2005 IFC Independent Spirit Awards

An event that is just as enjoyable as the Oscar for me in recent years has become the Independent Spirit Awards, handed out the Saturday before the Academy does their bit. With hosts like John Waters and a much looser and more fun atmosphere, it's usually a good show. And on blanace the movies they are nominating and awarding are usually a damn sight better than what goes on across town the following day.

The live show begins today at 2:00pm Pacific on the Independent Film Channel, and is rebroadcast again tonight. This year's nominees...

Best Supporting Female
Cate Blachett, Coffee and Cigarettes
Yenny Paola Vega, Maria Full of Grace
Robin Simmons, Robbing Peter
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
Loretta Devine, Woman Thou Art Loosed

Best Supporting Male
Roger Robinson, Brother to Brother
Aidan Quinn, Cavedweller
Peter Sarsgaard, Kinsey
John Gries, Napoleon Dynamite
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways

Best Screenplay
Before Sunset, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke
The Door in the Floor, Tod Williams
Baadasssss!, Mario Van Peebles and Dennis Haggerty
Kinsey, Bill Condon
Sideways, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor

Best First Screenplay
Brother to Brother, Rodney Evans
Garden State, Zach Braff
Maria Full of Grace, Joshua Marston
Primer, Shane Carruth
Robbing Peter, Mario F. de la Vega

Best Cinematography
Dandelion, Tim Orr
Diarios de Motocicleta, Eric Gautier
Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story, David Greene
Saints and Soldiers, Ryan Little
We Don't Live Here Anymore, Maryse Alberti

Best Documentary
Bright Leaves, Ross McElwee
Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed, Shola Lynch
Hiding and Seeking: Faith and Tolerance After the Holocaust, Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
Tarnation, Jonathan Caouette

Best Foreign Film
Feux Rouges, Cédric Kahn - France
La Mala Educación, Pedro Almodóvar - Spain
Mar Adentro, Alejandro Amenábar - Spain.
Oasis, Chang-dong Lee - South Korea
Yesterday, Darrell Roodt - South Africa

Best Debut Performance
Anthony Mackie, Brother to Brother
Rodrigo De la Serna, The Motorcycle Diaries
David Sullivan, Primer
Louie Olivos Jr., Robbing Peter
Hannah Pilkes, The Woodsman

Best First Feature
Brother to Brother
Garden State
Napoleon Dynamite
Saints and Soldiers
The Woodsman

Best Female Lead
Kyra Sedgwick, Cavedweller
Vera Farmiga, Down to the Bone
Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace
Judy Marte, On the Outs
Kimberly Elise, Woman Thou Art Loosed

Best Male Lead
Jeff Bridges, The Door in the Floor
Liam Neeson, Kinsey
Jamie Foxx, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
Paul Giamatti, Sideways
Kevin Bacon, The Woodsman

Best Director
Walter Salles, The Motorcycle Diaries
Mario Van Peebles, Baadasssss!
Joshua Marston, Maria Full of Grace
Shane Carruth, Primer
Alexander Payne, Sideways

Best Feature
Baadassss!
Kinsey
Maria Full of Grace
Primer
Sideways



If you've got IFC on your cable or satellite system, check it out.

__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

I wish I had had more of an opportunity to see more than two of these films.

__________________
"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

Woah, woah, woah.

Ross McElwee has a new documentary out!? The quest begins!

Edit: upon imdb query I am reminded that I did, indeed, know this film existed and had somehow forgotten.

__________________
Horror's Not Dead
Latest Movie Review(s): Too lazy to keep this up to date. New reviews every week.

Is Eternal Sunshine considered an Independant film?

__________________
" I see in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, whe we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. May and hour of wolves and shattered shields before the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we Fight! For all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand men of the west!!"
-Aragorn: The Lord of the Rings the Return of the King

Oh great...here he goes again...

Anywho, Pike? You made a mistake: Jon Gries is spelled with no "H". It's cool though- we all make mistakes.

And yes, I am going to check the awards out. Personally, I hope Napoleon Dynamite wins for Best First Feature, but I think that Garden State will win it.

__________________
Everything I do, I do to make my second stepdad proud.

Hey! Who called it?

Winners...


Best Supporting Female
Virginia Madsen, Sideways

Best Supporting Male
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways

Best Screenplay
Sideways, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor

Best First Screenplay
Maria Full of Grace, Joshua Marston

Best Cinematography
Diarios de Motocicleta, Eric Gautier

Best Documentary
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky

Best Foreign Film
Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside), Alejandro Amenábar - Spain

Best Debut Performance
Rodrigo De la Serna, The Motorcycle Diaries

Best First Feature
Garden State

Best Female Lead
Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace

Best Male Lead
Paul Giamatti, Sideways

Best Director
Alexander Payne, Sideways

Best Feature
Sideways


Best acceptance speech of the day was Thomas Haden Church's, very heartfelt and emotional. Good thing he got it all out there, as he won't be striding to the stage Oscar night to accept any awards. Second best was Gael García Bernal accepting for his co-star Rodrigo De la Serna. Worst speech went to Josh Marston, who was dull and wouldn't shut up. Worst presenter, as with most awards shows he goes to, Robin Williams, with his same old dull schtick. This time Robin's tired antics seriously distracting from the Sideways producer's moment in accepting Best Feature.

Thanks for the update Holden... I'll have to start looking for these films on Netflix ASAP.

__________________
Toefuzz.com - Movie reviews and quotes for those of us fortunate enough to not have our heads shoved up overly critical rectums!

My Top 100 favorite movies.