Independent Spirit Award Winners Announced

The Wrestler wins Best Feature

by | February 21, 2009 | Comments

The best independent films of 2008 were recognized with the announcement of the Independent Spirit Award nominees. The awards show was broadcast live on IFC on Saturday, February 21st, and Milk and The Wrestler came away the biggest winners in a year that saw recognition handed out to several different recipients. Have a look at our full list of Nominees and Winners:


Best Feature


Ballast




Ballast


88%


Frozen River


Frozen River

87%


Rachel Getting Married


Rachel Getting Married

87%


Wendy and Lucy



Wendy and Lucy


84%


The Wrestler



The Wrestler


98%


Best Director


Chop Shop


Ramin Bahrani

Chop Shop


96%


Rachel Getting Married


Jonathan Demme
Rachel Getting Married

87%


Ballast


Lance Hammer
Ballast

88%


Frozen River


Courtney Hunt

Frozen River


87%


The Visitor

Tom McCarthy

The Visitor


91%


Best Screenplay


Vicky Cristina Barcelona


Woody Allen


Vicky Cristina Barcelona


82%


Sugar


Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Sugar

100%


Synecdoche New York


Charlie Kaufman
Synecdoche, New York

62%


Savage Grace


Howard A. Rodman
Savage Grace
N/A


Sangre de Mi Sangre


Christopher Zalla
Sangre de Mi Sangre
N/A


Best First Feature


Afterschool


Afterschool
Director: Antonio Campos
N/A


Medicine for Melancholy


Medicine for Melancholy
Director: Barry Jenkins

89%


Sangre de Mi Sangre


Sangre de Mi Sangre
Director: Christopher Zalla

82%


Sleep Dealer


Sleep Dealer
Director: Alex Rivera
N/A


Synecdohe New York


Synecdoche, New York
Director: Charlie Kaufman

62%


Best First Screenplay


Milk


Dustin Lance Black
Milk

93%


Ballast


Lance Hammer
Ballast

88%


Frozen River


Courtney Hunt
Frozen River

87%


The Wackness


The Wackness
Jonathan Levine

68%


Rachel Getting Married


Jenny Lumet
Rachel Getting Married

87%


John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)


In Search of a Midnight Kiss


In Search of a Midnight Kiss

84%


Prince of Broadway


Prince of Broadway
N/A


The Signal


The Signal

54%


Take Out


Take Out

100%


Turn the River


Turn the River

67%


Best Female Lead:

Summer Bishil, Towelhead

Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Tarra Riggs, Ballast

Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy


Best Male Lead:

Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Richard Jenkins, The Visitor

Sean Penn, Milk

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler


Best Supporting Female:

Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married

Rosie Perez, The Take

Misty Upham, Frozen River

Debra Winger, Rachel Getting Married


Best Supporting Male:

James Franco, Milk

Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker

Charlie McDermott, Frozen River

JimMyron Ross, Ballast

Haaz Sleiman, The Visitor


Best Cinematography:

Maryse Alberti, The Wrestler

Lol Crowley, Ballast

James Laxton, Medicine for Melancholy

Harris Savides, Milk

Michael Simmonds, Chop Shop


Best Documentary:

The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Director: Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath

Encounters at the End of the World
Director: Werner Herzog

Man on Wire
Director: James Marsh

The Order of Myths
Director: Margaret Brown

Up the Yangtze
Director: Yang Chung


Best Foreign Film:

The Class (France)
Director: Laurent Cantet

Gomorrah (Italy)
Director: Matteo Garrone

Hunger (UK/Ireland)
Director: Steve McQueen

Secret of the Grain (France)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

Silent Light (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)
Director: Carlos Reygadas


Robert Altman Award (Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast):

Synecdoche, New York
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams


Someone to Watch Award:

Barry Jenkins, Medicine for Melancholy

Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues

Lynn Shelton, My Effortless Brilliance


Truer Than Fiction Award:

Margaret Brown, The Order of Myths

Sacha Gervasi, Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Darius Marder, Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, Treeless Mountain and I’ll Come Running

Jason Orans, Goodbye Solo and Year of the Fish

Heather Rae, Frozen River and Ibid