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Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series highlighting awards season’s buzziest movies continues with The Fire Inside, the boxing drama directed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison in her feature helming debut from a script from Oscar-winning Moonlight screenwriter Barry Jenkins.

The Amazon MGM Studios movie hit theaters on Christmas Day after having its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. It has looking at a $4.3 million gross across the five-day holiday frame.

The movie follows the true story of Claressa Shields (played by Ryan Destiny), the Flint, Michigan high schooler who with the help of her trainer Jason Crutchfield (played by Oscar-nominated Brian Tyree Henry) rose to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in women’s boxing, going on to win multiple world titles to become one of the most decorated boxers of all time. The focus of her rise is their strong relationship. Jazmin Headley and Kylee D. Allen also star.

Mufasa may have had to wait, but the prequel is finally king at the box office.

After stumbling out of the blocks in second place last week, Mufasa: The Lion King managed to rebound with an impressive $14.7 million haul on Christmas Day. The Walt Disney movie’s five-day holiday weekend projection has topped $50 million, with some outlets forecasting north of $70 million, twice as much as it made in its opening weekend. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will hold on for second place with a still-impressive $50 million-plus five-day total, followed by Nosferatu in third. The stylish horror film is exceeding expectations, on track to earn more than $40 million, followed by A Complete Unknown with $25 million and Wicked at $20 million.

New Releases

Nosferatu

Director: Robert Eggers

This update of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 classic is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, leading to untold horror.

Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” is reigning over the holiday box office. The family film, which is a prequel to “The Lion King” (both the 1994 animated classic and the less canonical 2019 photorealistic remake), earned $12 million on Thursday. That brings its domestic haul to $76.4 million.

In a change of pace, Barry Jenkins, best known for shepherding arthouse films like “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” to screens, directed “Mufasa,” which cost $200 million to produce. “Mufasa” started slowly in the U.S., losing out to Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” in its opening weekend, but it seems to be catching on with the Christmas crowds. It should earn $58 million over the five-day holiday period. That means that Disney will end 2024 on a high note after dominating multiplexes with hits such as “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Moana 2” and “Inside Out 2.”

And though it was outpaced on Thursday, “Sonic 3” was...

Rachel Morrison said that now that she’s completed her first feature film as a director, her empathy for filmmakers has grown immensely.

“I have so much more empathy for my directors,” Morrison told TheWrap. “Now as a Dp (Director of Photography), I remember at times, like [with] ‘Black Panther,’ probably the most obvious example, where Ryan [Coogler] was putting out so many fires that he didn’t have time to shot list one day that we were supposed to be shot listing. And I’m like, ‘But it’s your own movie. How could you not be shot listing right now,’ you know?”

“And then, sure enough, on this movie, I was there putting out a gazillion fires somewhere. And I was like, [cinematographer] Rina [Yang], I need you to take a pass at this shotlist,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh, I get it now.’ And it’s not to say that in either case,...

“The Fire Inside” has been years in the making.

The Rachel Morrison-directed drama (in theaters now) tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, the Flint, Mich., native who became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Ryan Destiny stars as Shields alongside Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry as her coach, Jason Crutchfield.

“I trained in 2020, our first go-round for three to four months,” Destiny tells me during a joint interview with Henry on this week’s “Just for Variety” podcast. “Then we stopped everything for two years, and I had to do it all over again for a second time. But looking back, I am actually very happy that I got more time with it, and I think I grew as a person, and I would assume and hope that I do because it was such a long process.

“Overall, it’s been like a...

The holiday box office has been known to deliver a twist or two, and it happened again on Christmas Day as Disney’s “Mufasa” is rebounding from a weak $35 million opening weekend to take the No. 1 spot on the Wednesday charts from Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.”

Lifted by positive audience word-of-mouth, increased family turnout and support from Imax screens, Barry Jenkins’ prequel to “The Lion King” earned $15 million on Christmas Day, just over double the $7.1 million that it earned on Christmas Eve. Exhibition sources say they believe “Mufasa” will continue to enjoy a lead over “Sonic 3” through the weekend with a projected 5-day extended weekend total of $65 million, enough to bring its domestic total to $115 million.

