Film Independent Head Talks Spirit Awards Ceremony, Future Plans

It’s only February, but 2025 has already been quite a year for the Spirit Awards. The nonprofit organization that runs it, Film Independent (FIND), is celebrating the ceremony’s 40th anniversary just weeks after devastating Los Angeles fires, the Dec. 31 passing of its longtime president Josh Welsh after his five-year battle with colon cancer, and the Feb. 5 appointment of Brenda Robinson as his acting replacement and Eric d’Arbeloff as acting board chair.

“It felt like a double punch: starting off the year with the loss of Josh, and then days later being focused on making sure that our employees were safe,” says Robinson, who estimates that more than 20% of staffers were affected by the Los Angeles fires. Bottled water and KN95 masks left over from the pandemic were distributed to them in FIND’s lobby after stores ran out of them. Considering indie film’s continuing box office slump on top of the struggles of the impacted filmmakers, the Spirit Awards are taking on even greater importance as the org’s biggest annual fundraiser.

The ceremony is being held Saturday, Feb.22 at 2pm PT at the beach in Santa Monica, and will stream live on IMDb and Film Independent’s YouTube channels. Robinson says, “We’re thinking creatively about how we will honor Josh in the most magnificent way, at an event that highlights a lot of the impact that he had as a leader. We will have a moment in the show where we’ll acknowledge his work and his impact.” The show’s executive producer, Shawn Davis, is also working with her to create a memorable 40th anniversary tribute that will honor the Spirit Awards’ history and impact.

While the usual comedic tone of the Spirits might seem to be at odds with recent events, returning host Aidy Bryant says it’s just what the audience needs. “This has been a brutal year for so many people, so I really hope to give them a bit of fun and a chance to just laugh,” she explains. “I think…