26th Annual Spirit Awards Winners

Spirit Awards were held last night and it looks like Black Swan is no dark horse as it picked up several of the big awards of the night including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Female Lead (Natalie Portman). Best Actor when to James Franco for 127 Hours and both supporting acting awards went to Winter's Bone for John Hawkes and Dale Dickey.

Best Feature
Black Swan - Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin

Best Director
Darren Aronosfky for Black Swan

Best First Feature
Get Low - Aaron Schneider, Dean Zanuck, David Gundlach

John Cassavetes Award
for best feature made under $500,000, awarded to the writer, director and producer
Daddy Longlegs - Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Casey Neistat, Tom Scott

Best Screenplay
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg for The Kids Are All Right

Best First Screenplay
Lena Dunham for Tiny Furniture

Best Female Lead
Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Best Male Lead
James Franco in 127 Hours

Best Supporting Female
Dale Dickey in Winter’s Bone

Best Supporting Male
John Hawkes in Winter’s Bone

Best Foreign Film
The King's Speech - Tom Hooper

Best Documentary
Exit Through The Gift Shop - Banksy

Best Cinematography
Matthew Libatique for Black Swan

Piaget Producers Award
honouring emerging producers who despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films
Anish Savjani for Meek's Cutoff

Acura Someone to Watch Award
to a filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition
Mike Ott - Littlerock

AVEENO Truer than Fiction Award
to an emerging director or non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition
Jeff Malmberg for Marwencol

Robert Altman Award
given to one films director, casting director and ensemble cast
Nicole Holofcener, Jeanne McCarthy, Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele for Please Give

Jameson Find Your Audience Awards
Marwencol

The Spirit Awards wer presented on Saturday February 26, 2011.

See more at the Spirit Awards Website

26th Annual Spirit Awards Nominations

26th Annual Spirit Awards Nominations for film in 2010 have been announced, and I always look forward to seeing this list, as year after year I know more of the films but there are always some gems to discover among the nominees. Leading the race this year is Winter’s Bone with 7 nominations including best feature, director, and very well deserved Best Female Lead nomination for Jennifer Lawrence and Best Supporting Male to John Hawkes. Winter's Bone is a truly chilling film and I just knew it would make a big awards splash this year, it's on DVD so you can certainly check it out. Also heading the game of big time noms is The Kids Are All Right with 5 nominations including film, directing and Best Female Lead for Annette Bening. Then Black Swan, Greenberg and Rabbit Hole come in with 4 nominations each and 127 Hours, Jacks Goes Boating and Tiny Furniture with 3 nominations each . First I've heard of both Rabbit Hole & Tiny Furniture - seem like it's time to find out more about them!

Some interesting and odd things I found with the nominations were things like Never Let Me Go getting 1 nomination for just the Cinematography (only 1!), or The Kings Speech only for Foreign. But loved seeing the Irish film Kisses is also up for Foreign, and it's so accent heavy it almost feels like Foreign Language, but that is one of the reasons I loved it. I was also thrilled to see Au Revoir Taipei up for Piaget Producers Award and Ashley Bell be recognized with a Best Supporting Female nomination for The Last Exorcism, I interviewed her earlier this year and she is absolutely lovely (read or listen to the interview here). I also love the spirit of the Spirit Awards, how they shine a light on films and the people who make them that can be highly under seen. If you are a fan of independent films & filmmakers - this nominations list is one to easily add to your must see list.

Best Feature
127 Hours - Christian Colson, Danny Boyle, John Smithson
Black Swan - Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin
Greenberg - Scott Rudin, Jennifer Jason Leigh
The Kids Are All Right - Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Jordan Horowitz, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Philippe Hellman
Winter’s Bone - Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini

Best Director
Darren Aronosfky for Black Swan
Danny Boyle for 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko for The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik for Winter's Bone
John Cameron Mitchell for Rabbit Hole

Best First Feature
Everything Strange and New - Frazer Bradshaw, Laura Techera Francia, A.D. Liano
Get Low - Aaron Schneider, Dean Zanuck, David Gundlach
The Last Exorcism - Daniel Stamm, Eric Newman, Eli Roth, Marc Abraham, Thomas A. Bliss
Night Catches Us - Tanya Hamilton, Ronald Simons, Sean Costello, Jason Orans
Tiny Furniture - Lena Dunham, Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering

