Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter, a drama about the challenges and taboos surrounding motherhood, was named the year’s best indie film at the Spirit Awards on Sunday.
Gyllenhaal—until now primarily known as an actress in films such as The Dark Knight and Secretary—also won prizes for best screenplay and best director, for her debut effort in both fields.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards honor low- and mid-budget movies, and the glitzy gala held at Santa Monica beach near Los Angeles could provide a much-needed boost for smaller films like Gyllenhaal’s ahead of this month’s Oscars.
The Lost Daughter, based on Elena Ferrante’s novel, is in the running for three Academy Awards including best actress for Olivia Colman, who plays a mother estranged from her children and harboring guilt for her failings in raising them.
“My film is in an unusual language—it’s the language of the minds of women,” said Gyllenhaal, before dedicating her final prize for best feature to “women in film.”
While only films made for less than $22.5 million can compete for Spirit Awards, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars turned out for the event, and streaming giant Netflix emerged as the day’s big winner with six awards.
Beyond the honors for The Lost Daughter, Netflix earned two prizes for 1920s race drama Passing,” including best supporting actress for Ruth Negga, and one for South Korean smash hit series Squid Game.