Independent Spirit Award Winners

FEATURE: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
MALE LEAD: Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
FEMALE LEAD: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
SUPPORTING MALE: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
SUPPORTING FEMALE: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood 
SCREENPLAY: Nightcrawler- Dan Gilroy
DOCUMENTARY: Citizenfour
INTERNATIONAL FILM: Ida
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)- Emmanuel Lubezki
FILM EDITING: Whiplash- Tom Cross
FIRST FEATURE: Nightcrawler
FIRST SCREENPLAY: Dear White People- Justin Simien
JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD: Land Ho!
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD: Chris Ohlson
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia, H!
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD: Dan Krauss, The Kill Team
SPECIAL DISTINCTION AWARD: Foxcatcher
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: Inherent Vice

Independent Spirit Awards

BEST FEATURE: 12 Years a Slave
BEST DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
BEST FIRST FEATURE: Fruitvale Station
JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD: This Is Martin Bonner
BEST MALE LEAD: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
BEST FEMALE LEAD: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
BEST SUPPORTING MALE: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
BEST SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY: Nebraska- Bob Nelson
BEST DOCUMENTARY: 20 Feet From Stardom
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM: Blue Is the Warmest Color
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: 12 Years a Slave- Sean Bobbit
BEST EDITING: Short Term 12- Nat Sanders
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: Mud

12 Years a Slave nearly fully swept the Independent Spirit Awards and hopes to become only the third film in history to win the top prize here and at tomorrows Oscar ceremony-- The Artist and Platoon are the only movie so far to accomplish that feat.  I'd say the proceedings went according to plan with the exception of Southern California suffering its worst storm in years.  Curiously, if all four acting winners today repeat tomorrow (a legitimate possibility), that would be a first.

Indie Spirit Stats

With 12 Years a Slave leading the nomination tally for the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards, and thus maintaining its "frontrunner" status, let's have a look back at the Best Feature winners at the indie kudo-fest throughout history.  Only two films have won the Best Feature prize without being nominated for any Academy Awards.  Stats below:

A Brief History of the Indie Spirit Awards

• 2013: Silver Linings Playlist- directed by David O. Russell- nominated for 8 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to Argo); won Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence.)
• 2012: The Artist- directed by Michel Hazanavicious- won 5 Oscars including Best Picture; remains only the second film to date to win both the Spirit and Oscar. Debatable rule bend to include The Artist as the Spirits' eligibility requirements state all features must be American made.
• 2011: Black Swan- directed by Darren Aronofsky- nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture; won Best Actress (Natalie Portman.)  Of Note: Oscar champ The King's Speech won the Best International Film prize at the Spirits.
• 2010: Precious- directed by Lee Daniels- nominated for 6 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to The Hurt Locker); won Supporting Actress (Mo'Nique) and Screenplay.
• 2009: The Wrestler- directed by Darren Aronofsky- nominated for 2 Oscars including Best Actor (Mickey Rourke.)
• 2008: Juno- directed by Jason Reitman- nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to No Country For Old Men); won Best Screenplay.
• 2007: Little Miss Sunshine- directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris- nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to The Departed); won Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin) and Screenplay.
• 2006: Brokeback Mountain- directed Ang Lee- nominated for 8 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to Crash); won Best Director (Lee), Screenplay and Score.
• 2005: Sideways- directed by Alexander Payne- nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to Million Dollar Baby); won Best Screenplay.
• 2004: Lost in Translation- directed by Sophia Coppola- nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King); won Screenplay.
• 2003: Far From Heaven- directed by Todd Haynes- nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Actress (Julianne Moore.)
• 2002: Memento- directed by Christopher Nolan- nominated for 2 Oscars including Best Screenplay.
• 2001: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon- directed by Ang Lee- nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to Gladiator); won Foreign Film.  Rule bend to include Crouching Tiger as the Spirits' eligibility requirements state all features must be American made.
• 2000: Election- directed by Alexander Payne- nominated for 1 Oscar (Best Screenplay.)
• 1999: Gods & Monsters- directed by Bill Condon- nominated for 3 Oscars including Best Actor (Ian McKellen); won Best Screenplay.
• 1998: The Apostle- directed by Robert Duvall- nominated for 1 Oscar (Best Actor.)
• 1997: Fargo- directed by Joel & Ethan Coen- nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to The English Patient); won Best Actress (Frances McDormand) and Screenplay.
• 1996: Leaving Las Vegas- directed by Mike Figgis- nominated for 4 Oscars including Director, Screenplay and Actress (Elisabeth Shue; won Best Actor (Nicolas Cage.)
• 1995: Pulp Fiction- directed by Quentin Tarantino- nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture (lost to Forrest Gump); won Screenplay.
• 1994: Short Cuts- directed by Robert Altman- nominated for 1 Oscar (Best Director.)
• 1993: The Player- directed by Robert Altman- nominated for 3 Oscars including Director and Screenplay.
• 1992: Rambling Rose- directed by Martha Coolidge- nominated for 2 Oscars including Best Actress (Laura Dern.)
• 1991: The Grifters- directed by Stephen Frears- nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Director, Best Actress (Anjelica Huston) and Best Supporting Actress (Annette Bening.)
• 1990: sex, lies & videotape- directed by Steven Soderbergh- nominated for 1 Oscar for Best Screenplay.
• 1989: Stand & Deliver- directed by Ramón Menéndez- nominated for 1 Oscar- Best Actor (Edward James Olmos.)
• 1988: River's Edge- directed by Tim Hunter
• 1987: Platoon- directed by Oliver Stone- Won 4 Oscars including Best Picture; nominated for 8 total Oscars; the only film to win both top prizes until The Artist.
• 1986: After Hours- directed by Martin Scorsese

Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

12 Years a Slave leads with 7 nominations.

BEST FEATURE
12 Years a Slave
All is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Blue Caprise
Concussion
Fruitvale Station
Una Noche
Wadjda 

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (given to the best feature made under $500,000)
Computer Chess
Crystal Fairy
Museum Hours
Pit Stop
This is Martin Bonner

BEST DIRECTOR
Shane Carruth, Upstream Color
J.C. Chandor, All is Lost
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Jeff Nichols, Mud
Alexander Payne, Nebraska

BEST MALE LEAD
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All is Lost 

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Gaby Hoffmann, Crystal Fairy
Brie Larson, Short Term 12
Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now 

Independent Spirit Awards

FEATURE: Silver Linings Playbook
DIRECTOR: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
ACTOR: John Hawkes, The Sessions
ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Helen Hunt, The Sessions
JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD (Best Film Under $500,000): Middle of Nowhere
FIRST FEATURE: Perks of Being a Wallflower
SCREENPLAY: Safety Not Guaranteed- Derek Connolly
FOREIGN FILM: Amour
DOCUMENTARY: The Invisible War
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Beasts of the Southern Wild- Ben Richardson

"Win on Saturday, lose on Sunday," the expression must remain from the Independent Spirit Awards which has had a stubborn and sometimes spotty history as the Oscar's also ran eternal bridesmaid.  And while many can quibble the mere idea that Silver Linings Playbook, a film fully distributed by a mini-major motion picture studio came about to the major winner at a budget reportedly higher than the $20 million cap, there goes the dirt apart of this society....all of which has a bit of blood upon them.  Whatever the summation, not a bad line-up.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Jennifer Lawrence nets her first nomination of the season for Female Lead in Silver Lining Playbook

And we're off!  Summer sleeper Moonrise Kingdom and potential fall sleeper Silver Linings Playbook lead the nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards with five each, with Beasts of the Southern Wild and the Sundance hit Middle of Nowhere following closely behind.

After a surprise win at the Gothams, Moonrise Kingdom co-leads Indie Spirits with 5!

BEST FEATURE
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Bernie
Keep the Lights On
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom
Julia Loktev, The Loneliest Planet
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Fill the Void
Gimme the Loot
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Safety Not Guaranteed
Sound of My Voice

JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD (Best Feature under $500,000)
Breakfast with Curtis
The Color Wheel
Middle of Nowhere
Mosquita & Mari
Starlet

BEST MALE LEAD
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Thure Lindhardt, Keep the Lights On
Matthew McConaughey, Killer Joe
Wendell Pierce, Four

Perhaps a preview of whats in store for the most competitive category of the year...the Best Actor race has six candidates including John Hawkes in The Sessions.  Co-star Helen Hunt was also nominated, but the film was snubbed everywhere else.

