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Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ‘The Lost Daughter’ was among the big winners at the Film Independent Spirit Awards 2022.

The 44-year-old star’s directional debut, an adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, took home Best Feature, Best Director and Best Screenplay at the prestigious ceremony at Santa Monica Pier on Sunday night (06.03.22).

A teary Maggie said in her speech: “You were the first people to tell me I was a director.

“Thank you to Netflix – I can’t even believe this – for your support. Nobody ever makes their first movie and comes out loving their financiers.

“I love independent film.

“I grew up making independent film.”

Japanese drama ‘Drive My Car’, co-written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, scooped Best International Film.

Best Female Lead went to Taylour Paige for her titular role as a Detroit waitress in the American black comedy crime film ‘Zola’, while the flick also won Best Editing.

Simon Rex won the Male Lead accolade for his turn as washed-up porn star Mikey Saber in the comedy-drama ‘Red Rocket’.

Andrew Garfield presented the special honour of the night, the Robert Altman Award, to pal Fran Kranz for his directional debut ‘Mass’.

The 38-year-old actor – who starred alongside Fran in the Broadway show ‘Death of a Salesman’ in 2012 – said: “The Robert Altman Award is named after a legendary filmmaker held in the highest esteem by actors because of the rich performances that populated in his movies. Every ensemble piece that follows owes him a great debt.”

The ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ star said he was “incredibly impressed with what he’s done with this film, which happens to be his directorial debut, which is insane.”

Fran began his speech by sharing how inspired he was by Andrew.

He said: “I thought about that time often while making this movie.”

Receiving the honour – which is awarded to the director, casting director, and ensemble cast of films each year in memory of the legendary late filmmaker – is a full-circle moment for Fran, who as a boy was “kicked out” of the premiere of Altman’s ‘Shortcuts’ movie by his parents.

The 40-year-old filmmaker continued: “I was kicked out of the Venice Film Festival’s premiere of Robert Altman’s ‘Shortcuts’. I was 12 years old, and my family was on vacation in Italy … and right before the lights went down they were like, ‘This is a kid, he can’t watch this.’

“I always wondered, who is this Robert Altman guy and what could’ve possibly been in that movie? … I saw it and I know exactly why they kicked me out of there. I saw new definition and depth to the ideas behind acting and ensemble. I saw how different experiences can somehow still be shared human experience.

“I confirmed my suspicion that Robert Altman and his films were among the gold standard of what we were all trying to do here.”

On what he hoped to achieve with the moving flick about grief, he added: “It’s not an easy film to celebrate. I wanted to demand a new kind of attention on the pain grief built around this country but also the need to heal and present a new way of looking at one another, seeing one another, speaking to another and maybe find some state of grace in one another.”

Husband-and-wife comedy duo Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally hosted the ceremony.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards Film winners:

Robert Altman Award

‘Mass’

Best Supporting Female

Ruth Negga, ‘Passing’

Best Screenplay

Maggie Gyllenhaal, ‘The Lost Daughter’

Best Editing

Joi McMillon, ‘Zola’

Best First Feature

‘7 Days’