Adolescence and Train Dreams triumph at Spirit Awards

Independent film and television took centre stage in Los Angeles as Train Dreams and Adolescence claimed the top honours at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Independent film and television honoured at Los Angeles ceremony

Clint Bentley’s adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella Train Dreams won best feature, marking a significant moment for the lyrical frontier drama. Bentley also collected the best director award, praising his lead actor Joel Edgerton as “the heartbeat of our film” during his acceptance speech. The film was released on Netflix, which backed several of the evening’s prominent contenders.

Although Edgerton was nominated for best lead performance, the acting prize went to Rose Byrne for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The Spirit Awards shifted to gender-neutral acting categories in 2022, consolidating traditional actor and actress prizes into inclusive performance awards.

Byrne, who is also nominated at the Academy Awards, acknowledged the long journey behind the project, crediting writer-director Mary Bronstein for her persistence in bringing the film to fruition. She described her character — a mother under strain — as rarely centred in mainstream cinema, noting that the story’s independence allowed for creative freedom.

On the television side, Adolescence dominated the scripted categories. The series won best new scripted series, while Stephen Graham secured best lead performance in a new scripted series and Erin Doherty won best supporting performance. Owen Cooper received the breakthrough performance award, further cementing the show’s impact.

The ceremony, hosted by Ego Nwodim, took place at the Hollywood Palladium, marking the event’s return to the venue for the first time since 1994 while its usual Santa Monica location undergoes renovation. The celebration of independent storytelling was livestreamed on YouTube, extending its reach beyond the auditorium.

International and documentary filmmaking were also recognised. The Secret Agent, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, won best international feature. The film is also nominated at the Academy Awards. Accepting the prize, Mendonça Filho reflected on the role of cinema programming in contemporary culture and dedicated the award to the late actor Udo Kier.

In documentary, The Perfect Neighbor, directed by Geeta Gandbhir, took the top honour. Constructed largely from police body camera footage, the film examines a fatal shooting in Florida. It too is in contention at the Academy Awards.

Additional accolades included a screenplay award for Eva Victor for Sorry, Baby, with Naomi Ackie winning best supporting performance for the same film.

Eligibility rules for the Spirit Awards limit entries to productions with budgets under $30 million, distinguishing the ceremony from larger industry awards. While overlaps with Oscar contenders occasionally occur, the focus remains firmly on championing independently financed work and emerging voices within film and television.

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