Independent Spirit Awards Explained
Independent Spirit Awards |
Current Awards: | 39th Independent Spirit Awards |
Awarded For: | Excellence in the independent film industry |
Presenter: | Film Independent[1] |
Country: | United States |
Year: | March 3, 1984; 38 years ago |
The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers.[2] Founded in 1984,[3] [4] the event was renamed the Independent Spirit Awards in 1986. The ceremony is produced by Film Independent, a not-for-profit arts organization that used to produce the LA Film Festival. Film Independent members vote to determine the winners of the Spirit Awards.
The awards show is held inside a tent at a parking lot of the beach in Santa Monica,, usually on the day before the Academy Awards (since 1999; originally the Saturday before). The show was previously broadcast live on the IFC network in the US until 2023, when it was moved to YouTube,[5] as well as Hollywood Suite in Canada and A&E Latin America.[6] Winners were previously presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the bare budgets of independent films.[7] Since 2006, winners receive a metal trophy depicting a bird with its wings spread sitting atop of a pole with the shoestrings from the previous design wrapped around the pole.
In 2020, new categories were announced for the 36th Independent Spirit Awards, which would honor the best in television productions and performances. These categories included Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance, Best Female Performance, and Best Ensemble Cast.[8] In 2022, it was announced that gender neutral acting categories would be implemented and that the previous gendered film categories — Male Lead, Female Lead, Male Supporting and Female Supporting — would be retired in favor of a Best Lead Performance and a Best Supporting Performance categories, which would feature 10 nominees each. Other new categories added included Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Lead and Supporting Performance in the TV section.[9]
Categories
Current categories
Retired categories
History
The Independent Features Project/West was founded by Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas.[10] [11]
In 1984 the FINDIE Awards (Friends of Independents) were conceived by Independent Features Project/West board member Jeanne Lucas[12] and Independent Features Project/West President Anne Kimmel[13] and director/writer Sam O'Brien was an event producer.[12] The awards are voted on by a nominating committee.
In 1985, Peter Coyote and Jamie Lee Curtis presented winners with a Plexiglas pyramid designed by Carol Bosselman, which contain a suspended shoestring, printed with sprocket holes, representing the shoestring budgets of independent films. The Reel Gold Award, also designed by Bosselman, was given to Steve Wachtel for allowing Independent Features Project/West continuing free use of his screening room. It was associated with Filmex.[4] In 1986, Bosselman designed and sculpted the Independent Spirit Award statue that is still given out today, using a lost wax bronze casting method.
Independent Features Project/West eventually became Film Independent.[14]
Dawn Hudson was director of Independent Features Project/West in 1995.[15]
Barbara Boyle was Independent Features Project/West president from 1994 to 1999.[16]
Independent Features Project eventually became Independent Filmmaker Project.
Ceremonies
| Date | Year Honored | Best Film | Best First Feature | Host(s) |
---|
1st | March 22, 1986 | 1985 | After Hours | — | Peter Coyote |
2nd | March 28, 1987 | 1986 | Platoon | She's Gotta Have It | Buck Henry |
3rd | February 11, 1988 | 1987 | River's Edge | Dirty Dancing |
4th | March 25, 1989 | 1988 | Stand and Deliver | Mystic Pizza |
5th | March 24, 1990 | 1989 | Sex, Lies, and Videotape | Heathers |
6th | March 23, 1991 | 1990 | The Grifters | Metropolitan |
7th | March 28, 1992 | 1991 | Rambling Rose | Straight Out of Brooklyn |
8th | March 27, 1993 | 1992 | The Player | The Waterdance |
9th | March 19, 1994 | 1993 | Short Cuts | El Mariachi | Robert Townsend |
10th | March 25, 1995 | 1994 | Pulp Fiction | Spanking the Monkey | Kevin Pollak |
11th | March 23, 1996 | 1995 | Leaving Las Vegas | The Brothers McMullen | Samuel L. Jackson |
12th | March 22, 1997 | 1996 | Fargo | Sling Blade |
13th | March 21, 1998 | 1997 | The Apostle | Eve's Bayou | John Turturro |
14th | March 20, 1999 | 1998 | Gods and Monsters | The Opposite of Sex | Queen Latifah |
15th | March 25, 2000 | 1999 | Election | Being John Malkovich (Over $500,000) The Blair Witch Project (Under $500,000) | Jennifer Tilly |
16th | March 24, 2001 | 2000 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | You Can Count on Me Chuck & Buck (Under $500,000) | John Waters |
17th | March 23, 2002 | 2001 | Memento | In the Bedroom |
18th | March 22, 2003 | 2002 | Far from Heaven | The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys |
19th | February 28, 2004 | 2003 | Lost in Translation | Monster |
20th | February 26, 2005 | 2004 | Sideways | Garden State | Samuel L. Jackson |
21st | March 4, 2006 | 2005 | Brokeback Mountain | Crash | Sarah Silverman |
