In her first outing as host of the Independent Spirit Awards, SNL alum Ego Nwodim dedicated her politics-free opening monologue to covering a wide range of topics, even finding time to pitch a Menace II Society sequel and give out her own personal award to one of Ben Affleck’s past films.
Joking that the event feels “like the Bad Bunny bowl,” Nwodim officially kicked off her monologue after traipsing on camera through the entirety of the Hollywood Palladium.
“I am getting my steps in,” the comedian joked. “Should have worn my damn Fitbit. This is a long walk, for real.”
Nwodim continued, “Welcome to the 41st annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. What a gorgeous day it is to be inside at an awards show, and how fitting it is for a room full of indie filmmakers. The only time y’all are getting sun is when you need it for b-roll.”
Urging the filmmakers in the room to “get out of that editing bay every once in a while,” as they’re looking “Vitamin D deficient,” she joked, “I cannot relate because I’m getting D all the time.”
“But you know what they say,” Nwodim continued. “If you look a little sick, the movie gonna hit.”
Noting that this is the first installment of the Spirit Awards to take place at the Palladium in 32 years, Nwodim shared, “In the spirit of independent filmmaking, we don’t have a permit. So I need everyone to stay alert, act casual, and move fast. If I shout ‘Cameras down,’ y’all know what to do: Scatter and look like you’re waiting for the bus.”
For some in the room, she said, “that might be the hardest role of your career.”
The last time the Spirit Awards came to Hollywood, Nwodim said, was 1994 — the year Menace II Society won for best cinematography. “You know, I actually wrote a sequel to Menace II Society, but nobody wants to greenlight it,” she said. “And no, it’s not Menace III Society; I’m not a dumbass. It’s Menace II Society 2.”
Nwodim “figured this would be a good room to pitch to” because “A lot of y’all got that Nobu money. As in if someone asks you if you got money, you say, ‘No, boo.’”
Pivoting to discussion of the films nominated, Nwodim noted a theme — that multiple take place in the course of one day. “In Peter Hujar’s Day, Ben Whishaw takes eight phone calls and does a photo shoot. But in One of Them Days, Keke Palmer and SZA raced through L.A. to hunt down a mistress, apply for a loan, donate blood, get stuck on a telephone pole, get evicted, escape a fire, and get a bas guy thrown in jail,” she explained. “Apparently, even in movies, Black women have to do twice as much. That shit ain’t right.”
Nwodim said she plans to rectify that, however, when she makes her movie Ego Nwodim’s Day.
“I’m going to shoot it on my iPhone and it’s just going to be me in an Epsom salt bubble bath with some candles listening to Luther Vandross,” she explained. “And when y’all give me my award, I hope it’s Cher who presents it to me because I’d love to hear her try to say my name.”
(Nwodim was referring to a recent incident at the Grammys, when Cher accidentally announced Luther Vandross as winner of Record of the Year.)
“I love when movies have an independent spirit, but that’s where I draw the line,” Nwodim said subsequently. “An independent spirit is not what I’m looking for in a man, okay? I don’t want an indie darling. I’m looking for a big-budget blockbuster to put in this box office. Damn, it’s been a long time since I had a box office smash.”
In any case, Nwodim said, pivoting back to the films, she was impressed by the “incredible projects” of the last year that “tackled heart-wrenching, gut-punching topics like searching for hope in dark times, rebuilding after tragedy, and most importantly, how awkward it can be for white guys to make friends with other white guys.”
Nwodim thanked Andrew DeYoung, director of A24’s Tim Robinson comedy Friendship, for “holding space” for the latter topic.
Continued the host, “It was incredible to see the work of everyone in this room today, especially those I was less familiar with, which was honestly all of you.”
Of course, this isn’t anyone’s fault, she clarified, as “there’s only one movie I really truly love — and that’s Ben Affleck’s The Town.“
Nwodim was disappointed to see The Town snubbed at today’s ceremony, despite it being a major stuio film that came out in 2010. So she decided to take matters into her own hands, giving The Town a new award for Best Movie None of Y’All Made.
“Since nobody knew this was happening and Rebecca Hall is here for other movies, I will be accepting on its behalf. Rebecca, girl, we did it!” said Nwodim.
Nwodim went on to reiterate that she has “so much respect for the creators” in the room, who are “making art just for the love of it, which is the only way to do it nowadays because this industry is a mess.”
Last week, she joked, “I saw a 12-year-old snatching wigs off ladies’ heads on TikTok, and one week later, that same little boy was cast in the new season of White Lotus. Meanwhile, I’m over here learning Meisner — and for what?”
“Seriously though,” Nwodim continued, “we are truly living through some incredibly heartbreaking times, but it is deeply inspiring to be amongst artists like all of you who have dedicated your lives to locking in instead of tuning out. So thank you all. It may feel impossible to see the light right now, but I’m deeply grateful to all of you for helping us understand who we are in the midst of chaos and reminding us of what we can achieve with just a little bit of empathy and bravery.”
Throwing back to an earlier joke in winding down, the host said, “I say all of that to say, ‘Cameras down!’ See, that was a test. Told y’all to be ready.”
Nwodim takes over the reins as Spirit Awards host from her fellow SNL alum Aidy Bryant, who hosted the last two editions. Peter Hujar’s Day, Ira Sachs’ drama centered on conversations between the eponymous photographer and writer Linda Rosenkrantz, leads all films in nominations with five. We were first to report on the ceremony moving to the Palladium from its longtime hub in Santa Monica amid renovations for the 2028 Olympics, which are set to take place in Los Angeles.
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