Michaela Jae ‘MJ’ Rodriguez put on a very leggy display at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday.
The Pose star, 31, donned a flower-inspired burgundy halter neck mini dress, with layers of tulle styled into blooming petals.
The Newark-born entertainer – who became the first transgender woman to receive a Golden Globe last year – paired the bright look with gold strappy heels.
Rodriguez wore her black tresses parted in the middle and cascading down her back in a straight style.
As for glam, the Tick, Tick… Boom! star matched the thrilling dress with a pink shade of eyeshadow and a touch of blush.
Leggy! Michaela Jae Rodriguez put on a very leggy display at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday
Floral dream: The Pose star, 31, donned a flower-inspired burgundy halter neck mini dress, with layers of tulle styled into blooming petals
Rodriguez accessorized the look with gold hoops and a number of rings.
While at the event, the beauty posed for a glamorous portrait at the IMDb Portrait Studio, showing off her spectacular look.
The star was later seen presenting alongside Fire Island actor Joel Kim Booster, 35, at the ceremony.
Booster looked handsome as ever in a beige jacket over a blue button-up.
The 38th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were held at the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, March 4, with comedian Hasan Minhaj hosting.
The nominations were officially announced late last year in November, and the awards ceremony is notably known for bringing ‘together top talent from throughout the world of film and television,’ according to the official website.
This year, the awards show will only be available to view via streaming, and will not air live on IFC, a first since 1997, reported Variety.
Instead, fans and audiences can easily tune in to watch the beachside festivities on IMDB’s YouTube Channel, as well as the Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter pages.
Chic: The Newark-born entertainer – who became the first transgender woman to receive a Golden Globe last year – paired the bright look with gold strappy heels
Chic: Rodriguez wore her black tresses parted in the middle and cascading down her back in a straight style, and accessorized the look with gold hoops and a number of rings
Glam: As for glam, the Tick, Tick… Boom! star matched the thrilling dress with a pink shade of eyeshadow and a touch of blush
From the back: Rodriguez showed off the fun and bright ensemble from the back
Lovely: The star posed for a glamorous portrait at the event against a pale pink background
Some of the top categories include Best Feature, Best Director, and also Best New Scripted Series.
The Spirit Awards have also installed new gender-neutral categories, combining both male and female actors for Best Lead and Supporting Performances in film and television.
Josh Welsh, who is the current Film Independent President, told Variety that, ‘It’s something we’ve been talking about for probably three years.’
Another honor given out during the annual ceremony is the John Cassavetes Award, which is presented to a creative team for a film that was budgeted at less than $1,000,000. The nominees include The African Desperate, The Cathedral, Holy Emy, A Love Song and Something In The Dirt.
Best Feature nominees are: Bones And All, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Our Father The Devil, Tár and Women Talking.
Best Leading Performance nominees include Cate Blanchett, Dale Dickey, Mia Goth, Regina Hall, Paul Mescal, Aubrey Plaza, Jeremy Pope, Andrea Riseborough, Taylor Russell and Michelle Yeoh.
In the television category, Best New Scripted Series nominees are: The Bear, The Porter, Severance, Station Eleven and Pachinko.
The Independent Spirit Awards were officially launched in 1984, and they also act as a fundraiser for the independent film and television community.