Though it won’t get anywhere near $1 billion, let alone the $1.65 billion of the 2019 “Lion King” remake, “Mufasa” is shrugging off the threat of becoming a box office flop after a poor pre-Xmas start.

Christmas moviegoers visited the Pride Lands in force over the holidays, propelling Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to the top of the charts. The family friendly adventure dominated ticket sales, earning $14.7 million to capture the box office crown. That pushed its domestic tally to $64.3 million. Globally, the prequel to “The Lion King” has earned $197.7 million after adding $18.8 million from international markets on Wednesday. Stateside, the film is on pace to generate more than $50 million over the five-day holiday frame.

Focus Features’ “Nosferatu,” a blood-soaked horror film about a Dracula-like vampire, catered to very different crowds than “Mufasa,” while capturing second place on its opening day with $11.5 million. The movie is directed by Robert Eggers, who oversaw arthouse favorites like “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse.” Its ensemble includes rising stars like Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, along with veterans such as Willem Dafoe. It has a sizable budget of $50 million,...

The story of boxer Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields certainly seems tailor-made for the big screen. Growing up in economically depressed Flint, Michigan, with an alcoholic mother and an incarcerated father, she became an unlikely gold medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics in women’s boxing and went on to win again in 2016. Amazon/MGM’s The Fire Inside tells her story but does so in a way that gives the film a grounded, earthy vibe.

Recently, I was lucky enough to sit down with stars Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry (who plays Shields’s coach/ mentor) for an interesting talk in which they examined the roles mentors have played in their own lives, with the on-screen relationship mirrored their offscreen one. Shields, who’d never boxed before, also revealed how she trained for the film but then had to stay in shape for two years as the film was shut down...

Ryan Destiny said her role playing iconic female boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in “The Fire Inside” helped her develop a new level of trust in herself as an actress.

“I think I found a lot of trust in myself. Obviously, a lot of different levels of discipline that I don’t think I’ve had to use before,” Destiny told TheWrap. “I knew that this film would challenge me in a way that scared me, but I used that fear to my advantage in a lot of ways. I just wanted it so bad, and I knew that I could execute it, and I knew that it would be something that was so different than what anyone’s ever seen me in. Other people couldn’t see it, but I could see it in myself.”

She added that “the entire journey itself has just put a lot more confidence in myself,...

“The Fire Inside” starring Ryan Destiny (“Star”) is ready to get in the ring at the box office, as the film hits theaters on Wednesday.

The film is centered on the rise of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, who is arguably the greatest female boxer of all time, making history as the first American woman to win gold in boxing and is the first American boxer (male or female) to win back-to-back gold metals at the Olympic Games. Ryan Destiny portrays the iconic boxer in longtime cinmetagrapher Rachel Morrison’s (“Black Panther”) feature directorial debut.

The film is produced by three-time Oscar-winning writer, director and producer Barry Jenkins. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch.

When does “The Fire Inside” come out?

“The Fire Inside” comes out on Wednesday, Dec. 25.

Is “The Fire Inside” in theaters?

Yes, “The Fire Inside” will hit theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 25. Check out the listings below for tickets.

Ryan Destiny stars as Claressa Shields in director Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside.

An Amazon MGM Studios film. Photo Credit: Sabrina Lantos

© 2024 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved. Ryan Destiny brings grit and grace to the screen in The Fire Inside, a powerful portrayal of the life of Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields. The film captures the incredible story of Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan, who broke boundaries to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Destiny’s performance has been met with high praise, showcasing her dedication to portraying Shields relentless drive and courage. Preparing for the role wasn’t just about physical endurance—it was also about bonding with her trainer, Rob Sally. This relationship gave Destiny a deeper understanding of the trainer-boxer connection, a pivotal element in Shields’ story. That dynamic brought an emotional layer to the film,...

Last Updated on December 26, 2024

Plot: The true story of Olympic boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (Ryan Destiny).

Review: Everyone loves a good, inspirational sports biopic, especially around the holidays. Amazon/MGM has had a lot of luck in that department, with Creed III being one of their highest-grossing movies, while last year’s The Boys in the Boat became an unlikely box-office success. They’ve got another solid one this year with The Fire Inside, which tells a story that feels tailor-made for the big screen.