John Cassavetes Award
for best feature made under $500,000, awarded to the writer, director and producer
Daddy Longlegs - Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Casey Neistat, Tom Scott
The Exploding Girl - Bradley Rust Gray, So Yong Kim, Karin Chien, Ben Howe
Lbs. - Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti
Lovers of Hate - Bryan Poyser, Megan Gilbride
Obselidia - Diane Bell, Chris Byrne, Matthew Medlin

Best Screenplay
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg for The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini for Winter’s Bone
Nicole Holofcener for Please Give
David Lindsay-Abaire for Rabbit Hole
Todd Solondz for Life During Wartime

Best First Screenplay
Diane Bell for Obselidia
Lena Dunham for Tiny Furniture
Nik Fackler for Lovely, Still
Robert Glaudini for Jack Goes Boating
Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener for Monogamy

Best Female Lead
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
Greta Gerwig in Greenberg
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine

Best Male Lead
Ronald Bronstein in Daddy Longlegs
Aaron Eckhart in Rabbit Hole
James Franco in 127 Hours
John C. Reilly in Cyrus
Ben Stiller in Greenberg

Best Supporting Female
Ashley Bell in The Last Exorcism
Dale Dickey in Winter’s Bone
Allison Janney in Life During Wartime
Daphne Rubin-Vega in Jack Goes Boating
Naomi Watts in Mother and Child

Best Supporting Male
John Hawkes in Winter’s Bone
Samuel L. Jackson in Mother and Child
Bill Murray in Get Low
John Ortiz in Jack Goes Boating
Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right

Best Foreign Film
The King's Speech - Tom Hooper
Kisses - Lance Daly
Mademoiselle Chambon - Stéphane Brize
Of Gods And Men - Xavier Beauvois
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives - Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Best Documentary
Exit Through The Gift Shop - Banksy
Marwencol - Jeff Malmberg
Restrepo - Sebastian Junger, Tim Hetherington
Sweetgrass - Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor
Thunder Soul - Mark Landsman

Best Cinematography
Adam Kimmel for Never Let Me Go
Matthew Libatique for Black Swan
Jody Lee Lipes for Tiny Furniture
Michael McDonough for Winter’s Bone
Harris Savides for Greenberg

Piaget Producers Award
honouring emerging producers who despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films
In-Ah Lee for Au Revoir Taipei
Adele Romanski for The Myth of the American Sleepover
Anish Savjani for Meek's Cutoff

Acura Someone to Watch Award
to a filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition
Mike Ott - Littlerock
Laurel Nakadate - The Wolf Knife
Hossein Keshavar - Dog Sweat

AVEENO Truer than Fiction Award
to an emerging director or non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition
Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor for Sweetgrass
Jeff Malmberg for Marwencol
Lynn True, Nelson Walker for Summer Pasture

Robert Altman Award
given to one films director, casting director and ensemble cast
Nicole Holofcener, Jeanne McCarthy, Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele for Please Give

Jameson Find Your Audience Awards
To be announced

The Spirit Awards will air on IFC on Saturday February 26, 2011 at 10pm EST/7pm PST. I am again hoping this year we'll be able to watch live in Canada!

See more at the Spirit Awards Website

25th Annual Spirit Awards Winners

The winners have been announced and Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire sweeps this years Spirit Awards winning best film, director, first screenplay and both lead and supporting actress . Wow. Crazy Heart takes home lead actor and first feature award and A Serious Man picks up cinematography and the Robert Alman Awards.

The Spirit Awards were aired live and uncut on IFC on Friday March 5, 2010 at 11pm EST/8pm PST in the States but not here in Canada. Maybe next year! See more at the Spirit Awards Website

Best Screenplay
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber - (500) Days of Summer

Best First Screenplay
Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Best Cinematography
A Serious Man

Best Foreign Film
An Education

Best Documentary
Anvil! The Story of Anvil

John Cassavetes Award (best feature made under $500,000)
Humpday

Best Supporting Female
Mo'Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Best Supporting Male
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger

Best Female Lead
Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Best Male Lead
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

Best First Feature
Crazy Heart

Best Director
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Best Feature
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Robert Altman Award (director, casting director and ensemble cast)
A Serious Man
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Casting Directors: Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner
Cast: Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Michael Stuhlbarg, Aaron Wolff

Someone to Watch Award
Kyle Patrick Alvarez: Easier with Practice

Piaget Producer Award
Karin Chien: The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa

