Jeffrey Wright Celebrates “Our Industry in Its Purest Form” at the Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch

The 2024 awards season is officially in full swing, with back to back to back star-studded events dominating this first weekend in January. On Saturday the world of independent film gathered at Hotel Casa del Mar for the annual Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch.

Given the organization’s focus on fostering creative independence with not-blockbuster budgets (Spirit Awards honor films with a budget of no more than $30 million) the vibe at the event and among this year’s nominees was warm and welcoming.

“It’s a celebration of our industry in its purest form,” said American Fiction star and nominee Jeffrey Wright. “Our film we shot in 26 days, we didn’t have a lot of resources. So we feel at home here.” American Fiction is nominated for five Spirit Awards, including best lead performance for Wright, and the ceremony holds a special place in his film industry memories.

“I’ve had some great experiences here. The first time I came was with Basquiat in 1996 and a film that was also being honored was When We Were Kings – I met Muhammad Ali at the Independent Spirit Awards in 1996, so that was the beginning of a wonderful relationship for me. So yeah, this place is special.”

Two first-time nominees, Franz Rogowski of Passages, and Zoe Lister-Jones of the series Slip, also enjoyed the positive vibes in the room and meeting fellow indie performers and filmmakers.

“It’s wonderful to be here and overwhelming,” said rising German star Rogowski. “Somehow I feel like I’m at the center of the film industry and at the same time, it’s so different from what I know from Europe and it’s wonderful to get to see all these different nuances. We have a lot of great movies this year competing and it’s just a joy to be a part of it.”

Lister-Jones reveled in an opportunity to meet Past Lives director Celine Song, a double nominee for best screenplay and director.

“Celine Song, we met on the red carpet and I like fanned out,” she admitted. “Past Lives is just, I’m just so floored by her. She’s the best, amazing.” Lister-Jones called the Spirit Awards “Mecca for those of us who are making things outside of the studio system,” she said. “Making any piece of art is a harrowing endeavor, but making things independently, I do think it keeps the lifeblood of our community flowing and Film Independent is so foundational in that.”

The brunch’s main event was the announcement of the organization’s three Emerging Filmmaker Awards and $25k grants presented to: Mountains director Monica Sorelle, director Set Hernandez for unseen, and to producer Monique Walton. The awards were presented by past nominees Lily Gladstone, who is also Honorary Chair of the 2024 Spirit Awards, and Colman Domingo. Both actors are in the awards race this year for films that were not Spirits eligible — Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon and Domingo for Rustin. Domingo was at the Toronto International Film Festival last September with two films, one of which gave him a special connection with Sorelle.

“We worked on a film called Sing Sing together, it comes out next year, A24 picked it up. But there’s something that she did that I think is special and it talks about the spirit of making an independent film with her and writer Clint Bentley and [director] Greg [Kwedar],” Domingo explained. “They made sure that the way we built the model of the film was to make sure that it was equitable, above and below the line. That means every single person on our film set participates in the success of it,” which received enthusiastic applause from the audience and a “Hell, yes!” from co-presenter Gladstone. “I say that because it’s in this room in particular where we’re able to change the model of the way work gets done, the way that we’re all seen, the way that we all feel valued,” Domingo continued. We do that here.”