Women’s boxing (along with Mma and wrestling) has become increasingly popular over the years, and Claressa Shields has quickly become a legend. The Fire Inside, which is written by Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins, and directed by famed cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther) tells her life story in an intriguing way that departs from the usual sports biopic formula.

For those who don’t know,...

Well, it seems as though we’ve arrived at another end-of-the-year inspirational true-life sports story award contender. Last year it was The Boys In The Boat and The Iron Claw. And both of them have an Olympic connection to this new film (the latter just touched on the gold in its first act). But that’s where the comparisons end as this story happened less than twenty years ago. Oh, and the “biggie”, is that this film concerns a young (mostly high school-age) African-American woman. Now her coach plays a big role here, though it is in support of her journey. But the biggest difference is that that journey doesn’t end with the medal ceremony, all wrapped up nicely with the star-spangled ribbon. No, she forges ahead due to her courage, skills, and determination fueled by The Fire Within.

The film begins with a flashback to a few years...

A splash of auteurish openings on Christmas Day, with Focus Features’ Nosferatu, Searchlight’s A Complete Unknown, A24’s naughty Babygirl and Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside, is poised to send the holiday week’s box office to a potential $280 million tally. That puts it on par with last year’s holiday week that was boosted by Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Wonka, Migration and The Color Purple.

Christmas week 2021 holds the post-Covid record for the most made by movies with $292.4M during that time, a majority of that from Sony/Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Still, it’s interesting. Even though there isn’t a massive, oxygen-sucking tentpole in the marketplace, the heavy supply of family titles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Mufasa, Wicked and Moana 2. plus the new offerings, are making for a lucrative season. Comscore projects we’ll end 2024 at $8.75 billion, just 3% shy of 2023’s $9 billion tally.

Powerful performers punch above their weight in this otherwise by-the-book boxing drama. Based on the record-setting back-to-back Olympic victories — in 2012 and 2016 — of professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, who came from a poor background in Flint, Mi, to win gold medals in London and Rio, it’s a familiar tale of success against the odds that takes some interesting turns as a depiction of a woman competing in a stereotypically male sport.

Ultimately, though, what made great material for a 90-minute documentary (2015’s T-Rex) doesn’t organically stretch to a 109-minute feature; thankfully, director Rachel Morrison resists the urge to confect extraneous drama, relying instead on its two excellent leads to carry the story to the last round.

Claressa’s story starts in 2006; we see a young girl running through a rundown neighborhood in wind and snow to a boxing gym on the other side of town. She is used to...

We know the story, or some version of it: tenacious underdog athlete, humble origins, big dreams. She trains at a dumpy gym with the help of a fatherly coach, overcoming economic disparity to make it past the nationals, all the way to the international stage. Back in her blighted hometown...

The ascent from starring on a hit television show to booking the lead in a buzzy film has become increasingly common with this new class of movie stars. But where things went drastically different for actress Ryan Destiny is that her Independent Spirit Award-nominated performance in boxing biopic “The Fire Inside” was five years in the making—delayed by a global pandemic, the film going into turnaround, a new studio picking it up, and her primary scene partner being recast.

Speaking to IndieWire over Zoom about her turn in Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut as Olympic champion boxer Claressa Shields, the only American in her sport to win back-to-back gold medals, Destiny said “I definitely didn’t think I would get it. Because I knew it was so competitive. Something like this, a project like this, especially with Barry Jenkins attached and Rachel attached, and the studio at that time,...

It can be tricky keeping track of which movies release each week, especially with the holiday season ushering in a tidal wave of awards films and four-quadrant blockbusters. With a few big titles still left for the year, check out what is coming to theaters in December over the holidays.

After last weekend saw “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” overtake “Mufasa: The Lion King,” Christmas week is more geared towards adult films with “Babygirl,” an erotic drama starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and “A Complete Unknown,” James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic that is earning Timothée Chalamet raves for his live singing.

Robert Eggers’ take on the gothic vampire story “Nosferatu” is hoping to capture the horror crowd over the holiday, with the remake starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Bill Skarsgård and Emma Corrin. Barry Jenkins may have “Mufasa: The Lion King” to his name but he also wrote “The Fire Inside,...

The Fire Inside may not be the quintessential boxing film, nor is it an overtly emotional tale of overcoming great odds to become a champion. But, it is a solid and entertaining story of two people that find each other and connect to make each other better than they were separately and manage to achieve greatness alongside of one another. In that way, it is perhaps a film sorely needed at this particular moment in time.

