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

DateYear HonoredBest FilmBest First FeatureHost(s)
1stMarch 22, 19861985After Hours—Peter Coyote
2ndMarch 28, 19871986PlatoonShe's Gotta Have ItBuck Henry
3rdFebruary 11, 19881987River's EdgeDirty Dancing
4thMarch 25, 19891988Stand and DeliverMystic Pizza
5thMarch 24, 19901989Sex, Lies, and VideotapeHeathers
6thMarch 23, 19911990The GriftersMetropolitan
7thMarch 28, 19921991Rambling RoseStraight Out of Brooklyn
8thMarch 27, 19931992The PlayerThe Waterdance
9thMarch 19, 19941993Short CutsEl MariachiRobert Townsend
10thMarch 25, 19951994Pulp FictionSpanking the MonkeyKevin Pollak
11thMarch 23, 19961995Leaving Las VegasThe Brothers McMullenSamuel L. Jackson
12thMarch 22, 19971996FargoSling Blade
13thMarch 21, 19981997The ApostleEve's BayouJohn Turturro
14thMarch 20, 19991998Gods and MonstersThe Opposite of SexQueen Latifah
15thMarch 25, 20001999ElectionBeing John Malkovich (Over $500,000)
The Blair Witch Project (Under $500,000)		Jennifer Tilly
16thMarch 24, 20012000Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonYou Can Count on Me
Chuck & Buck (Under $500,000)		John Waters
17thMarch 23, 20022001MementoIn the Bedroom
18thMarch 22, 20032002Far from HeavenThe Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
19thFebruary 28, 20042003Lost in TranslationMonster
20thFebruary 26, 20052004SidewaysGarden StateSamuel L. Jackson
21stMarch 4, 20062005Brokeback MountainCrashSarah Silverman
22ndFebruary 24, 20072006Little Miss SunshineSweet Land
23rdFebruary 23, 20082007JunoThe LookoutRainn Wilson
24thFebruary 21, 20092008The WrestlerSynecdoche, New YorkSteve Coogan
25thMarch 5, 20102009PreciousCrazy HeartEddie Izzard
26thFebruary 26, 20112010Black SwanGet LowJoel McHale
27thFebruary 25, 20122011The ArtistMargin CallSeth Rogen
28thFebruary 23, 20132012Silver Linings PlaybookThe Perks of Being a WallflowerAndy Samberg
29thMarch 1, 2014201312 Years a SlaveFruitvale StationPatton Oswalt
30thFebruary 21, 20152014Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)NightcrawlerFred Armisen, Kristen Bell
31stFebruary 27, 20162015SpotlightThe Diary of a Teenage GirlKate McKinnon, Kumail Nanjiani
32ndFebruary 25, 20172016MoonlightThe WitchNick Kroll, John Mulaney
33rdMarch 3, 20182017Get OutIngrid Goes West
34thFebruary 23, 20192018If Beale Street Could TalkSorry to Bother YouAubrey Plaza
35thFebruary 8, 20202019The FarewellBooksmart
36thApril 22, 20212020NomadlandSound of MetalMelissa Villaseñor
37thMarch 6, 20222021The Lost Daughter7 DaysMegan Mullally, Nick Offerman
38thMarch 4, 20232022Everything Everywhere All at OnceAftersunHasan Minhaj
39thFebruary 25, 20242023Past LivesA Thousand and OneAidy Bryant

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Film Independent. filmindependent.org. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170609205634/https://www.filmindependent.org/. June 9, 2017. live.

  2. provides alternative start date as 1986, not 1984
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. . Citation supporting televised on IFC in 2011.
  6. 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.
  7. https://news.yahoo.com/everything-everywhere-once-lands-8-001030632.html 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' lands 8 Independent Spirit Award nominations - Yahoo News
  8. Web site: Film Independent Spirit Awards Adds TV Categories For Upcoming 2021 Program. September 29, 2020. December 7, 2020. Deadline. Anthony. D'Alessandro.
  9. Web site: Chapman. Wilson. Spirit Awards to Implement Gender Neutral Acting Categories. Variety. August 23, 2022. September 9, 2022.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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 .
  15. 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.
  16. 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.

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