Adam Sandler laughs off Oscar snub as he wins indie acting prize

LOS ANGELES - Chinese-American director Lulu Wang's movie "The Farewell" won the top prize at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, while Adam Sandler was named best actor and made fun of his exclusion from Sunday's Oscars.

Sandler was named best actor for playing a jeweler addicted to gambling in "Uncut Gems," and brothers Josh and Benny Safdie were chosen best directors for the film.

"A few weeks back when I was quote, unquote, snubbed by the academy, it reminded me when I briefly attended high school and was overlooked for the coveted yearbook superlative category best looking," Sandler said.

Calling the Oscar nominees "feather-haired douchebags," Sandler quipped; "Their handsome good looks will fade in time, while our independent personalities will shine on forever."

The Spirit Awards honor independent films made for under $20 million. Many of the nominees were women and actors or directors of color, while just one of the actors nominated for an Oscar is non-white.

"The Farewell," featuring an all-Asian cast and filmed in both Mandarin and English, was named best feature film.

Wang, whose film was also overlooked at the Oscars, referred to the all-male Oscar director race and the debate over the difficulties women face in getting recognized in show business.

"You don't have to encourage women. There are lots of women making films and who want to make films," Wang said. "What women need is the jobs. Just give them the freakin' jobs. Give them the money."

Chinese star Zhao Shuzhen, 85, won the best supporting actress trophy for her role in "The Farewell" as a grandmother whose family chooses to conceal from her that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Wang said Zhao was unable to make it to Saturday's ceremony in the California beach city of Santa Monica because of the coronavirus travel restrictions in China.

Rene Zellweger, who has dominated Hollywood's awards season for her portrayal of singer Judy Garland, was named best actress for "Judy." She is seen as the favorite to take home the Oscar on Sunday.

"I know this is a reflection of the resounding affection for Judy Garland and her legacy," Zellweger said.

South Korean social satire "Parasite," which is expected to do well at the Academy Awards on Sunday, was voted best international film. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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Glenn Close, 'Beale Street' win indie film honors ahead of Oscars

LOS ANGELES -- Actress Glenn Close and racial injustice movie "If Beale Street Could Talk" were the big winners on Saturday at the Independent Spirit Awards, a day ahead of the Oscars ceremony.

Mexican family drama "Roma," which is seen as a strong contender for best picture at the Academy Awards on Sunday, won the Spirit award for best international film.

The Spirit Awards are the annual honors given to Hollywood's low-budget movies made for under $20 million.

Close, 71, won the best actress award for playing a submissive spouse who finally finds her voice in "The Wife." She has also emerged as the favorite to win the Oscar on Sunday for her role in the movie.

"It's a lovely thing to do before the Oscars," Close said on the red carpet on a sunny day in the beach city of Santa Monica.

"If Beale Street Could Talk" -- based on late writer James Baldwin's tender 1974 novel about a young New York couple whose lives are wrecked when the man is imprisoned for a rape he did not commit -- came away as the biggest winner.

The film took the Spirit Award for best feature film, best supporting actress for Regina King, and best director for Barry Jenkins, whose last film, "Moonlight," won the best picture Oscar two years ago.

Winners often go onto success at the Academy Awards the following day. King's performance as a mother seeking justice for her son-in-law is seen as a strong contender in the supporting actress Oscar category, although "If Beale Street Could Talk" failed to get a best picture Oscar nomination.

On Saturday, Richard E. Grant was named best supporting actor for his role in literary drama "Can You Ever Forgive Me?", boosting his profile for the Oscars where he is also nominated.

Ethan Hawke was named best actor for religious drama "First Reformed."

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Satire 'Get Out' earns top honor at Independent Spirit Awards

LOS ANGELES - "Get Out," a horror thriller that examines US race relations, won the top honor at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, independent film's biggest prize and the final awards ceremony ahead of the Oscars.

Jordan Peele, a comedian who wrote and directed the film, also won best director at the annual awards that recognizes the year's best independent achievements made on small budgets.

"This means so much," Peele said accepting the best feature award.

"We are in the beginning of a renaissance right now, where stories from the outsider ... are being honored and recognized and celebrated," Peele added.

"Get Out," which tells the story of a young black man who visits his white girlfriend's family as a racial satire, was a box office juggernaut for Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures, grossing $176 million at US and Canadian theaters.

The film has earned 4 Oscar nominations, including best picture, best director, best original screenplay and best actor for Daniel Kaluuya.

The last 4 winners of the Spirit Awards' top prize - "Moonlight," "Spotlight," "Birdman" and "12 Years a Slave" - all went on to win the best picture Oscar, which will be awarded on Sunday.

Frances McDormand, who has so far swept all major awards for her role as an aggrieved mother in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," won best actress at the casual beach-side ceremony. She is also tipped to win the Academy Award.