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Linda Cardellini, Return
Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike
David Oyelowe, Middle of Nowhere
Michael Pena, End of Watch
Sam Rockwell, Seven Psychopaths
Bruce Willis, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Rosemarie DeWitt, Your Sister's Sister
Ann Dowd, Compliance
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice
Lorraine Toussaint, Middle of Nowhere

BEST SCREENPLAY
Keep the Lights On- Ira Sachs
Moonrise Kingdom- Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
Ruby Sparks- Zoe Kazan
Seven Psychopaths- Martin McDonaugh
Silver Linings Playbook- David O. Russell

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Celeste & Jesse Forever- Rashida Jones & Will McCormack
Fill the Void- Rama Burshstein
Gayby- Jonathon Lisecki
Robot & Frank- Christopher Ford
Safety Not Guaranteed- Derek Connolly

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Amour
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Rust & Bone
Sister
War Witch

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Central Park Five
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Marina Abramoviac: The Artist is Present
The Waiting Room

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Here
End of the Watch
Moonrise Kingdom
Valley of Saints

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (presented to a films director, casting director and ensemble cast)
Starlet

Independent Spirit Awards

FILM: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
FIRST FEATURE: Margin Call
JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD: Pariah
ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
SCREENPLAY: The Descendants
FIRST SCREENPLAY: 50/50
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Artist
DOCUMENTARY: The Interrupters
FOREIGN FILM: A Separation
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD: Sophia Linn, Take Shelter
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: Mark Jackson, Without
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD: Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: to the cast, director and casting director of Margin Call

Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Take Shelter

FEATURE

• 50/50
• The Artist
• Beginners
• The Descendants
• Drive
• Take Shelter

DIRECTOR

• Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
• Mike Mills, Beginners
• Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter 
• Alexander Payne, The Descendants
• Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive

FIRST FEATURE

• Another Earth
• In the Family
• Margin Call
• Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Natural Selection

JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD (Best Feature under $500,000)

• Bellflower
• Circumstance
• The Dynamiter
• Hello Lonesome
• Pariah

Drive

MALE LEAD

• Demian Bichir, A Better Life
• Jean Dejardin, The Artist
• Ryan Gosling, Drive
• Woody Harrelson, Rampart
• Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

FEMALE LEAD

• Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me
• Rachel Harris, Natural Selection
• Adepero Oduye, Pariah
• Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Beginners

 SUPPORTING MALE

• Albert Brooks, Drive
• John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Christopher Plummer, Beginners
• John C. Rielly, Cedar Rapids
• Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris

SUPPORTING FEMALE

• Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
• Anjelica Huston, 50/50
• Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
• Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road
• Shaileen Woodley, The Descendants

The Descendants

SCREENPLAY

• The Artist- Michel Hazanavicius
• Beginners- Mike Mills
• The Descendants- Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• Footnote- Joseph Cedar
• Win Win- Thomas McCarthy 

FIRST SCREENPLAY

• 50/50- Will Reiser
• Another Earth- Mike Cahill & Brit Marling
• Cedar Rapids- Phil Johnston
• Margin Call- J.C. Chandor
• Terri- Patrick DeWitt

The Artist

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• The Artist- Gui-omme Shiffman
• Bellflower- Joel Hodge
• The Dynamiter- Jeffrey Waldron
• Midnight in Paris- Darius Kond-Jee
• The Off Hours- Benjamin Kuh-Sulk

INTERNATIONAL FILM

• The Kid with the Bike
• Melancholia
• A Separation
• Shame
• Tyrannosaur

DOCUMENTARY

• An African Selection
• Bill Cunningham New York
• The Interrupters
• The Redemption of General Butt Naked
• We Were Here

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(presented to a filmmaker, the ensemble cast and the casting director)

• Margin Call

Independent Spirit Awards

FEATURE: Black Swan
FIRST FEATURE: Get Low
JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD: Daddy Longlegs
DIRECTOR: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
ACTOR: James Franco, 127 Hours
ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
SUPPORTING ACTOR: John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Dale Dickey, Winter's Bone
SCREENPLAY: The Kids Are All Right- Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
FIRST SCREENPLAY: Tiny Furniture- Lena Dunham
DOCUMENTARY: Exit Through the Gift Shop
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Black Swan- Matthew Libatique
FOREIGN FILM: The King's Speech
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD: Marwencol
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: Mike Ott, Littlerock
PRODUCER'S AWARD: Anish Savjani, Meek's Cutoff

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(given to a films director, casting director, and ensemble cast)
Please Give

Is it wrong to be virulently angry that The King's Speech won best foreign language film?  Otherwise a fine slate, especially digging the mention for Dale Dickey, who was my personal favorite performer from Winter's Bone.  This marks her first award this season.

