The 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards had some of the biggest names in showbiz that attended, and were nominated for an award over this big weekend.
The hilarious host was Aubrey Plaza, who served as MC for this Pre- Oscar celebration, which always takes place on the beach by the Pier in Santa Monica, California, the day before the Academy Awards.
The Iconic filmmaker John Waters was up in the booth to direct the show, and he was interviewed by our news reporters: Margie Rey & Jacqueline Murphy– earlier on the blue carpet, along with many other nominees and winners of both the Spirit Award, and The Oscar!
The winner of the Best Feature award was Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, who had also won the Best Director Oscar for “Moonlighting”. Jenkins was also named Best Director at this Spirit Awards and gave us a fun interview.
The Spirit Awards, voted on by the members of the Film Independent organization, honors the best achievements in independent film, those made for under $20 million and not made by a film studio.
Previous years have seen Oscar front runners win the top categories at the Spirit Awards the day before the Academy Awards, and this year Oscar contenders Glenn Close, Regina King, and Richard E. Grant did win the Spirit Award acting categories, taking a moment to praise the power of independent film.
Regina did go on the next day to win The OSCAR for Best Supporting Actress for her role in: If Beale Street Could Talk, after winning today’s Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. She said she hadn’t done a film in almost 10 years before she did Beale Street, and she thanked Jenkins, calling him her hero.
Richard Grant, who won Best Supporting Male for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and is nominated in the same category at the Oscars, said, ‘This movie, more than anything, is an homage to that generation of men that were wiped out by that disease [AIDS].” The screenwriters of the film, Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty — both nominated in the adapted screenplay category at the Oscars — won the Spirit Award and Holofcener brought the director Marielle Heller, who was notably excluded from the Oscars directing race, on stage as well to thank her.
Glenn Close, brought her dog Pip along with her on the Blue Carpet- during our reporters interview with her, and then again Glenn took Pip up on stage as she accepted Best Female Lead for The Wife, and said, “I’m so honored to be here with all the women in this category.”
“All of us has been in this awards season … but it’s really ever about the work, no matter what you’re wearing or which red carpet you walk on or what people say to you, it’s all extremely humbling and gratifying, the fact that we get together and tell these stories that make a difference in the world. I’m proud to be in this room and with these people,” she added.
Earlier in the night, Close said on stage that it was her first time at the Spirit Awards and that she was surprised by its setting. “I really thought it was on the beach under a white flapping tent. I was really surprised to walk in here,” she said with a laugh, referring to the large tented room with waiters serving champagne and attendees dining on a tasty gourmet lunch.
Mexico’s Roma and Britain’s The Favourite, the two films that are the leading Oscar nominees with 10 nods each, were only eligible in the Best International Film category at the Spirit Awards. It was Roma that took home the prize. “I’m optimistic right now that it seems like we’re reaching a moment in which a where greater diversity is happening in cinema,” said filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón. “I think this diversity is very soon going to make this category relevant.” The next day Roma took home 3 Oscars, including the Best Director Oscar for Alfonso ! Our reporters: Margie & Jacqueline interviewed the star of Roma: Marina de Tavira, and they all knew that Roma would be winning a few Oscars the next day !
Other big winners included Bo Burnham’s coming-of-age tale Eighth Grade for Best First Screenplay, and Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You for Best First Feature. Boots gave our reporters a very good in-depth interview, as did the star of Bread Factory – Tyne Daly, actress Rosanna Arquette, and RaMell Ross for the nominated Doc: Hale County This Morning, This Evening.
Stay tuned for live daily round-the-clock news coverage from our news team in Los Angeles, Hollywood and Beverly Hills, during all of The Awards season from Entertainment & Sports Today TV, and Entertainment Today, and for the complete story go to: entertainmentandsportstoday.com, on Facebook & Instagram: @entertainmentandsportstoday, and Youtube.com/entertainmenttodaytv @GlennClose @romacuaron @iamReginaKing @RosannaArquette @BootsRiley
For tickets to future events, and Sponsorships and Advertising Info, E-Mail : info@entertainmentandsportstoday.com – and for more info about us go to: www.entertainmentandsportstoday.com & thanks for watching !
