the best in indie film

[Jin Wah]

The latest stop in the run-up to the Oscars is the Independent Spirit Awards, which will be held Sunday, March 6, in Santa Monica. The outdoor ceremony, which honors the best work done in the independent film world in 2021, is being hosted by married couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. And though you may not be able to join the ceremony on the beach, there are plenty of ways to watch the show from home.

The 37th Independent Spirit Awards will air live on Sunday, March 6 on IFC, with the broadcast beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. The event this year remains an early afternoon affair on the beach — and well ahead of the Oscars, which it usually precedes by a mere day. Indie film lovers without cable can watch IFC live on the following services, several of which offer free trials: Philo, fuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV, and the IFC app. For those who prefer to stream the show, the ceremony will also be available on AMC+, which has exclusive streaming rights this year.

Expected to win big in Santa Monica is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Netflix feature “The Lost Daughter,” up for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Female for Jessie Buckley. Simon Rex should also expect to take Best Male Lead for “Red Rocket,” with Taylour Paige leading the pack for Best Female Lead for “Zola,” plus supporting actors Troy Kodsur (“CODA”) and Ruth Negga (“Passing”). See IndieWire Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson’s full Spirit Awards predictions here.

Watch Independent Spirit Awards 2022 Online
Watch Spirit Awards 2022 Online
Independent Spirit Awards 2022 Live
Spirit Awards 2022 full

Last year’s Independent Spirit Awards had quite a bit of overlap with the Oscars, as indie films including “Nomadland,” “Minari,” and “Promising Young Woman” dominated both events. “Nomadland” won both Best Feature and Best Director at the Independent Spirit Awards before going on to win the equivalent categories at the Oscars. This year, more studio films are nominated for the top categories at the Oscars, inevitably rendering the Independent Spirit Awards less mainstream. But there is plenty of top-notch indie film work to honor, with films like “The Lost Daughter,” “C’mon C’mon,” and “Zola” dominating nominations. A24 has the most nominations of any distributor with 13 nods, followed by Netflix with nine and IFC Films with eight.

On the television side, there was much more overlap with the Emmy Awards, as notable shows including “Squid Game,” “The White Lotus,” “Blindspotting,” and “Reservation Dogs” picked up nominations. Last year’s big television winner was Netflix’s “Unorthodox,” which took home all three acting trophies in the TV categories.

The list of presenters is pretty stellar this year and it includes Andrew Garfield, Sam Richardson, and Bob Odenkirk, so it should be an entertaining watch. Plus, the ceremony will be held at its unconventional and fun location: in a tent on the beach just next to the Santa Monica pier.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are set to take place Sunday at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT at the Baker Hanger in Santa Monica. The annual shindig honoring the best in indie film will air live on IFC and stream for subscribers on AMC+.

This year’s show is also available for the first time at select AMC Theatres via the AMC Stubs program. In Canada, it will stream exclusively at hollywoodsuite.ca. On social media, live updates and content will be available via Film Independent (@filmindependent) and IFC (@ifc).

The ceremony is being hosted this year by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, who will preside over a show that will see winners announced in 16 competitive film categories and five in TV.

Presenters expected today include honorary chair Kristen Stewart, recenlty nominated for an Oscar for Spencer, who will be joined by Dianna Agron, Javier Bardem, Murray Bartlett, Jennifer Beals, Rosario Dawson, Daveed Diggs, Colman Domingo, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Hannah Einbinder, Bridget Everett, Andrew Garfield, Regina Hall, Lily James, Marlee Matlin, Bob Odenkirk, Sam Richardson, Rhea Seehorn, Sebastian Stan, Sydney Sweeney, Taika Waititi, Michelle Yeoh and Chloé Zhao.