Train Dreams was named best feature at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were handed out Sunday.
In total, the movie nabbed three awards. Clint Bentley took home the Spirit Award for best director for the film, which also nabbed best cinematography for Adolpho Veloso.
In the screenplay categories, Eva Victor took home the award for Sorry, Baby, while Lurker won for best first screenplay, with director Alex Russell taking home the award. Lurker also was named best first feature.
In the acting categories, Rose Byrne won best lead performance for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Naomi Ackie won best supporting performance for Sorry, Baby, and Kayo Martin won best breakthrough performance for The Plague.
The Perfect Neighbor was named best documentary, and The Secret Agent was named best international film.
Esta Isla (This Island) won the John Cassavetes Award, given to a film made for less than $1,000,000. Sofía Subercaseaux won best editing for The Testament of Ann Lee.
On the TV side, Erin Doherty and Owen Cooper continued their awards runs, nabbing acting nods for their performances in Adolescence, which also won the Spirit Award for best new scripted series. Pee-wee as Himself took the award for best new non-scripted or documentary series.
Ego Nwodim hosted the show, which took place at a new venue this year, the Hollywood Palladium, after 40 years in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The show was streamed live on the Film Independent and IMDb YouTube channels and other social platforms. (See the star-studded arrivals.)
Since 2023, the Spirit Awards has recognized performers in gender-neutral categories. This year’s Spirit Awards nominees come from 18 different countries and their budgets range from $35,000 to $20 million.
Last month, awards were presented at a brunch in three categories. The Producers Award went to Tony Yang, the Truer Than Fiction Award went to Rajee Samarasinghe, and the Someone to Watch Award went to Tatti Ribeiro. Also as previously announced, The Long Walk was honored with the Robert Altman Award, while Chief of War was given the award for best ensemble cast in a new scripted series.
See below for a full list of nominees and winners.
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Best Feature
Peter Hujar’s Day
Producers: Jonah Disend, Jordan DrakeThe Plague
Producers: Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, Lizzie ShapiroSorry, Baby
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele RomanskiTrain Dreams (WINNER)
Producers: Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy SchwarzmanTwinless
Producers: David Permut, James Sweeney -
Best First Feature
(Award given to director and producer)
Blue Sun Palace
Director: Constance Tsang
Producers: Sally Sujin Oh, Eli Raskin, Tony YangDust Bunny
Director/Producer: Bryan Fuller
Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica LeeEast of Wall
Director/Producer: Kate Beecroft
Producers: Shannon Moss, Melanie Ramsayer, Lila YacoubLurker (WINNER)
Director: Alex Russell
Producers: Galen Core, Archie Madekwe, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Olmo Schnabel, Jack SelbyOne of Them Days
Director: Lawrence Lamont
Producers: Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi -
John Cassavetes Award
Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. (Award given to the writer, director and producer)
The Baltimorons
Director/Writer/Producer: Jay Duplass
Writer/Producer: Michael Strassner
Producers: David Bonnett Jr., Drew LangerBoys Go to Jupiter
Director/Writer: Julian GlanderEephus
Director/Writer/Producer: Carson Lund
Writer/Producer: Michael Basta
Writer: Nate Fisher
Producers: David Entin, Tyler TaorminaEsta Isla (This Island) (WINNER)
Directors/Writers/Producers: Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina
Writer: Kisha Tikina BurgosFamiliar Touch
Director/Writer/Producer: Sarah Friedland
Producers: Alexandra Byer, Matthew Thurm -
Best Director
Clint Bentley, Train Dreams (WINNER)
Mary Bronstein, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Lloyd Lee Choi, Lucky Lu
Ira Sachs, Peter Hujar’s Day
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby -
Best Screenplay
Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Splitsville
Angus MacLachlan, A Little Prayer
James Sweeney, Twinless
Christian Swegal, Sovereign
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (WINNER) -
Best First Screenplay
Andrew DeYoung, Friendship
Elena Oxman, Outerlands
Alex Russell, Lurker (WINNER)
Syreeta Singleton, One of Them Days
Constance Tsang, Blue Sun Palace -
Best Lead Performance
Everett Blunck, The Plague
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (WINNER)
Kathleen Chalfant, Familiar Touch
Chang Chen, Lucky Lu
Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Dylan O’Brien, Twinless
Keke Palmer, One of Them Days
Théodore Pellerin, Lurker
Tessa Thompson, Hedda
Ben Whishaw, Peter Hujar’s Day -
Best Supporting Performance
Naomi Ackie, Sorry, Baby (WINNER)
Zoey Deutch, Nouvelle Vague
Kirsten Dunst, Roofman
Rebecca Hall, Peter Hujar’s Day
Nina Hoss, Hedda
Jane Levy, A Little Prayer
Archie Madekwe, Lurker
Kali Reis, Rebuilding
Jacob Tremblay, Sovereign
Haipeng Xu, Blue Sun Palace -
Best Breakthrough Performance
Liz Larsen, The Baltimorons
Misha Osherovich, She’s the He
Kayo Martin, The Plague (WINNER)
SZA, One of Them Days
Tabatha Zimiga, East of Wall -
Best Cinematography
Alex Ashe, Peter Hujar’s Day
Norm Li, Blue Sun Palace
David J. Thompson, Warfare
Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams (WINNER)
Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, Dust Bunny -
Best Editing
Ben Leonberg, Good Boy
Carson Lund, Eephus
Fin Oates, Warfare
Sara Shaw, Splitsville
Sofía Subercaseaux, The Testament of Ann Lee (WINNER) -
Robert Altman Award
(Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
The Long Walk (WINNER)
Director: Francis Lawrence
Casting Director: Rich Delia