The film follows Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny) as she begins training with Coach Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) to ultimately competes as part of the American Olympic team, becoming the first American woman to win the gold medal in the event. It is an inspirational story rife with challenges that Shields overcomes with the support of those around her and an unwavering belief in herself.

Working from a script by Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk...

“it was definitely the toughest thing mentally, emotionally, and physically. It was the toughest thing. Having to spend five years on this was not something that I thought was going to happen. And I think it really changed me in so many ways.” That’s Ryan Destiny exhaling over Rachel Morrison‘s film “The Fire Inside” finally arriving in theaters. A movie that officially died during the pandemic, then almost died right after, and took another two years to debut following the guild strikes of 2023.

Continue reading Ryan Destiny Never Gave Up On ‘The Fire Inside’: A Remarkable Hollywood Story at The Playlist.

On Friday December 20 2024, CBS broadcasts The Drew Barrymore Show!

Ryan Destiny Season 5 Episode 136 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show” titled “Ryan Destiny” promises an engaging conversation. Ryan Destiny, the talented actress and singer, will be in the spotlight as she discusses her new film, “The Fire Inside.” This film tells the inspiring true story of the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing.

Viewers can expect Drew Barrymore to dive deep into Ryan’s experience while making the film. The conversation will likely cover the challenges and triumphs faced by the character Ryan portrays. The story behind the first American woman to achieve such a milestone in boxing is both powerful and motivational, and Ryan Destiny’s insights will bring it to life.

In addition to discussing the film, Ryan may share her personal journey in the entertainment industry. Her experiences and...

RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys and Malcolm Washington’ The Piano Lesson dominated the nominations for the 25th Black Reel Awards with 13 and 12 noms, respectively. The films will square off in 10 categories including Outstanding Film, Director, Screenplay and Ensemble.

Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness is next with nine nominations, followed by Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice with seven. See the full list spanning 22 categories below.

Winners will be honored during the silver anniversary ceremony held virtually on February 10 and streaming live on BlackReelAwards.com.

Related: 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More

“As we commemorate 25 years, we are proud to highlight the transformative power of Black cinema,” Black Reel Awards Founder Tim Gordon said. “This year’s nominees represent not only excellence in storytelling but also groundbreaking achievements that push boundaries and elevate our culture.”

Presented by Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film, the Black...

“Nickel Boys” leads the nominations at the 25th annual Black Reel Awards, a ceremony exclusively dedicated to recognizing African American contributions to cinema.

The Amazon MGM Studios film garnered 13 nominations, followed closely by Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson” with 12; both films were nominated for outstanding film and outstanding director, plus their stars earned individual nods.

Rounding out the best film nominees are “Challengers,” “Exhibiting Forgiveness” and “Sing Sing” and joining Ross and Washington in the outstanding director category are Titus Kaphar (“Exhibiting Forgiveness”), Zoë Kravitz (“Blink Twice”) and Steve McQueen (“Blitz”). Other top-performing films include “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (nine nominations), “Blink Twice” (seven nominations) and “Sing Sing” (six nominations).

Key individual nominees include Zendaya, who earned dual recognition as an actor and producer of “Challengers,” as well as Ellis-Taylor, who got two nominations in the outstanding supporting performance category for “Nickel Boys” and “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” and Brian Tyree Henry, nominated in...

Rachel Morrison’s feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside, uses the framework of a traditional boxing drama without ever being constrained by it. Telling the true story of trailblazing boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shield, it has the fundamentals of the genre down pat, from the inspiring speeches to the robust training montages to the exhilarating fights scenes. But the nuanced script, keen-eyed direction, and a pair of powerhouse lead performances elevate the film into something richer, realer, and more moving.

We first meet Claressa (Jazmin Headley) as a stringy young kid from Flint, Michigan, walking to the local gym, where she silently stares down the boys until someone agrees to train her. That someone is Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), an affable ex-boxer who could’ve been a contender back in the day and now trains the next generation of potential champions. After putting Claressa through her paces, Jason confesses to his wife,...