Truer Than Fiction Award
Bill Ross, Turner Ross: 45365

25th Annual Spirit Awards Nominations

The announcement of the Spirit Awards nominations always feels like the beginning of awards season, and it was noted during the live stream announcement this morning that they do share them early to get the word out there on these great independent films. Top nods go to The Last Station and Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, both films received 5 nominations. The Last Station is nominated for: Best Screenplay - Michael Hoffman, Best Supporing Male - Christopher Plummer, Best Female Lead - Helen Mirren and Best Director - Michael Hoffman and Best Feature & Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire is nominated for Best First Screenplay - Geoffrey Fletcher, Best Supporting Female - Mo'Nique, Best Female Lead - Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe, Best Director - Lee Daniels and Best Feature. The three other films nominated for best feature are (500) Days of Summer, Amreeka and Sin Nombre. Coming in with 4 nominations is The Messenger which is up for Best Screenplay - Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, Best Supporting Female - Samantha Morton, Best Supporing Male - Woody Harrelson and Best First Feature.

The Messenger is one of the several films that I've heard a lot about, but has not released here in Toronto and I hope it does make it's way here soon. I am thrilled to see that (500) Days of Summer got some love, especially the great performance by Joseph Gorden-Levitt. Also nice to see Anvil! The Story of Anvil nominated for best doc and I think the surprize of the morning was Paranormal Activity nomination for Best First Feature for which you could hear folks in the audience slightly gasp. Go indie horror!!

The nominees are.....

Best Screenplay
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman - The Messenger
Michael Hoffman - The Last Station
Greg Mottola - Adventureland
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber - (500) Days of Summer
Lee Toland Krieger - The Vicious Kind

Best First Screenplay
Sophie Barthes - Cold Souls
Scott Cooper - Crazy Heart
Cherien Dabis - Amreeka
Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Tom Ford, David Scearce - A Single Man

Best Cinematography
A Serious Man
Sin Nombre
Treeless Mountain
Cold Souls
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Best Foreign Film
A Prophet
An Education
Everlasting Moments
Mother
The Maid

Best Documentary
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Food, Inc.
More Than a Game
October Country
Which Way Home

John Cassavetes Award (best feature made under $500,000)
Big Fan
Humpday
The New Years Parade
Treeless Mountain
Zero Bridge

Best Supporting Female
Mo'Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Dina Korzun - Cold Souls
Samantha Morton - The Messenger
Natalie Press - Fifty Dead Men Walking
Mia Wasikowska - That Evening Sun

Best Supporting Male
Jemaine Clement - Gentlemen Broncos
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christian McKay - Me & Orson Wells
Ray McKinnon - That Evening Sun
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station

Best Female Lead
Mario Bello - Downloading Nancy
Nisreen Faour - Amreeka
Helen Mirrin - The Last Station
Gwyneth Paltrow - Two Lovers
Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Best Male Lead
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - (500) Days of Summer
Souleymane Sy Savane - Goodbye Solo
Adam Scott - The Vicious King

Best First Feature
A Single Man
Crazy Heart
Easier with Practice
The Messenger
Paranormal Activity

Best Director
Joel & Ethan Coen - A Serious Man
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Cary Fukunaga - Sin Nombre
James Grey - Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman - The Last Station

Best Feature
(500) Days of Summer
Amreeka
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Sin Nombre
Last Station, The

Robert Altman Award (director, casting director and ensemble cast)
A Serious Man
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Casting Directors: Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner
Cast: Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Michael Stuhlbarg, Aaron Wolff

Someone to Watch Award
Kyle Patrick Alvarez: Easier with Practice
Asiel Norton: Redland
Tariq Tapa: Zero Bridge

Piaget Producer Award
Karin Chien: The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa
Larry Fessenden: I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil
Dia Sokol: Beeswax, Nights & Weekends

Truer Than Fiction Award
Natalia Almade: El General
Jessica Ordeck: Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
Bill Ross, Turner Ross: 45365

The Spirit Awards will air live and uncut on IFC on Friday March 5, 2010 at 11pm EST/8pm PST. Hopefully they will be available for to watch live in Canada this year!

See more at the Spirit Awards Website

Spirit Awards

26th Annual Spirit Awards (2010 Films)
26th Annual Spirit Awards Winners
26th Annual Spirit Awards Nominations

25th Annual Spirit Awards (2009 Films)
25th Annual Spirit Awards Winners
25th Annual Spirit Awards Nominations

24th Annual Spirit Awards (2008 Films)
24th Annual Spirit Awards Winners
24th Annual Spirit Awards Nominations

See more at the Spirit Awards Website