The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984,
are awards dedicated to
independent filmmakers.
Winners were typically presented with
acrylic glass pyramid
A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...
s containing suspended shoestrings representing the bare budgets of
independent films. Since 2006, winners have received 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.
In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit Awards. Now called the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the show 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.
The awards show is held inside a tent in a parking lot at the beach in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, usually on the day before the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
(since 1999; originally the Saturday before). The show is broadcast live on the
IFC network, as well as
Hollywood Suite
Hollywood Suite is a group of four Canadian specialty channels, each either majority-owned or wholly owned by Hollywood Suite Inc., a privately held broadcasting company based in Toronto, Ontario.
The four channels are primarily devoted to classi ...
in Canada and
A&E Latin America.
In 2020, new categories were announced for the
36th Independent Spirit Awards
The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films and television series of 2020, were presented by Film Independent on April 22, 2021. Though it was initially intended for the ceremony to air on April 24, 2021, it was ...
, 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. In 2022, it was announced that
gender neutral
Gender neutrality (adjective form: gender-neutral), also known as gender-neutralism or the gender neutrality movement, is the idea that policies, language, and other social institutions (social structures or gender roles) should avoid distinguish ...
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.
Categories
Current categories
Retired categories
History
The Independent Features Project/West was founded by
Gregory Nava and
Anna Thomas
Anna Thomas (born July 12, 1948) is a German-born American author, screenwriter, and film producer. She is best known as the author of the 1972 vegetarian cookbook, ''The Vegetarian Epicure'', which contributed to the rise of the vegetarian mov ...
.
In 1984 the FINDIE Awards (Friends of Independents) were conceived by Independent Features Project/West board member Jeanne Lucas
and Independent Features Project/West President Anne Kimmel and director/writer Sam O'Brien was an event producer.
The awards are voted on by a nominating committee.
In 1985,
Peter Coyote and
Jamie Lee Curtis presented winners with a Plexiglas pyramid designed by Carol Bosselman, which contain a suspended shoestring, printed with sprocket holes, representing the shoestring budgets of independent films. The Reel Gold Award, also designed by Bosselman, was given to Steve Wachtel for allowing Independent Features Project/West continuing free use of his screening room. It was associated with
Filmex.
In 1986, Bosselman designed and sculpted the Independent Spirit Award statue that is still given out today, using a lost wax bronze casting method.
Independent Features Project/West eventually became Film Independent.
Dawn Hudson was director of Independent Features Project/West in 1995.
Barbara Boyle was Independent Features Project/West president from 1994 to 1999.
Independent Features Project eventually became
Independent Filmmaker Project.
Ceremonies
See also
*
American Cinematheque
The American Cinematheque is an independent, nonprofit cultural organization in Los Angeles, California, United States dedicated exclusively to the public presentation of the moving image in all its forms.
The Cinematheque was created in 1981 as ...
*
Filmex
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Independent Spirit Awards
American film awards
Awards established in 1984
1984 establishments in the United States