BREAKING: The Film Independent Spirit Awards will also move after AMPAS selected Sunday April 25 as the new 2021 ceremony date for the Oscars. The annual event which lauds independent movies always takes place the day before the Oscars on Saturday afternoon at the beaches near the Santa Monica Pier.
“The Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Saturday, April 24, 2021,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent in a statement this afternoon. “Additionally, we will recognize films that were released between January 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021 in acknowledgement of the unique challenges the world of cinema, and the world as a whole, is currently experiencing.”
Similar to the Oscars, pics released during that 14-month span are eligible at the Independent Spirits. Last year, motion pictures made for under $22.5M were eligible. Female directors came up big at this year’s ceremony held back in February with Lulu Wang’s The Farewell winning best feature, Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart taking Best First Feature and Julia Reichert’s American Factory winning Best Documentary.
Said Deadline Awards Editor Pete Hammond about the new Oscar move — it’s the latest date ever since Oscar started the TV era in 1953. One would have to go all the way back to the earliest Oscar show in 1929 for a May (16) date but that was for the years 1927-29. There were three dates between 1930 and 1932 where because of combined years they were actually held in November (!) but in terms of the TV era this is unprecedented.
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