35th Independent Spirit Awards


The 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2019, were presented by Film Independent on February 8, 2020. The nominations were announced on November 21, 2019 by actresses Zazie Beetz and Natasha Lyonne. The ceremony was televised in the United States by IFC, taking place inside its usual tent setting on a beach in Santa Monica, California. Aubrey Plaza returned to host the ceremony for the second time.

Winners and nominees


, Best Male Lead winner
, Best Female Lead winner
, Best Supporting Male winner
, Best Screenplay winner
, Best First Feature co-winner

Films with multiple nominations and awards

NominationsFilm
5The Lighthouse
5Uncut Gems
4Give Me Liberty
4Honey Boy
3Clemency
3Hustlers
3Luce
3Marriage Story
3The Third Wife
2Burning Cane
2Colewell
2Diane
2Driveways
2The Farewell
2The Last Black Man in San Francisco
2The Mustang
2Premature
2See You Yesterday

AwardsFilm
3Uncut Gems
2The Farewell
2The Lighthouse

Special awards

[Independent Spirit [John Cassavetes Award|John Cassavetes Award]]

Give Me Liberty
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.
Recognizes mid-career women directors with a body of work that demonstrates uniqueness of vision and a groundbreaking approach to film making. The award includes a $50,000 unrestricted grant funded by American Airlines.
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.
Presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.