22nd | February 24, 2007 | 2006 | Little Miss Sunshine | Sweet Land |
23rd | February 23, 2008 | 2007 | Juno | The Lookout | Rainn Wilson |
24th | February 21, 2009 | 2008 | The Wrestler | Synecdoche, New York | Steve Coogan |
25th | March 5, 2010 | 2009 | Precious | Crazy Heart | Eddie Izzard |
26th | February 26, 2011 | 2010 | Black Swan | Get Low | Joel McHale |
27th | February 25, 2012 | 2011 | The Artist | Margin Call | Seth Rogen |
28th | February 23, 2013 | 2012 | Silver Linings Playbook | The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Andy Samberg |
29th | March 1, 2014 | 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | Fruitvale Station | Patton Oswalt |
30th | February 21, 2015 | 2014 | Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) | Nightcrawler | Fred Armisen, Kristen Bell |
31st | February 27, 2016 | 2015 | Spotlight | The Diary of a Teenage Girl | Kate McKinnon, Kumail Nanjiani |
32nd | February 25, 2017 | 2016 | Moonlight | The Witch | Nick Kroll, John Mulaney |
33rd | March 3, 2018 | 2017 | Get Out | Ingrid Goes West |
34th | February 23, 2019 | 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | Sorry to Bother You | Aubrey Plaza |
35th | February 8, 2020 | 2019 | The Farewell | Booksmart |
36th | April 22, 2021 | 2020 | Nomadland | Sound of Metal | Melissa Villaseñor |
37th | March 6, 2022 | 2021 | The Lost Daughter | 7 Days | Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman |
38th | March 4, 2023 | 2022 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Aftersun | Hasan Minhaj |
39th | February 25, 2024 | 2023 | Past Lives | A Thousand and One | Aidy Bryant | |
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Film Independent. filmindependent.org. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170609205634/https://www.filmindependent.org/. June 9, 2017. live.
provides alternative start date as 1986, not 1984
- Web site: History - Film Independent. Filmindependent.org. October 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018012834/https://www.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/history/. October 18, 2017. live.
- Web site: Independence days. Keith. Collins. February 25, 2005. variety.com. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018013429/https://variety.com/2005/film/awards/independence-days-1117918523/. October 18, 2017. live.
- . Citation supporting televised on IFC in 2011.
- Web site: A&E Latinoamérica. mx.canalaetv.com. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170603212427/https://mx.canalaetv.com/. June 3, 2017. live.
- https://news.yahoo.com/everything-everywhere-once-lands-8-001030632.html 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' lands 8 Independent Spirit Award nominations - Yahoo News
- Web site: Film Independent Spirit Awards Adds TV Categories For Upcoming 2021 Program. September 29, 2020. December 7, 2020. Deadline. Anthony. D'Alessandro.
- Web site: Chapman. Wilson. Spirit Awards to Implement Gender Neutral Acting Categories. Variety. August 23, 2022. September 9, 2022.
- Web site: Familiar names top Indie awards - Roger Ebert's Journal. Rogerebert.com. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170517081649/http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/familiar-names-top-indie-awards. May 17, 2017. live.
- Web site: A Tribute to Anna Thomas: Biography for Anna Thomas. Anna Thomas Tribute. Page. August 10, 2009. annathomastribute.blogspot.com. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171014061348/https://annathomastribute.blogspot.com/2009/08/anna-thomas.html. October 14, 2017. live.
- News: The Little Award Show That Could : Film: Since it started in the '80s, the Independent Spirit Awards, sort of an offbeat Oscar, has gained big-name supporters. Saturday's ceremony is sold out.. DAVID J.. FOX. March 27, 1992. June 12, 2017. Los Angeles Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20151023101211/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-03-27/entertainment/ca-4615_1_spirit-award. October 23, 2015. live.
- News: 'Rose' and 'Idaho' Get the Spirit : Movies: Each takes three trophies in the offbeat independent counterpoint to tonight's Academy Awards.. DAVID J.. FOX. March 30, 1992. June 12, 2017. Los Angeles Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20150518142119/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-03-30/entertainment/ca-272_1_spirit-award. May 18, 2015. live.
- Web site: Archived copy . June 12, 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170711214106/http://www.animation-festivals.com/festivals/los-angeles-film-festival/ . July 11, 2017 .
- News: The Oscars Upstaged (Almost). March 19, 1995. The New York Times. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018073532/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/19/movies/film-the-oscars-upstaged-almost.html. October 18, 2017. live.
- Web site: Producer Barbara Boyle to Head UCLA Department of Film, Television and Digital Media. Businesswire.com. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018072401/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20030425005442/en/Producer-Barbara-Boyle-Head-UCLA-Department-Film. October 18, 2017. live.