Indie Spirit Awards 2018: ‘Get Out’ Takes Best Picture And Best Director

If tonight’s Independent Spirit Awards are anything to go by, the Oscars are going to be very good for Jordan Peele and Get Out. Peele’s racially charged thriller-comedy has been the popular pick all year long, and tonight it won Best Feature at the Indie Spirits. Peele also won Best Director. Groundbreaking director Spike Lee made the presentation of Best Director award to Peele.

“It’s clear that we are in the beginning of a renaissance where stories from outsiders are being honored,” Peele said during the Best Picture acceptance speech that capped the night.

Frances McDormand won Best Actress for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, just as she’s expected to do at the Oscars. Her co-star Sam Rockwell also won for Best Supporting Actor, which he is also expected to repeat tomorrow.

Luca Gudagnino’s Call Me By Your Name was well represented, with young star Timothee Chalamet winning Best Actor, and Sayombhu Mukdeeprom taking the award for Best Cinematography. 

Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated Lady Bird won for Best Screenplay, while real-life couple Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon won Best First Screenplay for their sleeper hit comedy, The Big Sick, about their complicated courtship.

The full list of winners is below:

BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

WINNER: Get Out
Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele

BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer.)

WINNER: Ingrid Goes West
Director: Matt Spicer
Producers: Jared Ian Goldman, Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels, Aubrey Plaza, Tim White, Trevor White

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000.
(Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

WINNER: Life and Nothing More
Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza
Producers: Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos

BEST DIRECTOR

WINNER: Jordan Peele
Get Out

BEST SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Greta Gerwig
Lady Bird

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani
The Big Sick 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

WINNER: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Call Me by Your Name

BEST EDITING

WINNER: Tatiana S. Riegel
I, Tonya         

BEST FEMALE LEAD

WINNER: Frances McDormand
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST MALE LEAD

WINNER: Timothée Chalamet
Call Me by Your Name

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

WINNER: Allison Janney
I, Tonya

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

WINNER: Sam Rockwell
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.)

Mudbound
Director: Dee Rees
Casting Directors: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram
Ensemble Cast: Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan

BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer.)

WINNER: Faces Places
Directors: Agnés Varda, JR
Producer: Rosalie Varda

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
(Award given to the director.)

WINNER: A Fantastic Woman
Chile
Director: Sebastián Lelio

BONNIE AWARD – 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.

WINNER: Chloé Zhao

JEEP TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 23rd annual Truer Than Fiction Award, funded by the Jeep brand, 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 funded by the Jeep brand.

WINNER: Jonathan Olshefski
Director of Quest

KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 24th annual Someone to Watch Award, funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851.

WINNER: Justin Chon
Director of Gook

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 21st annual Producers Award, funded by Piaget, 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 funded by Piaget.

Giulia Caruso & Ki Jin Kim

Ben LeClair

Summer Shelton