The IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and who dare to challenge the status quo. Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, the Independent Spirit Awards program has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.
Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Debut Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Film, and Best Documentary.
Last year’s IFP/West Independent Spirit Award winners include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for Best Feature, Ang Lee for Best Director (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) for Best Male Lead, Ellyn Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) for Best Female Lead, Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me) for Best Screenplay, and Dancer in the Dark for Best Foreign Film. Here’s this year’s list of nominees:
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer) ^ Hedwig and the Angry Inch Producers: Christine Vachon, Katie ^ Roumel & Pamela Koffler ^ L. I. E. Producers: René Bastian, Linda Moran & Michael Cuesta ^ Memento Producers: Jennifer Todd & Suzanne Todd ^ Things Behind The Sun Producers: Daniel Hassid, Doug Mankoff, Robin Alper ^ Waking Life Producers: Anne Walker-McBay, Tommy Pallotta, Palmer West, Jonah Smith
BEST DIRECTOR ^ Michael Cuesta L. I. E. ^ Cheryl Dunye Stranger Inside ^ Richard Linklater Waking Life ^ John Cameron Mitchell Hedwig and the Angry Inch ^ Christopher Nolan Memento
BEST SCREENPLAY ^ Milo Addica & Will Rokos Monster’s Ball ^ Henry Bean The Believer ^ Rob Festinger & Todd Field In The Bedroom ^ Richard Linklater Waking Life ^ Christopher Nolan Memento
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the Director) ^ The Anniversary Party Directors: Jennifer Jason Leigh & Alan C*****g ^ The Believer Director: Henry Bean ^ Donnie Darko Director: Richard Kelly ^ Ghost World Director: Terry Zwigoff ^ In The Bedroom Director: Todd Field
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY ^ Ghost World Daniel Clowes & Terry Zwigoff ^ Donnie Darko Richard Kelly ^ The Anniversary Party Jennifer Jason Leigh & Alan C*****g ^ Hedwig and the Angry Inch John Cameron Mitchell ^ L. I. E. Stephen M. Ryder, Michael Cuesta & GeraldCuesta
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD ^ (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000) ^ (Award given to the Writer, Director, and Producer) ^ Acts of Worship Director/Writer: Rosemary Rodriguez, Producers: Nadia Leonelli, Fredrik Sundwall, Rosemary Rodriguez ^ Jackpot Director: Michael Polish, Producers/Writers: Mark Polish & Michael Polish ^ Kaaterskill Falls Directors: Josh Apter & Peter Olsen, Producers: Josh Apter & Peter Olsen ^ Punks Director/Writer: Patrik-Ian Polk, Producers: Patrik-Ian Polk, Tracey E. Edmonds, Michael McQuarn ^ Virgil Bliss Director/Writer: Joe Maggio, Producers: Joe Maggio & John Maggio
BEST DEBUT PERFORMANCE ^ (Actors in their first significant role in a feature film) ^ Paul Franklin Dano L. I. E. ^ Ana Reeder Acts of Worship ^ Clint Jordan Virgil Bliss ^ Yolonda Ross Stranger Inside ^ Ensemble: Kaaterskill Falls, Hilary Howard, Anthony Leslie, Mitchell Riggs
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ^ Davenia McFadden Stranger Inside ^ Carrie-Anne Moss Memento ^ Summer Phoenix The Believer ^ Tamara Tunie The Caveman’s Valentine ^ Uma Thurman Tape
BEST SUPPORTING MALE ^ Steve Buscemi Ghost World ^ Don Cheadle Things Behind The Sun ^ Billy Kay L. I. E. ^ Garrett Morris Jackpot ^ John C. Reilly The Anniversary Party
BEST FEMALE LEAD ^ Kim Dickens Things Behind the Sun ^ Molly Parker The Center of the World ^ Sissy Spacek In the Bedroom ^ Tilda Swinton The Deep End ^ Kerry Washington Lift
BEST MALE LEAD ^ Brian Cox L. I. E. ^ Ryan Gosling The Believer ^ Jake Gyllenhaal Donnie Darko ^ John Cameron Mitchell Hedwig and the Angry Inch ^ Tom Wilkinson In The Bedroom
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY ^ Frank G. DeMarco Hedwig and the Angry Inch ^ Peter Deming Mulholland Drive ^ W. Mott Hupfel III The American Astronaut ^ Giles Nuttgens The Deep End ^ Wally Pfister Memento
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the Director) ^ Amélie Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet ^ Amores Perros Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu ^ Lumumba Director: Raoul Peck ^ Sexy Beast Director: Jonathan Glazer ^ Together Director: Lukas Moodysson
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the Director) ^ Dogtown and Z-Boys Director: Stacy Peralta ^ Go Tigers! Director: Kenneth A. Carlson ^ Lalee’s Kin: The Legacy of Cotton Directors: Susan Froemke, Deborah Dickson, Albert Maysles ^ Promises Directors: Justine Shapiro, B.Z. Goldberg, Carlos Bolado ^ Scratch Director: Doug Pray
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD ^ Debra Eisenstadt ^ DeMane Davis & Khari Streeter ^ Mike Gilio ^ David Maquiling
DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award ^ Edet Belzberg for Children Underground ^ Sandi Simcha DuBowski for Trembling Before G-d ^ Justine Shapiro for Promises ^ B.Z. Goldberg for Promises ^ Carlos Bolado for Promises ^ Alix Lambert for The Mark of Cain ^ Monteith McCollum for Hybrid
MOTOROLA PRODUCERS AWARD ^ René Bastian and Linda Moran ^ Adrienne Gruben ^ Jasmine Kosovic ^ Nadia Leonelli
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