Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app

FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

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

    Independent Spirit Award

    Edit

    Best Cinematography

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Fargo

      8.1 (762K)
      Roger Deakins
    • [object Object]

      The Funeral

      6.6 (9.8K)
      Ken Kelsch
    • [object Object]

      Dead Man

      7.5 (107K)
      Robby Müller
    • [object Object]

      Bound

      7.3 (65K)
      Bill Pope
    • [object Object]

      Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day

      6.2 (183)
      Rob Sweeney

    Best Debut Performance

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Welcome to the Dollhouse

      7.3 (39K)
      Heather Matarazzo
    • [object Object]

      Bastard Out of Carolina

      7.3 (5K)
      Jena Malone
    • [object Object]

      Welcome to the Dollhouse

      7.3 (39K)
      Brendan Sexton III
    • [object Object]

      Caught

      6.5 (1.8K)
      Arie Verveen
    • [object Object]

      Basquiat

      6.9 (23K)
      Jeffrey Wright

    Best Director

    • Joel Coen at an event for Burn After Reading (2008)
      Winner
      • Joel Coen
      • Fargo
    • Abel Ferrara at an event for Pasolini (2014)
      • Abel Ferrara
      • The Funeral
    • David O. Russell
      • David O. Russell
      • Flirting with Disaster
    • Todd Solondz
      • Todd Solondz
      • Welcome to the Dollhouse
    • Robert M. Young at an event for Human Error (2004)
      • Robert M. Young
      • Caught

    Best Feature

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Fargo

      8.1 (762K)
      Ethan Coen
    • [object Object]

      Dead Man

      7.5 (107K)
      Demetra J. MacBride
    • [object Object]

      The Funeral

      6.6 (9.8K)
      Mary Kane
    • [object Object]

      Lone Star

      7.4 (35K)
      R. Paul Miller
      Maggie Renzi
    • [object Object]

      Welcome to the Dollhouse

      7.3 (39K)
      Todd Solondz

    Best Female Lead

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Fargo

      8.1 (762K)
      Frances McDormand
    • [object Object]

      Caught

      6.5 (1.8K)
      Maria Conchita Alonso
    • [object Object]

      Manny & Lo

      6.6 (2.3K)
      Scarlett Johansson
    • [object Object]

      Walking and Talking

      6.7 (4.2K)
      Catherine Keener
    • [object Object]

      The Whole Wide World

      7.0 (4.3K)
      Renée Zellweger

    Best First Feature

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Sling Blade

      8.0 (102K)
      Billy Bob Thornton(director)
      David Bushell(producer)
      Brandon Rosser(producer)
    • [object Object]

      Big Night

      7.3 (24K)
      Campbell Scott(director)
      Stanley Tucci(director)
      Jonathan Filley(producer)
    • [object Object]

      I Shot Andy Warhol

      6.6 (7.3K)
      Mary Harron(director)
      Tom Kalin(producer)
      Christine Vachon(producer)
    • [object Object]

      Manny & Lo

      6.6 (2.3K)
      Lisa Krueger(director)
      Marlen Hecht(producer)
      Dean Silvers(producer)
    • [object Object]

      Trees Lounge

      7.1 (18K)
      Steve Buscemi(director)
      Chris Hanley(producer)
      Brad Wyman(producer)

    Best First Screenplay

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Big Night

      7.3 (24K)
      Joseph Tropiano
      Stanley Tucci
    • [object Object]

      Trees Lounge

      7.1 (18K)
      Steve Buscemi
    • [object Object]

      Manny & Lo

      6.6 (2.3K)
      Lisa Krueger
    • [object Object]

      The Whole Wide World

      7.0 (4.3K)
      Michael Scott Myers
    • [object Object]

      Girl 6

      5.4 (6.8K)
      Suzan-Lori Parks

    Best Foreign Film

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Secrets & Lies

      8.0 (50K)
      Mike Leigh
      UK.
    • [object Object]

      Breaking the Waves

      7.8 (74K)
      Lars von Trier
      Denmark.
    • [object Object]

      Chungking Express

      7.9 (105K)
      Wong Kar-Wai
      Hong Kong.
    • [object Object]

      Lamerica

      7.4 (2.5K)
      Gianni Amelio
      Italy.
    • [object Object]

      Trainspotting

      8.1 (754K)
      Danny Boyle
      UK.

    Best Male Lead

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Fargo

      8.1 (762K)
      William H. Macy
    • [object Object]

      Lone Star

      7.4 (35K)
      Chris Cooper
    • [object Object]

      The Funeral

      6.6 (9.8K)
      Chris Penn
    • [object Object]

      Big Night

      7.3 (24K)
      Tony Shalhoub
    • [object Object]

      Big Night

      7.3 (24K)
      Stanley Tucci

    Best Screenplay

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Fargo

      8.1 (762K)
      Joel Coen
      Ethan Coen
    • [object Object]

      Dead Man

      7.5 (107K)
      Jim Jarmusch
    • [object Object]

      Flirting with Disaster

      6.7 (21K)
      David O. Russell
    • [object Object]

      Lone Star

      7.4 (35K)
      John Sayles
    • [object Object]

      The Funeral

      6.6 (9.8K)
      Nicholas St. John

    Best Supporting Female

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Lone Star

      7.4 (35K)
      Elizabeth Peña
    • [object Object]

      Set It Off

      6.9 (20K)
      Queen Latifah
    • [object Object]

      Manny & Lo

      6.6 (2.3K)
      Mary Kay Place
    • [object Object]

      Girls Town

      6.4 (844)
      Lili Taylor
    • [object Object]

      Flirting with Disaster

      6.7 (21K)
      Lily Tomlin

    Best Supporting Male

    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Basquiat

      6.9 (23K)
      Benicio Del Toro
    • [object Object]

      Walking and Talking

      6.7 (4.2K)
      Kevin Corrigan
    • [object Object]

      Welcome to the Dollhouse

      7.3 (39K)
      Matthew Faber
    • [object Object]

      Dead Man

      7.5 (107K)
      Gary Farmer
    • [object Object]

      Flirting with Disaster

      6.7 (21K)
      Richard Jenkins

    Truer Than Fiction Award

    Edit
    • [object Object]
      Winner

      When We Were Kings

      7.9 (20K)
      Leon Gast
    • [object Object]

      American Experience

      8.6 (2.4K)
      Steven Ascher
      Jeanne Jordan
      For episode "Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (#7.6)".
    • [object Object]

      The Celluloid Closet

      7.8 (7.8K)
      Rob Epstein
      Jeffrey Friedman
    • [object Object]

      Looking for Richard

      7.3 (8.7K)
      Al Pacino
    • [object Object]

      Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

      8.2 (19K)
      Joe Berlinger
      Bruce Sinofsky

    Someone to Watch Award

    Edit
    • [object Object]
      Winner

      Habit

      6.4 (2.3K)
      Larry Fessenden
    • [object Object]

      The Keeper

      5.7 (332)
      Joe Brewster
    • [object Object]

      American Job

      7.3 (242)
      Chris Smith

    Also known as

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

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    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 22, 1997

    Event location

    California, USA

    Event links

    • http://www.filmindependent.org/

    Feedback

    Tell us what you think about this feature.

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.