Why 2019 Independent Spirit Awards Go Beyond the Oscar Game

The Independent Spirit Awards take place a day before the Academy Awards, and in some cases, Spirit nominees get a chance to rehearse their speeches around the corner. In recent years, however, the Spirit Awards have become less about the state of the Oscar race and more of a window into the range of independent films released over the past year.

The 2019 nominees are no exception — for the most part. While major frontrunners in the Oscar race didn’t make the cut, there are a few key players who stand a good chance at staying in the game as the season continues. In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson read the tea leaves, while celebrating the inclusion of some films with no chance of Oscar glory. (If you aren’t familiar with the Cassavetes nominees, here’s a good place to start.) They also touch on “Green Book,” which opens over Thanksgiving in the wake of mixed reviews and an uncertain future, alongside “Creed II.”

Listen to the full episode below.

Screen Talk is available on iTunes.

You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your feedback with Thompson and Kohn on Twitter or sound off in the comments. Browse previous installments here, review the show on  and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk. Check out the rest of IndieWire’s podcasts on iTunes right here.