‘The Farewell’ Leads Sundance-Supported Independent Spirit Award Winners

Virginia Yapp

Lulu Wang’s moving drama, The Farewell, came out of last year’s Sundance Film Festival with major buzz—and this past Saturday, the film’s fairytale journey came to an end when the writer/director took to the stage to accept the Best Feature statue at the Independent Spirit Awards. Fittingly, Wang dedicated the award to her grandmother, Nai Nai, who inspired the film’s script, as well as her parents.

“I’m sorry, Mom and Dad, for putting all of your baggage out there, but thank you,” she quipped during the ceremony in Santa Monica, where The Farewell’s Zhao Shuzhen also took home the Best Supporting Female prize.


More from Sundance.org

Sundance Institute Honors Lulu Wang with Vanguard Award at LA Premiere of ‘The Farewell’

Congratulations to Golden Globe Nominees Awkwafina, Emma Thompson, and More


But The Farewell wasn’t the only Sundance-supported title to take home a big prize this past weekend: Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s American Factory, produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, took home Best Documentary Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards.

And finally, writer/director/producer Rashaad Ernesto Green took home the Spirit Awards’ Someone to Watch Award for Premature, his acclaimed romantic comedy starring Zora Howard and Joshua Boone.


Next up, see our full recap of this year’s Festival and its films, from The Truffle Hunters to Palm Springs to Never Rarely Sometimes Always.

News title Lorem Ipsum

Donate copy lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapib.