30th Film Independent Spirit Award Winners
On the eve of the Oscars, an awards show with a more independent flair takes the stage down the road.
The Independent Spirit Awards took place starting at 5 p.m. EST Feb. 21. It is put on by Film Independent, a group of movie-lovers including both industry insiders and movie buffs. Membership is paid but open to "anyone passionate about film," the group says.
Though the show generally recognizes films with a budget of $20 million or less, the nominees and even the winners in similar categories have overlapped with the Oscars in recent years, the Associated Press reports.
Here are the nominees and winners in each category.
BEST FEATURE
Winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"
Ava DuVernay, "Selma"
Alejandro G. Irritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter"
BEST SCREENPLAY
Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler"
Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, "Big Eyes"
J.C. Chandor, "A Most Violent Year"
Jim Jarmusch, "Only Lovers Left Alive"
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, "Love is Strange"
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Winner: "Nightcrawler"
"A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night"
"Dear White People"
"Obvious Child"
"She's Lost Control"
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Justin Simien, "Dear White People"
Desiree Akhavan, "Appropriate Behavior"
Sara Colangelo, "Little Accidents"
Justin Lader, "The One I Love"
Anja Marquardt, "She's Lost Control"
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Best feature made for under $500,000)
"Land Ho!"
"Blue Ruin"
"It Felt Like Love"
"Man From Reno"
"Test"
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Winner: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Marion Cotillard, "The Immigrant"
Rinko Kikuchi, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter"
Jenny Slate, "Obvious Child"
Tilda Swinton, "Only Lovers Left Alive"
BEST MALE LEAD
Winner: Michael Keaton, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Andre Benjamin, "Jimi: All Is By My Side"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler"
John Lithgow, "Love is Strange"
David Oyelowo, "Selma"
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Winner: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Jessica Chastain, "A Most Violent Year"
Carmen Ejogo, "Selma"
Andrea Suarez Paz, "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors"
Emma Stone, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Winner: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Riz Ahmed, "Nightcrawler"
Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
Alfred Molina, "Love is Strange"
Edward Norton, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Immigrant
It Felt Like Love
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Selma
BEST EDITING
Winner: Whiplash
Boyhood
Nightcrawler
A Most Violent Year
The Guest
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: CITIZENFOUR
20,000 Days on Earth
Stray Dog
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Winner: Ida (Poland)
Force Majeure (Sweden)
Leviathan (Russia)
Mommy (Canada)
Norte, the End of History (Philippines)
Under the Skin (United Kingdom)
See the full list of awards, including special awards, on the Film Independent website.