TRIVIA TIME:

• The Spirits were revisiting 2008 a bit, as that year an Aronofsky film (The Wrestler) took home top honors, and James Franco won for his supporting role in Milk.

• Aronofsky's director of photography of choice, Matthew Libatique, was previously honored by the Spirits for Requiem for a Dream in 2000.  Black Swan marks his first Oscar nomination; ten years for the Academy to realize his talent...Coincidentally, The Wrestler also won the Spirit's cinematography award, but that was the only film of Aronofsky's not to filmed by Libatique (Maryse Alberti won that award.)

• This isn't the first time foreign film was won by a film in English...An Education won last year and Once won in 2007; but that movie's a lot more awesome, right?

• This is only the fourth year of the Robert Altman Award, dedicated to a films ensemble-- past winners are I'm Not There, Synecdoche, New York and A Serious Man.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations

BEST FEATURE

• 127 Hours
• Black Swan
• Greenberg
• The Kids Are All Right
• Winter's Bone

BEST DIRECTOR

• Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
• Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
• Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
• Debra Granik, Winter's Bone
• John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole

Take that Academy; this might be the best selection of filmmakers ever assembled for a nomination ever.  Aronofsky and Boyle are easily two of the most distinctive and incisive auteurs of our time, and a subtle middle finger to AMPAS's diversity issues, the Spirits nominated two women, and a gay man.


BEST FIRST FEATURE

• Everything Strange & New
• Get Low
• The Last Exorcism
• Night Catches Us
• Tiny Furniture

Everything Strange & New and Night Catches Us were both shortlisted by the Gotham Awards, and Get Low was the summer indie that could starring Robert Duvall.

JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD 
(for a feature made under $500,000)

• Daddy Longlegs
• Lovers of Hate
• Obselidia
• The Exploding Girl

BEST MALE LEAD

• Richard Bronstein, Daddy Longlegs
• Aaron Eckhart, Rabbit Hole --------->
• James Franco, 127 Hours
• John C. Rielly, Cyrus
• Ben Stiller, Greenberg

A sign of commitment issues as Robert Duvall failed to garner a nomination for Get Low, even though the film placed in the Best First Feature, and Supporting Actor, even though John C. Rielly gets in for the irritating and shrill Cyrus feature.  After the breakthrough performance nod at yesterday's Gotham Awards and a leading actor nomination here, I suppose I really need to investigate this Daddy Longlegs film.  Does anybody know if it's heading to a limited release soon-- I've seen nothing on this film!


BEST FEMALE LEAD

• Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
• Greta Gerwig, Greenberg
• Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
• Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
• Natalie Portman, Black Swan  ---------->
• Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Perhaps indicative of things to come for the 2010 leading actress awards appears the strongest of the acting categories, and in a rare move, the Spirits nominated 6 women, snubbing Julianne Moore for The Kids Are All Right.  Another sign of commitment issues, the Spirits gave Michelle Williams a nod for Blue Valentine, but ignored the film in every other category.

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

• John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
• Samuel L. Jackson, Mother & Child
• Bill Murray, Get Low
• John Ortiz, Jack Goes Boating
• Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

• Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism
• Dale Dickey, Winter's Bone
• Allison Janney, Life During Wartime
• Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jack Goes Boating
• Naomi Watts, Mother & Child

BEST SCREENPLAY

• The Kids Are All Right- Stuart Blumberg & Lisa Cholodenko
• Life During Wartime- Todd Solondz
• Please Give- Nicole Holofcener
• Rabbit Hole- David Lindsay-Abaire
• Winter's Bone- Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

• Jack Goes Boating- Bob Glaudini
• Lovely, Still- Nik Fackler
• Monogamy- Dana Adam Shapiro & Evan M. Weiner
• Obselidia- Diane Bell
• Tiny Furniture- Lena Dunham

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Black Swan- Matthew Libatique
• Greenberg- Harris Savides
• Never Let Me Go- Adam Kimmel
• Tiny Furniture- Jody Lee Lipes
• Winter's Bone- Michael McDonough

BEST DOCUMENTARY

• Exit Through the Gift Shop
• Marwencol
• Sweetgrass
• Restrepo
• Thunder Soul

BEST FOREIGN FILM

• Kisses
• Mademoiselle Chambon
• Of Gods & Men
• The King's Speech
• Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(given to a film's ensemble cast, director, and casting director)
Please Give