Learning to take and throw a punch is one thing, but changing your whole physique to better emulate one of the most awarded athletes in the sport of boxing is a different task entirely. For Ryan Destiny, originally an R&b singer turned actress on shows like “Star” and “Grown-ish,” becoming two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in Rachel Morrison’s “The Fire Inside” was unlike any challenge she’d faced before.

“It was a lot. It was really, really exhausting, but in a good way,” Destiny said to the Los Angeles Times in a recent interview. “Because I have never pushed myself that way ever in my life before. Especially not physically. So to see my body transform from day one until actually starting was so crazy to me because I didn’t know my body could do those things that it was doing. And I built my...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences teamed up with fashion brand Chanel to bring Hollywood A-Listers together to celebrate emerging women filmmakers!

Amy Adams, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Regina King were among the stars who attended the women’s luncheon at the Academy Museum on Tuesday (December 10) in Los Angeles.

“Today, we celebrated the power and unity of women in film as we came together from every discipline within our industry to honor emerging women filmmakers who are inspiring the future of cinema,” Academy president Janet Yang said during her speech. “A special thank you to our partner Chanel for its generous support and shared commitment to amplifying the voices of talented women filmmakers worldwide. Together, we continue to break barriers and empower the next generation of women in our industry.”

Emilia Perez actress Selena Gomez delivered a keynote presentation and she sat in the audience alongside Ariana Grande.

‘Tis the season for sisterhood.

Los Angeles has hosted a crush of female-focused events lately, like The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment breakfast, Elle’s Women in Hollywood affair and the Women in Film Honors, all of which celebrate the gender’s impact both in front of and behind the camera. But the latest installment, a fashionable affair situated on the deck of the Academy Museum’s stunning open-air sphere on Tuesday, was the only one presented by Chanel in partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Meaning that many of the A-list attendees who made the rounds inside the afternoon gathering were dressed in chic threads by the French fashion house and the guest list featured high-profile actresses, directors, producers, writers, agents and other creative insiders.

There also happened to be a couple of recently nominated multi-hyphenates like Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, whose sisterly interactions...

Ariana Grande really wants to get to know Selena Gomez more.

So much so that she asked to sit with the “Emilia Pérez” star at the Academy Women’s Luncheon on Tuesday at the Academy Museum.

“I respect her so much, and I’ve always adored her,” the “Wicked” star told me. “I was really happy for her to see us on that list together. It was very special.”

That list is the Golden Globe list of nominees for best performance by a female actor in a supporting role in any motion picture. Grande and Gomez were nominated alongside Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist”), Margaret Qualley (“The Substance”), Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”) and Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”).

Grande was one of the first people Gomez heard from after the nominations were announced on Monday. “Ariana texted me and it was the sweetest note and it was about six in the morning,” Gomez told me,...

Enter our contest by following the link at the bottom of this page for your chance to win a pair passes to a preview of the new film The Fire Inside on Wednesday, December 18 2024 at 7:00pm at the Mjr Troy theater!

Synopsis: The Fire Inside is the inspirational true story of Claressa Shields, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.

About The Film

Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport Cast: Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry Director: Rachel Morrison Screenplay: Barry Jenkins Producer: Elishia Holmes, p.g.a., Barry Jenkins,...

Detroit – The Michigan Movie Critics Guild (Mmcg) has announced its winners for the best films and performances of 2024. Anora was named best picture, and lead actress Mikey Madison received the guild’s best actress award and was honored as the year’s breakthrough performance; Anora also received the guild’s best screenplay award. Honors also went to The Brutalist for Brady Corbet’s direction as well as the performances of Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, who were honored as best actor and best supporting actor, respectively. Wicked’s Ariana Grande was named best supporting actress, and the papal drama Conclave was recognized for its ensemble. The guild also voted to include cinematography as a new category in 2025.

The Mmcg is a collective of film critics who are committed to enhancing the conversation about cinema and further establishing the state’s reputation as a film-loving community. This year’s group is composed of fifteen critics,...

Detroit – The Michigan Movie Critics Guild (Mmcg) is thrilled to announce its nominees for the best films and performances of 2024. The winners will be announced on the guild’s social media channels at noon on Monday, December 9, 2024.

