Independent Spirit Awards

Independent Spirit Awards
Current: 39th Independent Spirit Awards
Awarded forExcellence in the independent film industry
CountryUnited States
Presented byFilm Independent[1]
First awardedMarch 3, 1984; 40 years ago
Websitewww.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/

The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers.[2][3] Founded in 1984,[4][5] the event was renamed the Independent Spirit Awards in 1986. The ceremony is produced by Film Independent, a not-for-profit arts organization that used to produce the LA Film Festival. Film Independent members vote to determine the winners of the Spirit Awards.[6]

The awards show is held inside a tent at a parking lot of the beach in Santa Monica, usually on the day before the Academy Awards (since 1999; originally the Saturday before).[7] The show was previously broadcast live on the IFC network in the US until 2023, when it was moved to YouTube,[8] as well as Hollywood Suite in Canada and A&E Latin America.[9] Winners were previously presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the bare budgets of independent films.[10] Since 2006, winners receive a metal trophy depicting a bird with its wings spread sitting atop of a pole with the shoestrings from the previous design wrapped around the pole.[citation needed]

In 2020, new categories were announced for the 36th Independent Spirit Awards, which would honor the best in television productions and performances. These categories included Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance, Best Female Performance, and Best Ensemble Cast.[11] In 2022, it was announced that gender neutral acting categories would be implemented and that the previous gendered film categories — Male Lead, Female Lead, Male Supporting and Female Supporting — would be retired in favor of a Best Lead Performance and a Best Supporting Performance categories, which would feature 10 nominees each. Other new categories added included Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Lead and Supporting Performance in the TV section.[12]

  1. ^ "Film Independent". filmindependent.org. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  2. ^ Picker, David V. (2004), "The Film Company as Financier-Distributor", in Jason E. Squire (ed.), The movie business book, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-0-7432-1937-2, OCLC 53953524, retrieved September 29, 2011
  3. ^ English, James F. (2008), "The Age of Awards", The Economy of Prestige: Prizes, Awards, and the Circulation of Cultural Value, United States of America: Harvard University Press, p. 86, ISBN 978-0-674-03043-5, OCLC 221175319, retrieved September 29, 2011
    provides alternative start date as 1986, not 1984
  4. ^ "History - Film Independent". Filmindependent.org. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  5. ^ Collins, Keith (February 25, 2005). "Independence days". variety.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  6. ^ Sickels, Robert (2009), "Coveted Awards", The Business of Entertainment: Movies, United States of America: Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 141, ISBN 978-0-275-99840-0, OCLC 644042790, retrieved September 28, 2011
  7. ^ Steele, Bruce C. (February 28, 2006), "It's Ang Lee vs. Gregg Araki!", The Advocate, Here Media, p. 49, retrieved September 28, 2011
  8. ^ Film Independent Spirit Awards, IFC, archived from the original on May 22, 2011, retrieved September 28, 2011. Citation supporting televised on IFC in 2011.
  9. ^ "A&E Latinoamérica". mx.canalaetv.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  10. ^ 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' lands 8 Independent Spirit Award nominations - Yahoo News
  11. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 29, 2020). "Film Independent Spirit Awards Adds TV Categories For Upcoming 2021 Program". Deadline. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  12. ^ Chapman, Wilson (August 23, 2022). "Spirit Awards to Implement Gender Neutral Acting Categories". Variety. Retrieved September 9, 2022.