Ensemble Cast: Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Joshua Odjick, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing -
Best Documentary
(Award given to the director and producer)
Come See Me in the Good Light
Director/Producer: Ryan White
Producers: Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef WillenEndless Cookie
Director: Peter Scriver
Director/Producer: Seth Scriver
Producers: Dan Bekerman, Alex Ordanis, Jason Ryle, Chris YurkovichMy Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
Director/Producer: Julia LoktevThe Perfect Neighbor (WINNER)
Director/Producer: Geeta Gandbhir
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa PayneThe Tale of Silyan
Director/Producer: Tamara Kotevska
Producers: Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Jordanco Petkovski -
Best International Film
(Award given to the director)
All That’s Left of You
Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus
Director: Cherien DabisOn Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Zambia, UK, Ireland
Director: Rungano NyoniA Poet
Colombia
Director: Simón Mesa SotoThe Secret Agent (WINNER)
Brazil
Director: Kleber Mendonça FilhoSirāt
Spain
Director: Oliver Laxe -
Producers Award
The Producers Award, now in its 29th year, honors an emerging producer who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrates the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Emma Hannaway
Luca Intili
Tony Yang (WINNER)
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Someone to Watch Award
The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 32nd year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Tatti Ribeiro, director of Valentina (WINNER)
Neo Sora, director of Happyend
Annapurna Sriram, director of Fucktoys
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Truer Than Fiction Award
The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 31st year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Tony Benna, director of André is an Idiot
Rajee Samarasinghe, director of Your Touch Makes Others Invisible (WINNER)
Brittany Shyne, director of Seeds
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Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
(Award given to the creator, executive producer and co-executive producer)
Citizen Nation
Creator: Bret Sigler
Executive Producers: Christopher Buck, Kyra DarntonHurricane Katrina: Race Against Time
Executive Producers: Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn, Ryan Coogler, Myles Estey, Ted Skillman, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Peter Nicks, Kalia King, Carolyn Payne, Sean David Johnson
Co-Executive Producer: Kelli BuchananPee-wee as Himself (WINNER)
Executive Producers: Matt Wolf, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Paul Reubens, Candace Tomarken, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara RodriguezSeen & Heard: The History of Black Television
Executive Producers: Issa Rae, Montrel McKay, John Maggio, Rachel Dretzin, John Ealer, Jonathan Berry, Dave Becky, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Co-Executive Producers: Esther Dere, Zachary HerrmannVow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae
Executive Producers: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Amy Kaufman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker
Co-Executive Producer: Mark Becker -
Best New Scripted Series
(Award given to the creator, executive producer and co-executive producer)
Adolescence (WINNER)
Creators/Executive Producers: Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham
Executive Producers: Philip Barantini, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Hannah Walters, Mark Herbert, Emily Feller
Co-Executive Producers: Carina Sposato, Niall Shamma, Peter BalmCommon Side Effects
Creators/Executive Producers: Joe Bennett, Steve Hely
Executive Producers: Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, Dustin Davis, James Merrill, Sean Buckelew, Benjy Brooke, Kelly Crews, Suzanna Makkos
Co-Executive Producer: Dave KingForever
Creator/Executive Producer: Mara Brock Akil
Executive Producers: Regina King, Susie Fitzgerald, Shana C. Waterman, Reina King, Anthony Hemingway, Judy Blume, Erika Harrison, Sara E. White
Co-Executive Producer: Jerron HortonMr Loverman
Executive Producers: Lennie James, Hong Khaou, Jo McClellan, Faye Ward, Hannah Farrell, Hannah PriceNorth of North
Creators/Executive Producers: Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
Executive Producers: Garry Campbell, Anya Adams, Susan Coyne, Miranda de Pencier
Co-Executive Producers: Teresa M. Ho, Michael Goldbach, Kathryn Borel Jr., JP Larocque -
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
Sydney Chandler, Alien: Earth
Stephen Graham, Adolescence (WINNER)
Ethan Hawke, The Lowdown
Lennie James, Mr Loverman
Anna Lambe, North of North
Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing
Seth Rogen, The Studio
Lovie Simone, Forever
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
Noah Wyle, The Pitt -
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman
Babou Ceesay, Alien: Earth
Sharon D. Clarke, Mr Loverman
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Erin Doherty, Adolescence (WINNER)
Stephen McKinley Henderson, A Man on the Inside
Poorna Jagannathan, Deli Boys
Xosha Roquemore, Forever
Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex
Ben Whishaw, Black Doves -
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
Asif Ali, Deli Boys
Wally Baram, Overcompensating
Owen Cooper, Adolescence (WINNER)
Michael Cooper Jr., Forever
Ernest Kingsley Junior, Washington Black -
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
Chief of War (WINNER)
Ensemble Cast: Charlie Brumbly, Luciane Buchanan, Cliff Curtis, Brandon Finn, Moses Goods, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Benjamin Hoetjes, Siua Ikale’o, Keala Kahuanui-Paleka, Mainei Kinimaka, Kaina Makua, Jason Momoa, Temuera Morrison, Te Kohe Tuhaka, James Udom
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