Onstage: The star was later seen presenting alongside Fire Island actor Joel Kim Booster, 35, at the ceremony. Booster looked handsome as ever in a beige jacket
2023 Independent Spirit Awards Nominees
Best Feature
Bones And All
Everything Everywhere All At Once-WINNER
Our Father, The Devil
Tár
Women Talking
Best Director
Todd Field – Tár
Kogonada – After Yang
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once-WINNER
Sarah Polley – Women Talking
Halina Reijn – Bodies Bodies Bodies
Best First Feature
Aftersun-WINNER
Emily The Criminal
The Inspection
Murina
Palm Trees And Power Lines
Best Lead Performance
Cate Blanchett – Tár
Dale Dickey – A Love Song
Mia Goth – Pearl
Regina Hall – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Paul Mescal – Aftersun
Aubrey Plaza – Emily The Criminal
Jeremy Pope – The Inspection
Andrea Riseborough – To Leslie
Taylor Russell – Bones And All
Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All At Once-WINNER
Best Supporting Performance
Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Brian Tyree Henry – Causeway
Nina Hoss – Tár
Brian d’Arcy James – The Cathedral
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All At Once — WINNER
Trevante Rhodes – Bruiser
Theo Rossi – Emily The Criminal
Mark Rylance – Bones And All
Jonathan Tucker – Palm Trees And Power Lines
Gabrielle Union – The Inspection
Best Screenplay
Lena Dunham – Catherine Called Birdy
Todd Field – Tár
Kogonada – After Yang
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All At Once — WINNER
Sarah Polley – Women Talking
Best First Screenplay
Joel Kim Booster – Fire Island
Jamie Dack and Audrey Findlay, story by Jamie Dack – Palm Trees And Power Lines
K.D. Dávila – Emergency
Sarah DeLappe, story by Kristen Roupenian – Bodies Bodies Bodies
John Patton Ford – Emily the Criminal — WINNER
Best New Scripted Series
The Bear — WINNER
Pachinko
The Porter
Severance
Station Eleven
Best Lead Performance In A New Scripted Series
Aml Ameen – The Porter
Mohammed Amer – Mo
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary-Winner
Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere
KaMillion – Rap Sh!t
Himesh Patel – Station Eleven
Sue Ann Pien – As We See It
Adam Scott – Severance
Ben Whishaw – This Is Going To Hurt
Best Cinematography
Florian Hoffmeister – Tár — WINNER
Hélène Louvart – Murina
Gregory Oke – Aftersun
Eliot Rockett – Pearl
Anisia Uzeyman – Neptune Frost
Best Editing
Dean Fleischer Camp and Nick Paley – Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
Ricky D’Ambrose – The Cathedral
Blair McClendon – Aftersun
Paul Rogers – Everything Everywhere All At Once — WINNER
Monika Willi – Tár
John Cassavetes Award
The African Desperate
The Cathedral-WINNER
Holy Emy
A Love Song
Something In The Dirt
Robert Altman Award
Women Talking-WINNER
Best Documentary
All That Breathes
All The Beauty And The Bloodshed — WINNER
A House Made Of Splinters
Midwives
Riotsville, USA
Best International Film
Corsage – Austria, Belgium, UK, France, Italy, Luxembourg
Joyland – Pakistan, USA — WINNER
Leonor Will Never Die – Philippines
Return To Seoul – Belgium, France, Romania, South Korea
Saint Omer – France
Producers Award
Liz Cardenas
Tory Lenosky-WINNER
David Grove Churchill Viste
Someone To Watch Award
Adamma Ebo – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Nikyatu Jusu – Nanny — WINNER
Araceli Lemos – Holy Emy
Truer Than Fiction Award
Isabel Castro – Mija
Reid Davenport – I Didn’t See You There — WINNER
Rebeca Huntt – Beba
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
Pachinko – Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Inji Jeong, Minha Kim, Kaho Minami, Lee Minho, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Anna Sawai, Jimmi Simpson, and Yuh-jung Youn — WINNER
Best New Non-Scripted Or Documentary Series
Children Of The Underground
Mind Over Murder
Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?
The Rehearsal — WINNER
We Need To Talk About Cosby
Best Supporting Performance In A New Scripted Series
Danielle Deadwyler – Station Eleven
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear — WINNER
Jeff Hiller – Somebody Somewhere
Gbemisola Ikumelo – A League Of Their Own
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear
Frankie Quiñones – This Fool
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
Molly Shannon – I Love That For You
Tramell Tillman – Severance
Best Breakthrough Performance
Frankie Corio – Aftersun
Garcija Filipovic – Murina
Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All At Once — WINNER
Lily McInerny – Palm Trees and Power Lines
Daniel Zolghadri – Funny Pages
