IFP Independent Spirit Awards Winners

The Awards were broadcast on IFC and Bravo today, and here are the winners.

Best Feature
Lost in Translation (Focus Features)
Producers: Sofia Coppola and Ross Katz

Best Director
Sofia Coppola
Lost in Translation (Focus Features)
* First-time filmmakers are not eligible for this category

Best Screenplay
Sofia Coppola
Lost in Translation (Focus Features)

Best First Feature
Monster (Newmarket Films)
Director: Patty Jenkins
Producers: Mark Damon, Donald Kushner, Clark Peterson, Charlize Theron, Brad Wyman

Best First Screenplay
Thomas McCarthy
The Station Agent (Miramax Films)

John Cassavetes Award (For the Best Feature made for under $500,000)
The Station Agent (Miramax Films)
Writer/Director: Thomas McCarthy
Producers: Mary Jane Skalski, Robert May, Kathryn Tucker

Best Debut Performance
Nikki Reed
Thirteen (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
*Actors making their first appearance in a feature film

Best Supporting Female
Shohreh Aghdashloo
House of Sand and Fog (Dreamworks Pictures)

Best Supporting Male
Djimon Hounsou
In America (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Female Lead
Charlize Theron
Monster (Newmarket Films)

Best Male Lead
Bill Murray
Lost in Translation (Focus Features)

Best Cinematography
Declan Quinn
In America (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Foreign Film
Whale Rider (Newmarket Films)
Director: Niki Caro

Best Documentary
The Fog of War (Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: Errol Morris

Producers Award
Mary Jane Skalski, producer of The Station Agent and The Jimmy Show

Turning Leaf Someone To Watch Award
Andrew Bujalski, director of Funny Ha Ha

DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award
Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk, directors of Lost Boys of Sudan

Special Distinction Award
21 Grams
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu
Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga
Producer Robert Salerno
Sean Penn
Benicio Del Toro
Naomi Watts

Yay for "Lost in Translation" and "Whale Rider"!! I'm so surprised and happy that Whale Rider won Best Foreign Film. So impressive since it beat "City of God" and "The Triplettes of Bellvielle".

I'm overjoyed for Nikki Reed's win for Best Debut Performance for "thirteen".

Here is a full list of the nominees:

http://www.bravotv.com/Independent_Spirit_Awards/Nominees/

It's you and me again, VIETgrlTerifa, lol. The IFP Awards telecast is always my favorite. Worth watching for the song versions of the Best Picture nominees alone. Hey, Juliette Lewis can rock!

Was glad to see Sofia Coppola, who was so humiliated, unintentionally so, by her loving father when he cast her in "Godfather III" triumph so thoroughly with "Lost in Translation" and become such a unique and wonderful voice in film. What a sad irony that Francis was grooming his late son, who died in an accident while filming with his father about 12 or 15 years ago, to become the next director in the Coppola line. Would Sofia have had a chance had he not died? Life is strange and sad and wonderful, sometimes all at the same time, which is what I think Sofia has captured in her films thus far.

On a lighter note, Bill Murray wins for best acceptance speech, hands down.
Rgirl

I fell asleep watching the awards. What did Bill Murray have to say?

I love the Indies, but I missed them! (I only watch the Oscars for the dresses - kind of like icedancing...)

Bill Murray says more with his well lived-in face than any scripted acceptance speech could. I'd love to hear what he said too. Hi Rgirl!!

Hi back Aloft! For you and Mpal, what Bill Murray said were mostly typically cool and ironic Bill Murray comments on "this Independent thing." "Yeah, I like this Independent thing. I dig it. I think it's good for Hollywood having you little people around." Something like that is all I can remember. You get the idea. Bill was Bill and Bill is great.
Rgirl