The Mmcg is a collective of film critics who are committed to enhancing the conversation about cinema and further establishing the state’s reputation as a film-loving community. This year’s group is composed of fifteen critics, who cover films for a variety of outlets across the state. From websites to newspapers and podcasts to YouTube, they capture the diversity of the field and bring a range of expertise, outlooks, and tastes.

The Mmcg Award for Film Excellence is an award presented to a filmmaker, writer, actor, crew member etc. who has Michigan ties or to a film made or set in Michigan.

Anora, The Brutalist, and Wicked tied for the most nominees,...

Cinematographer now turned director Rachel Morrison knows a thing to two about managing an impressive feat and breaking boundaries as a woman. In 2018, Morrison, best known for her work on Fruitvale Station and Black Panther, became the first female cinematographer ever nominated for an Academy Award. Reflecting on garnering her nomination for Netflix’s Mudbound, she acknowledges the hoops women in the industry have to go through. “Cinematography is a craft that nobody pictures women in. So I’m used to being the exception to the rule,” Morrison says,” Realizing [that] so many women actually can relate to this idea of it’s not enough to be good at the thing you do. You have to present a certain way and carry yourself a certain way.”

It makes sense then that Morrison’s first foray into feature film directing, following a stint of TV directorial debuts for American Crime Story, The Mandalorian and The Morning Show,...

David Rooney Almost invariably when we start digging into our annual chat about the most memorable performances of the year, I look at my notes and find the women far outnumber the men. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t outstanding work from male actors, but several women pulled off astonishing high-wire acts that I’m still thinking about, in some cases many months after seeing the films.

At the top of the heap, I’d have to put Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s snarling turn in Hard Truths, her reunion with Secrets & Lies director Mike Leigh. Her Pansy is on constant alert in early scenes, ready to flare up with rage at the slightest annoyance, and Jean-Baptiste pushes her sourness to frequently comic heights. But almost imperceptibly, with only the subtlest softening, the actress starts to engage our empathy. She forces us to reckon with Pansy’s bone-deep weariness, her...

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Sean Baker’s Anora and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow lead the Film Independent Spirit Awards 2025 film nominees, with Shōgun topping the list of television nominees. On the film side, Anora and I Saw the TV Glow collected six nominations, followed by Didi with four and Janet Planet, The Apprentice, and Sing Sing with three.

Shōgun scored five Spirit Awards TV nominations, with Baby Reindeer and English Teacher earning four nominations each.

“Since we held our first ceremony in 1985 at a restaurant on La Cienega to last year’s show when viewers around the world joined us at the Santa Monica Beach to celebrate the work of so many artists, Film Independent has continued to support independent filmmakers and enable them to achieve their vision at every stage of their career,” stated Josh Welsh,...

Growing up in Mill Valley, Monica Barbaro played piano, flute, violin, guitar and ukulele. But not for very long — and not particularly well. “I started piano five times and tried to teach myself some guitar and some ukulele,” says Barbaro, who plays Joan Baez in “A Complete Unknown.” “I always wanted to play cello, but in school, when I said that, my friend laughed at me, and she was doing violin so, like the scared little kid I was, I took violin. And I hated it, the sound of those high-pitched notes right up in my ear.”

In other words, Barbaro was essentially starting from scratch when it came to playing a professional musician on screen.

She’s not alone. Ryan Destiny had “zero” boxing experience before playing two-time Olympic champion Claressa Shields in “The Fire Inside.” In fact, while Destiny is an actor, a singer and a dancer, one...

This morning saw the announcements of the 40th edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The big picture nominees include titles like the film festival darling The Substance, as well as Anora, which is getting high accolades for Mikey Madison‘s performance and Sean Baker’s writing and direction. A24 would naturally snag a ton of nominations that total a whopping 19. This beats last year’s 11-nomination count.

The Independent Spirit Awards will be taking place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, and is set to be held at Santa Monica beach. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant will return as the host. The in-person ceremony will be available to stream live on IMDb and Film Independent YouTube channels, and across other social platforms. You can find the full list of nominations, courtesy of Deadline, below.

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan...

Nominations for the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards are in!

The awards show celebrates films budgeted at less than $30 million to produce and must be considered “independent.” There are also TV categories!

For the films, Anora and I Saw the TV Glow got six nominations each. Shogun got the most TV nominations with five total.

The show will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, with Aidy Bryant hosting.