Timothée Chalamet, the 22-year-old star of "Call Me By Your Name," a coming-of-age drama about 2 young men falling in love, won the Spirit Awards' best actor.

Allison Janney, who has won all top awards as an abusive mother in biopic "I, Tonya" won best supporting actress while Sam Rockwell won best supporting actor for his part as a racist, alcoholic police officer in "Three Billboards."

Both Rockwell and Janney are nominated for Oscars.

Greta Gerwig won best screenplay for her coming-of-age tale "Lady Bird," which has earned five Oscar nods.

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Gay romance 'Call Me By Your Name' leads indie Spirit nominations

LOS ANGELES -- "Call Me By Your Name," a coming-of-age drama of two young men falling in love, led the Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Tuesday.

The film landed six nominations including best male lead for Timothee Chalamet, supporting male lead for Armie Hammer and best feature, which is the top prize.

Jordan Peele's sharp dissection of race relations in horror movie "Get Out" landed five nods and will also be competing for best feature, alongside coming-of-age tale "Lady Bird," heartland drama "The Rider" and "The Florida Project," about a young girl living on the outskirts of Disney World.

"Good Time," a nocturnal crime thriller starring Robert Pattinson, also landed five nominations.

The Spirit Awards, to be held on March 3 and hosted by the Film Independent organization, celebrate artistic films made under $20 million at an informal lunch on the Santa Monica, California beach the day before Hollywood's glitzy Oscars ceremony.

In the past four years, the best feature winner at the Spirit Awards has gone on to win best picture at the Oscars - "Moonlight," "Spotlight," "Birdman" and "12 Years A Slave."

Chalamet will compete in the best male lead category with Pattinson for "Good Time," James Franco for "The Disaster Artist," Daniel Kaluuya for "Get Out" and Harris Dickinson for "Beach Rats."

In the best female lead race, Salma Hayek was nominated for her role as a plain-speaking massage therapist in "Beatriz at Dinner," and is up against Saoirse Ronan for "Lady Bird," Margot Robbie for "I, Tonya," Frances McDormand for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," Shinobu Terajima for "Oh Lucy!" and Regina Williams for "Life and Nothing More."

Notable omissions in the Spirit Awards nominations this year include Guillermo del Toro's fantasy "Shape of Water" and Greta Gerwig in the best directing category, after she made her solo directing debut with the critically praised "Lady Bird."

Gerwig, a staple of independent films, did land a best screenplay nod and the film landed four overall nominations.

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'Spotlight' leads Spirit Award winners

SANTA MONICA, California -- The journalism drama "Spotlight" led the winners at Saturday's Independent Spirit Awards with four accolades, including the night's top prize for best feature, at an event where diversity was front and center as black and transgender actors won key awards.

"Spotlight," about the Boson Globe's probe into Catholic church child abuse and which is the Oscar best picture front-runner, also won Spirit Awards for best director, best screenplay and best editing.

The Spirit Awards honor independent films made within a $20 million budget and often recognize films that go on to win Oscars the next day, such as dark comedy "Birdman" last year.

"It's rare to make a film that impacts the world as significantly as this one has," "Spotlight" producer Michael Sugar said on stage. "By honoring it, you're making more people aware of it, and as more people are aware of it, more can be spared from a life of abuse."

The Netflix film "Beasts of No Nation," about child soldiers in West Africa and starring a cast of black actors, took two awards, with teen newcomer Abraham Attah winning best actor and Britain's Idris Elba winning best supporting actor.

Attah, who beat out contenders including Jason Segel and Ben Mendelsohn, thanked everyone involved in the production of the film, from Elba and director Cary Fukunaga to the costume designers.

"Tangerine" star Mya Taylor was named best supporting actress, becoming the first transgender artist to win a Spirit Award.

"There is transgender talent, there's very beautiful transgender talent," Taylor told the audience. "You better get out there and put them in your next movie."

The annual Spirit Awards, held over lunch in a tent on Southern California's Santa Monica beach the day before Hollywood's glamorous Oscars ceremony, offers a laidback setting for nominees and guests to let their hair down.

"Room" star Brie Larson won the best actress Spirit award, and is the front-runner to win the best actress Oscar.

The spotlight on diversity at the Spirit Awards comes amid a furor in Hollywood over the 20 all-white acting nominees for this year's Oscars, fueling the #OscarsSoWhite debate.

Spirit Award host Kumail Nanjiani, who is Pakistani-American, introduced himself and his co-host, openly gay comedian Kate McKinnon, as "a gay woman and a Pakistani man. Or as Hollywood thinks of us, a straight woman and her IT guy."

Lesbian romance period drama "Carol" led the nominees on Saturday with six nods, but came away with only the best cinematography award.

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