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FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

      • AWARDS CENTRAL
    • 2020s
    • 2010s
    • 2000s
    • 1990s
    • 1980s
    • 1999199819971996199519941993199219911990

    Independent Spirit Award

    Edit

    Best Cinematography

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Leaving Las Vegas

      7.5 (141K)
      Declan Quinn
    • [object Object]

      Little Odessa

      6.7 (9.7K)
      Tom Richmond
    • [object Object]

      The Underneath

      6.1 (4K)
      Elliot Davis
    • [object Object]

      Nadja

      6.0 (3.7K)
      Jim Denault
    • [object Object]

      The Usual Suspects

      8.5 (1.2M)
      Newton Thomas Sigel

    Best Debut Performance

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Kids

      7.0 (89K)
      Justin Pierce
    • [object Object]

      Rhythm Thief

      6.4 (284)
      Jason Andrews
    • [object Object]

      River of Grass

      6.5 (2.6K)
      Lisa Donaldson
    • [object Object]

      New Jersey Drive

      6.6 (3.6K)
      Gabriel Casseus
    • [object Object]

      The Doom Generation

      6.2 (19K)
      Rose McGowan

    Best Director

    • Mike Figgis in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
      Winner
      • Mike Figgis
      • Leaving Las Vegas
    • Michael Almereyda
      • Michael Almereyda
      • Nadja
      • Ulu Grosbard
      • Georgia
    • Todd Haynes
      • Todd Haynes
      • Safe
    • John Sayles at an event for Casa de los babys (2003)
      • John Sayles
      • The Secret of Roan Inish

    Best Feature

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Leaving Las Vegas

      7.5 (141K)
      Lila Cazès
      Annie Stewart
    • [object Object]

      The Addiction

      6.5 (12K)
      Denis Hann
      Fernando Sulichin
    • [object Object]

      Living in Oblivion

      7.5 (21K)
      Michael Griffiths
      Marcus Viscidi
    • [object Object]

      Safe

      7.1 (19K)
      Christine Vachon
      Lauren Zalaznick
    • [object Object]

      The Secret of Roan Inish

      7.4 (10K)
      Sarah Green
      Maggie Renzi

    Best Female Lead

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Leaving Las Vegas

      7.5 (141K)
      Elisabeth Shue
    • [object Object]

      Georgia

      6.5 (3.4K)
      Jennifer Jason Leigh
    • [object Object]

      Nadja

      6.0 (3.7K)
      Elina Löwensohn
    • [object Object]

      Safe

      7.1 (19K)
      Julianne Moore
    • [object Object]

      The Addiction

      6.5 (12K)
      Lili Taylor

    Best First Feature

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      The Brothers McMullen

      6.6 (8.5K)
      Edward Burns(director)
      Dick Fisher(producer)
    • [object Object]

      Kids

      7.0 (89K)
      Larry Clark(director)
      Cary Woods(producer)
    • [object Object]

      Little Odessa

      6.7 (9.7K)
      James Gray(director)
      Paul Webster(producer)
    • [object Object]

      Picture Bride

      6.6 (1.2K)
      Kayo Hatta(director)
      Diane Mei Lin Mark(producer)
      Lisa Onodera(producer)
    • [object Object]

      River of Grass

      6.5 (2.6K)
      Kelly Reichardt(director)

    Best First Screenplay

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Smoke

      7.4 (39K)
      Paul Auster
    • [object Object]

      Little Odessa

      6.7 (9.7K)
      James Gray
    • [object Object]

      Kids

      7.0 (89K)
      Harmony Korine
    • [object Object]

      Postcards from America

      6.0 (270)
      Steve McLean
    • [object Object]

      River of Grass

      6.5 (2.6K)
      Kelly Reichardt

    Best Foreign Film

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Before the Rain

      7.8 (16K)
      Milcho Manchevski
      Macedonia.
    • [object Object]

      The City of Lost Children

      7.4 (74K)
      Marc Caro
      Jean-Pierre Jeunet
      France.
    • [object Object]

      Exotica

      7.0 (22K)
      Atom Egoyan
      Canada.
    • [object Object]

      I Am Cuba

      8.2 (12K)
      Mikhail Kalatozov
      Soviet Union.
    • [object Object]

      Through the Olive Trees

      7.7 (11K)
      Abbas Kiarostami
      Iran.

    Best Male Lead

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Dead Man Walking

      7.5 (106K)
      Sean Penn
    • [object Object]

      Leaving Las Vegas

      7.5 (141K)
      Nicolas Cage
    • [object Object]

      Little Odessa

      6.7 (9.7K)
      Tim Roth
    • [object Object]

      My Family

      7.3 (4.7K)
      Jimmy Smits
    • [object Object]

      Swimming with Sharks

      7.0 (26K)
      Kevin Spacey

    Best Screenplay

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      The Usual Suspects

      8.5 (1.2M)
      Christopher McQuarrie
    • [object Object]

      Living in Oblivion

      7.5 (21K)
      Tom DiCillo
    • [object Object]

      Leaving Las Vegas

      7.5 (141K)
      Mike Figgis
    • [object Object]

      Safe

      7.1 (19K)
      Todd Haynes
    • [object Object]

      The Secret of Roan Inish

      7.4 (10K)
      John Sayles

    Best Supporting Female

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Georgia

      6.5 (3.4K)
      Mare Winningham
    • [object Object]

      My Family

      7.3 (4.7K)
      Jennifer Lopez
    • [object Object]

      Little Odessa

      6.7 (9.7K)
      Vanessa Redgrave
    • [object Object]

      Kids

      7.0 (89K)
      Chloë Sevigny
    • [object Object]

      Dead Man Walking

      7.5 (106K)
      Celia Weston

    Best Supporting Male

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      The Usual Suspects

      8.5 (1.2M)
      Benicio Del Toro
    • [object Object]

      Living in Oblivion

      7.5 (21K)
      James Le Gros
    • [object Object]

      The Crossing Guard

      6.3 (15K)
      David Morse
    • [object Object]

      Georgia

      6.5 (3.4K)
      Max Perlich
    • [object Object]

      Smoke

      7.4 (39K)
      Harold Perrineau

    Special Distinction Award

    Edit
    • Samuel Fuller
      Winner
      • Samuel Fuller
      For his vast contributions to independent filmmaking.

    Someone to Watch Award

    Edit
    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day

      6.2 (183)
      Christopher Munch
    • [object Object]

      Desolation Angels

      7.0 (117)
      Tim McCann
    • [object Object]

      Art for Teachers of Children

      6.1 (111)
      Jennifer Montgomery
    • [object Object]

      River of Grass

      6.5 (2.6K)
      Kelly Reichardt
    • [object Object]

      Fun

      6.8 (1.4K)
      Rafal Zielinski

    Also known as

    • Film Independent's Spirit Awards
    • FINDIE Awards ("Friends of Independents")
    • Independent Spirit Awards

    Contribute to this page

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    Awards and events

    Academy Awards, USABAFTA AwardsBerlin International Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalCritics Choice AwardsDirectors Guild of America, USAFilm Independent Spirit AwardsGolden Globes, USAGrammy AwardsMumbai Film FestivalPGA AwardsPrimetime Emmy AwardsScreen Actors Guild AwardsSundance Film FestivalSXSW Film FestivalToronto International Film FestivalTribeca Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalWriters Guild of America, USA

    Event date

    March 23, 1996

    Event location

    California, USA

    Event links

    • http://www.filmindependent.org/

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