Independent Spirit Award Winners Announced

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

Best Director

Best Screenplay

Best First Feature

Best First Screenplay

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

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