The 40th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday featured plenty of smiles, tears and laughter from winners, presenters, the host and the audience throughout the ceremony in Santa Monica. From Anora's multiple wins, including for star Mikey Madison and director Sean Baker, to Natasha Rothwell's emotional speech, here are some of the night's most memorable moments.
When Sean Baker (Anora) won best director at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, he took the opportunity to reflect on the current state of independent film and said the industry needed to change to keep that genre of films alive. "Indie film is struggling right now, more than ever," Baker told the audience in a lengthy speech. "Gone are the days of DVD sales that allow for greater risk to be taken on challenging films. That revenue stream is gone, and the only way to see significant back-end is to have a box office hit with profits that far exceed what any of our films will ever see, unless you are Damien Leone and strike gold with a franchise like Terrifier. But as we all know, that's an extreme rarity for me, and I think for many of my peers. If we're lucky, the average number of years dedicated to making a film is around three. I think most of us have worked a lot longer on our films, but let's go with three." Read more. -- Beatrice Verhoeven
During his acceptance speech for best screenplay at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards, A Real Pain writer and director Jesse Eisenberg called Emma Stone, a producer on the film, his "fairy godmother." "I met Emma when we were in Zombieland together 2009 and since then -- I write little magazine articles and little things on McSweeney's, and she's the only person, I'm including my mom here, who would take little screenshots of it over the last 15 years and send me things like, 'This is such a funny line!'" Eisenberg said onstage, while Stone was in the audience. "She was, definitely still [is], the most famous person I know, and yet also the most dedicated to encouraging me as a writer. I think about her not as my producer, but like a fairy godmother, that I am riding the coattails of her goodwill. ... Thanks, Emma." Read more. -- Beatrice Verhoeven
Former Saturday Night Live castmember Aidy Bryant opened her monologue at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday by reflecting on an intimate moment between her and Kieran Culkin years ago. Culkin hosted the sketch comedy series in 2021, and during a sketch (which didn't air) she kissed him. "Kieran and I actually worked together when he hosted SNL, and we did a sketch and in it, we had to kiss -- in a comedic way. And after dress rehearsal, Kieran said to my co-writer, 'Wow, Aidy really went for it with that kiss,'" she recalled. Read more. -- Lexi Carson
It was a bittersweet moment for the team from How to Die Alone at the 2025 Spirit Awards. Creator and star Natasha Rothwell accepted the award for best ensemble in a new scripted series for the critically acclaimed comedy that was recently canceled just months after its first season debuted on Hulu. Rothwell delivered a heartfelt tribute, maybe too full of heart as she joked that the beta blocker she took wasn't stopping her from getting emotional, to the team behind the series, calling out her fellow castmembers by name as well as the producers, writers, crew and those who helped cast the ensemble being recognized. "The show was about finding humor and heart and humanity in life's messiness and having it celebrated in this way really truly means everything," Rothwell said, thanking her producers, team and family for helping bring the "story to life." Read more. -- Hilary Lewis