by Walter G. Tarrow

For those who care, Oscar turns 90 on Sunday, March 4. 

But every year for the past 33 years, the day before the Academy Awards, the real filmmakers are feted at the Independent Spirit Awards. These “independent” films are made on smaller budgets from smaller studios and production companies and are often first, or early films, from filmmakers just starting in the business.

Sadly, more often than not, these films receive limited release in theaters and go unnoticed by mainstream America. Thankfully, in this age of video and streaming services like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, they have a second chance at being discovered and appreciated, as is their due.

This year 2018 the winners of the Spirit Awards are:

• Best feature – “Get Out”

• Best first feature – “Ingrid Goes West”

• Best female lead – Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

• Best male lead – Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”

• Best supporting female – Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”

• Best supporting male – Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”

• Best director – Jordan Peele, “Get Out”

• Best screenplay – Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”

• Best first screenplay – Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani, “The Big Sick”

• Best cinematography – Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, “Call Me by Your Name”

• Best editing – Tatiana S. Riegel, “I, Tonya”

• Best documentary – “Faces Places”

• Best international film – “A Fantastic Woman”

However, many other worthy films, unfortunately not recipients of a major award, deserve to be seen and warrant their time on a screen, even a smaller one.

I submit, for your consideration, the following highly rated, watchable and entertaining movies from the past year which you’ve probably not seen. Again all are, or will soon be, available on video and from various streaming sources including your cable service. If you’re not sure where to find them, post me a comment and I’ll point you in their direction.

• “The Florida Project”

• “The Rider”

• “Columbus”

• “Menashe”

• “Oh Lucy!”

• “Patti Cake$”

• “Beatriz at Dinner”

• “Life and Nothing More”

• “Beach Rats”

• “The Disaster Artist”

• “Good Time”

• “Marjorie Prime”

• “Crown Heights”

• “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”

• “The Lovers”

• “Donald Cried”

• “Women Who Kill”

• “Dayveon”

• “A Ghost Story”

• “Most Beautiful Island”

• “The Transfiguration”

• “Lucky”

• “Logan Lucky”

• “I Am Not Your Negro”

• “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)”

• “A Monster Calls”

So please do yourself that favor and spend time with some of these overlooked gems. I certainly plan on doing so.