Film Award

Film Independent Spirit Awards 2017: Winners – MOONLIGHT, THE WITCH, OTHER PEOPLE

Mahershala Ali Moonlight

2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners

Moonlight, The Witch, Other People, and the other winners of the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced. The 32th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards “are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers…The Independent Spirit Awards are presented by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.”

Ahead of the 2017 Oscar awards, the 2017 Spirit Awards have been announced and its winner was not a surprise. Moonlight swept the awards and won six awards. In a remarkable turn, Jackie was shut out of every awards category. Was it because Jackie is a contender at the Oscars tonight and voters wanted to make sure Moonlight got its due? Was it because they believe Jackie was more hype than substance? Or did they judge Moonlight to be superior to Jackie?

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Regardless of how the voting decisions were made, each film has its strengths and weaknesses.

I was very happy to see The Witch get the recognition that it deserved at the 2017 Spirit Awards. I hope it gets more of the same at the Oscars tonight.

The full listing of winners for the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners:

Best Feature:
Moonlight(A24)
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski

Best Director:
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (A24)

Best Screenplay:
Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney (Story By), Moonlight (A24)

Best First Feature:
The Witch (A24)
Director: Robert Eggers
Producers: Daniel Bekerman, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Jodi Redmond, Rodrigo Teixeira

Best First Screenplay:
Robert Eggers, The Witch (A24)

John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000):
Spa Night (Strand Releasing)
Writer/Director: Andrew Ahn
Producers: David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas

Best Supporting Female:
Molly Shannon, Other People (Vertical Entertainment)

Best Supporting Male:
Ben Foster, Hell or High Water (CBS Films/Lionsgate)

Best Female Lead:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Male Lead:
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea (Amazon Studios)

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Robert Altman Award:
Moonlight (A24)
Director: Barry Jenkins
Casting Director: Yesi Ramirez
Ensemble Cast: Mahershala Ali, Patrick Decile, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders

Best Cinematography:
James Laxton, Moonlight (A24)

Best Editing:
Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders, Moonlight (A24)

Best International Film:
Toni Erdmann (Germany and Romania– Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: Maren Ade

Best Documentary:
O.J.: Made in America (ESPN Films)
Director/Producer: Ezra Edelman
Producers: Deirdre Fenton, Libby Geist, Nina Krstic, Erin Leyden, Tamara Rosenberg, Connor Schell, Caroline Waterlow

Leave your thoughts on the winners of the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards below in the comments section. Readers seeking more Film Independent Spirit Awards news coverage can visit our Film Awards Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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