Keep reading to find out more…

Scroll down for the full list of nominees…

Best Feature

Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys

Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing

Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

The Substance

Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner

Best First Feature

Dìdi

Director/Producer: Sean Wang

Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters...

Sean Baker’s Anora and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw The TV Glow lead the 2025 Independent Spirit Award nominations with six each.

Both films were nominated in best feature, best director, best lead performance, best supporting performance and the producers award while I Saw The TV Glow also picked up best screenplay.

Sean Wang’s Didilanded four nominations including best first feature and best first screenplay. The Apprentice is up for three awards – best directing, best editing and best lead performance for Sebastian Stan.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Santa Monica on February 22, 2025.

Earlier this week...

Wow… has it really been 40 years? It sure has, and that’s a reason to celebrate! From our first year at a restaurant on La Cienega Blvd. to a worldwide live stream, the Film Independent Spirit Awards have grown a lot.

That first year the awards, then called the Findie (Friends of Independents) Awards, awarded both Marty & Joel Coen the Best Director prize. Since then, we’ve celebrated artists like Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler, Whit Stillman, Robert Rodriguez and Kasi Lemmons, among many, many others. Next month on the blog, we’ll take deep dive into all the history of the awards, so make sure to check back with us to read all about the last 40 years of the Spirit Awards!

This year, we’re headed back to the beach in Santa Monica with returning host and Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant. The show, which will be held at the beach in Santa Monica,...

“Anora,” the free-wheeling tale of a sex worker who becomes entangled with the family of a Russian oligarch, and “I Saw the TV Glow,” a horror film about two teenagers whose obsession with a show causes them to lose grip on reality, dominated the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Wednesday, picking up six nods apiece. Both movies are up for best feature, competing against the body horror film, “The Substance,” as well as “Nickel Boys” and “Sing Sing,” dramas that deal with different aspects of the criminal justice system.

This year the Spirit Awards Film nominating committees said the movies it considered ranged in budget from $112,000 to $28 million. Those budgetary caps don’t apply to the shows that the Spirits recognized, such as “Shōgun,” a lavish historical epic that topped all series with five nominations, including one for best new scripted series. To be eligible, TV shows only have to...

Nominations have been revealed for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on February 22. The film nominations were led by “Anora” and “I Saw the TV Glow” with six each. In the television categories, “Shōgun” garnered the most nominations with five, followed closely by “Baby Reindeer” and “English Teacher” with four apiece. Watch the announcement here and see the full list below.

Julio Torres did well here with four nominations across his feature directorial debut “Problemista” and Max series “Fantasmas.” Indies like “Dídi,” “Janet Planet,” “Sing Sing,” “Ghostlight,” “The People’s Joker,” “In the Summers,” “The Substance,” and “Nickel Boys” also had a good day, racking up multiple nominations across the board. Netflix enjoys multiple nods, for “The Piano Lesson” and “His Three Daughters,” two movies poised to enter into the Oscar race.

The 2024 Spirit Award winners were led by “Past Lives,” “The Holdovers,” and “American Fiction,...

The 40th edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards unveiled nominations this morning, nominating Neon’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora, A24’s I Saw the TV Glow, Amazon MGM Studios’ Nickel Boys, A24’s Sing Sing and Mubi’s Demi Moore body-swap horror movie The Substance for Best Feature.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow equally lead all noms with six apiece. The Sean Baker-directed Anora landed Best Feature, Best Lead Performance (Mikey Madison), two Best Supporting Performance noms (Yuri Borisov and Karren Karagulian), Best Director, and the Producers Award.

I Saw the TV Glow, which made its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year, is quite the shocker, busting into the Best Feature category as it arguably hasn’t been on the lips of any awards prognosticator this year. The Jane Schoenbrun-directed-and-written drama horror title follows a teenager who is just trying to make...

The 40th Annual Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced live on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:00am Pacific/10:00am Eastern on Film Independent’s YouTube channel. Scroll down for the full list of contenders, and find out who wins during a ceremony hosted by comedian Aidy Bryant on Feb. 22, 2025.

