34th FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD Winners!

BEST FEATURE: IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
BEST DIRECTOR: BARRY JENKINS - IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
BEST MALE LEAD: ETHAN HAWKE - FIRST REFORMED
BEST FEMALE LEAD: GLENN CLOSE - THE WIFE
BEST SUPPORTING MALE: RICHARD E. GRANT - CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE: REGINA KING - IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
BEST SCREENPLAY: CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
BEST FIRST FEATURE: SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY: EIGHTH GRADE
BEST EDITING: YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: SUSPIRIA
BEST DOCUMENTARY: WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM: ROMA
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD: EN EL SEPTIMO DIA
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: SUSPIRIA
BONNIE AWARD: DEBRA GRANIK
PRODUCERS AWARD: SHRIHARI SATHE
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: ALEX MORATTO, DIRECTOR - SOCRATES
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD: BING LIU - MINDING THE GAP

These were really fun! Aubrey Plaza did a terrific hosting, and just about all her jokes and skits killed. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is exactly what the Oscars should aspire to. This show manages to be reverential of the artists nominated and still completely irreverent. The Shangela thing, and I'm not familiar with RuPaul's Drag Race, was fun though I think the crowd might not have gotten it. Also, and this is rare for an award show: Decent. Banter.

And the winners tonight were far better than what is likely to win tomorrow night. Finally, a speech from Richard E. Grant and it didn't disappoint. He got emotional talking about the generation of men that were wiped out by AIDS. Really touching. One of the few good things about this award season is that there was only a tad overlap in winners between the different ceremonies. Tonight's winners, SAG going with Blunt, BAFTA going with Colman, the WGA/PGA/DGA/SAG winners not matching. More stuff like this. It makes no sense that so many people sweep through the season with films and performances that aren't totally undeniable.

And I kinda want Bo Burnham as my boyfriend.