This year’s awards season is finally wrapping up, and Spirit Awards celebrated the best that independent film had to offer in 2018. If Beale Street Could Talk came out swinging and collected a total of three awards by the end of the night.
Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of James Baldwin’s classic novel came out victorious in several major categories, including best feature and best director. Regina King collected the award for her critically acclaimed supporting turn in this film, but this wasn’t much of a surprise since she’s always been a front runner in this category.
If Beale Street Could Talk is a harrowing tale of a young woman living in Harlem, who’s trying to prove her fiance has been wrongly accused of a violent crime before the birth of their child. In addition to King, it also stars KiKi Layne and Stephan James.
Full List of Winners:
Best Feature
If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Director
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Screenplay
Nicole Holofcener & Jeff Whitty, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Best Female Lead
Glenn Close, The Wife
Best Male Lead
Ethan Hawke, First Reformed
Best Supporting Female
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Supporting Male
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Producers Award
Shrihari Sathe
Best Cinematography
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Suspiria
Best Documentary
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Robert Altm Award
Suspiria
Best First Feature
Sorry to Bother You
Best Editing
Joe Bini, You Were Never Really Here
Truer Than Fiction Award
Bing Liu, Director of Minding the Gap
Best International Film
Roma (Mexico)
Bonnie Award
Debra Granik
John Cassavetes Award
En El Septimo Dia
Best First Screenplay
Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade
Someone To Watch Award
Alex Moratto, Director of Sócrates