The Spirit Awards honor the best achievements in low-budget American filmmaking and and now breakthrough TV programs as well, as decided by the members of Film Independent. The nominating committees comprised writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. Winners are chosen by film industry insiders as well as everyday film lovers who pay their yearly dues to be part of Film Independent. Members have access to Film Independent’s exclusive nominee screening room online, as well as a number of awards season experiences including special screenings and Q&As.

Film Independent...

Nominees for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards — the premiere awards event for the independent film and television community — were announced on Wednesday morning, and FX’s Shōgun led the TV pack with five total contenders.

It was followed closely by Netflix’s Baby Reindeer and FX’s English Teacher, each of which netted four nods.

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Awards season is chugging right along. Next up are the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which honor the best and brightest in indie cinema and television. To qualify, a film's budget must not exceed $30 million, which means major blockbusters like Wicked and Gladiator II are, obviously, out of the running.

This year,...

The stars are kicking off awards season in New York City!

Zendaya, Sebastian Stan, Angelina Jolie, Colman Domingo, and Nicole Kidman stepped out for the 2024 The Gothams Film Awards on Monday evening (December 2) held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

39 feature films and 25 performances are nominated in 10 categories for outstanding and breakthrough performances, films, director, and screenplay.

The event is also honoring Zendaya with The Gothams Spotlight Tribute, Angelina with the Performer Tribute, Timothee Chalamet & James Mangold with the Visionary Tribute, the cast of Sing Sing with the Social Justice Tribute, Denis Villeneuve with the Director Tribute and the cast of The Piano Lesson with the Ensemble Tribute.

We have now compiled photos of the stars in attendance so that you can see what everyone wore!

Keep reading to find out more…Keep scrolling to see the stars in attendance…

Adam Pearson

Fyi: Adam is wearing a Dior suit.

“A Different Man” was named the best independent film of the year at the 2024 Gotham Awards, which took place on Monday night in New York City.

The win for the drama starring Sebastian Stan came as a surprise at the end of a show in which “Nickel Boys” and “Sing Sing” had been the big winners, and in which “Anora” came in with the most nominations but left empty-handed.

In the gender-neutral acting categories, Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin won the lead and supporting awards for “Sing Sing.” Domingo’s category also included Pamela Anderson for “The Last Showgirl,” Nicole Kidman for “Babygirl,” Marianne Jean-Baptiste for “Hard Truths” and Mikey Madison for “Anora,” while Maclin’s included Yura Borisov for “Anora,” Guy Pearce for “The Brutalist,” Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain” and Danielle Deadwyler for “Nickel Boys.”

“Nickel Boys” star Brandon Wilson won the award for breakthrough actor, while that film’s director,...

A24’s “A Different Man” won best feature at the 2024 Gotham Awards Monday night at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

Meanwhile, “Sing Sing” swept the acting categories, with Colman Domingo winning for best lead performance and Clarence Maclin for best supporting performance.

Each category for nominations is decided by a different jury of critics, journalists and other industry professionals, and screening links must be provided to all its jury members. An entirely different group determines the winners. That’s in contrast with the Oscars or the BAFTAs, which are determined by actors, filmmakers and other artists who are in the entertainment industry.

In addition to the nominees, the Gothams bestowed special tributes to some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Oscar winner Angelina Jolie (Performer Tribute) for “Maria,” Emmy winner Zendaya (Spotlight Tribute) for “Challengers,” Timothée Chalamet and James Mangold (Visionary Tribute) for “A Complete Unknown,” and the...

Tonight, New York City celebrated the finest in entertainment with the 2024 Gotham Awards. It’s the first step on the long road to the Oscars and finally giving awards watchers something to live for. Though the Gothams focus on independent movies, the Gotham Awards give us some sense of what...

Rhenzy Feliz walked into West Hollywood’s Soho House Holloway on Wednesday for The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen bash in partnership with Instagram and Waymo, posed for a couple of photos and then managed to perfectly capture the spirit of the celebration in a few short sentences.

“We’re surrounded by so many people who really care about this thing,” explained The Penguin breakout of this thing called entertainment. “People who are passionate about what we’re doing and the future of what it might look like. It’s exciting to even be a part of the conversation.”

Over the actor’s shoulder, there were plenty of exciting conversations happening between creatives, creators, executives and actors, all of whom had been singled out as the future of Hollywood by this publication as part of the annual (and coveted) Next Gen lists. There’s the 31st annual tally of the...