California [US], February 23 : The Independent Spirit Awards celebrated the best in independent film and television, with one of the major highlights was the Shuchi Talati-directed 'Girls Will Be Girls', which won the prestigious John Cassavetes Award, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The award, held in Santa Monica, California, is given to the best feature film made for under USD 1 million and honours the film's writer, director, and producer.
The coming-of-age drama 'Girls Will Be Girls', produced by Richa Chadha and Claire Chassagne, is a compelling story set in a boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India. It follows the journey of Mira, a 16-year-old girl whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother's unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences.
Meanwhile, Sean Baker's 'Anora' also won big, taking home awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Mikey Madison. The film, about a Brooklyn sex worker and her affair with a Russian oligarch's son, has gained momentum in the awards season and is also a strong Oscar contender.
The Netflix phenomenon Baby Reindeer also secured multiple wins, with awards for actors Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, and Nava Mau.
Other winners included Kieran Culkin, who won Best Supporting Performance for A Real Pain, and Jesse Eisenberg, who won Best Screenplay for the same film.
The documentary award went to No Other Land, a Palestinian-Israeli film about the destruction of a village in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Flow, an animated Latvian film about a cat, won Best International Film.
The Independent Spirit Awards are known for recognizing smaller-budget films, with eligibility limited to productions made for under $30 million.
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