao