The Diary of a Teenage Girl was named best first feature at the 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday.
The film beat out James White, Manos Sucias, Mediterranea, and Songs My Brothers Taught Me. Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke and Birth of a Nation‘s Nate Parker presented the award to the film’s director, Marielle Heller.
“Sometimes a project comes along that just changes your whole life, and this project was that for me. I’ve been working on it for eight years, and I can’t believe I’m standing up here,” said Heller, who proceeded to thank her cast and crew.
The awards were handed out in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica at a ceremony hosted by Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani and Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon.
Visit THR.com/awards for complete coverage of awards season.
