‘DìDi’ wins big at 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards
“Anora,” “Shogun,” and “Girls Will be Girls” all took home honors this past weekend
Sean Wang at Film Independent Spirit Awards
Film Independent
Words by Daniel Anderson
The 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards this past weekend saw major wins for Asian filmmakers and talent across a spectrum of independent movies and television series. The show, which took place in Santa Monica, California, was once again hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Leading the evening was Anora, which won Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison. Anora’s presence extended to the Producers Award, in which Alex Coco was also nominated. Producer Samantha Quan was among those celebrating the film’s success, further cementing its standing this awards season.
Sean Wang’s Dìdi also had a strong showing, taking home Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay, while Joan Chen earned a nomination for Best Supporting Performance and Arielle Zakowski for Editing. Wang thanked the Bay Area community in his acceptance speech and acknowledged representation as a driving force to make the coming-of-age film. “When I started writing this movie, I remember Googling coming-of-age movies and there wasn’t a single movie that had someone who looked like me or looked like Izaac on the poster. So for them to believe in that movie and believe that it was worth their time and energy…was really special.”
Asian talent was recognized across multiple other categories. No Other Land won Best Documentary, while Patrice: The Movie, produced by Innbo Shim, was also nominated. Jazzy earned nominations for both Best Editing (Laura Colwell and Vanara Taing) and the John Cassavetes Award went to Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls.
Meanwhile, Phan Thien An (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) was a nominee for the Someone to Watch Award, and Đinh Duy Hưng received a nod for Best Cinematography for the same film. Rina Yang’s The Fire Inside was also nominated in the category. In Best International Film, China’s Black Dog, India’s All We Imagine as Light, and Poland’s Green Border were all nominated.
On the television side, Shōgun was a major presence, winning Best New Scripted Series and earning acting nominations for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai in Best Lead Performance, as well as Tadanobu Asano and Moeka Hoshi in Best Supporting Performance. Brian Tee (Expats) also earned a nomination in the Supporting category, while Hoa Xuande (The Sympathizer) was recognized in the Best Breakthrough Performance category. Lastly, Best Ensemble Cast In A New Scripted Series went to How To Die Alone featuring Jaylee Hamidi, Conrad Ricamora and Arkie Kandola.
Published on February 24, 2025
Words by Daniel Anderson
Daniel Anderson is a disabled Chinese American adoptee based in Seattle. His freelance writing specialties include K-pop, entertainment, and food. He believes that any restaurant can be a buffet, and the key to success is to take a nap each day. Follow his adventures on Instagram @danzstan.