Eddie Izzard Hosts the 25th Annual Fillm Independent Spirit Awards, 3/5

Comedian Eddie Izzard will host the 25th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent has announced. The awards will take place the night of March 5th at LA Live's event deck in Los Angeles. Film Independent said of the comedian, "Izzard's tangential, absurd, bizarre, and surreal comic narratives are lauded for their creativity and wit, which suits the irreverent, laid-back style of the Spirit Awards."

Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, known for his lightening quick wit and surreal humor, returns to the US after a sold-out European tour. Critics have described Izzard as everything from the "funniest man in pretty much all of the known universe," to "a human search engine," to "a surrealist maestro of historical and scientific trivia, and "a one-man Monty Python crew." Izzard won acclaim in the U.S. with Dress To Kill, his one-man show which debuted on HBO and won two Emmy Awards.

In between tours, he has earned rave reviews for his acting talent seen on television in the hit FX series, "The Riches," on the big screen in Steven Soderbergh's "Oceans 13" and on Broadway, where he starred in the acclaimed revival of "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg." Izzard received a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance.

As the first event to honor independent film exclusively, Film Independent's Spirit Awards has made a name for itself as the premier awards event for the independent film community. It's a celebration of the spirited pioneers who bring a unique vision to filmmaking.

Along with being a great party, the Spirit Awards ceremony also brings together the top talent from independent film and Hollywood. Trophies are presented for the years' best achievements in independent film, with statues awarded for Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best Feature Made for Under $500,000 (the John Cassavetes Award), and many more.

Winners are chosen by those in the know: Film Independent members, with voting privileges extended to IFP members. Voters attend nominee screenings and view nominated films online and through Netflix before selecting the Spirit Award winners.

The nominees for the 25th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards are as follows:

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
(500) Days Of Summer - Producers: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Steven J.         Wolfe
Amreeka - Producers: Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan
Precious - Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness
Sin Nombre - Producer: Amy Kaufman
The Last Station - Producers: Bonnie Arnold, Chris Curling, Jens Meuer

BEST DIRECTOR
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen - A Serious Man
Lee Daniels - Precious
Cary Joji Fukunaga - Sin Nombre
James Gray - Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman - The Last Station

BEST SCREENPLAY
Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman - The Messenger
Michael Hoffman - The Last Station
Lee Toland Krieger - The Vicious Kind
Greg Mottola - Adventureland
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber - (500) Days Of Summer

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
A Single Man - Director: Tom Ford, Producers: Tom Ford, Andrew Miano, Robert Salerno, Chris     Weitz
Crazy Heart - Director: Scott Cooper, Producers: T Bone Burnett, Judy Cairo, Rob Carliner, Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall
Easier With Practice - Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Producer: Cookie Carosella
Paranormal Activity - Director: Oren Peli, Producer: Jason Blum, Oren Peli
The Messenger - Director: Oren Moverman, Producers: Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee, Zach Miller

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Sophie Barthes - Cold Souls
Scott Cooper - Crazy Heart
Cherien Dabis - Amreeka
Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious
Tom Ford, David Scearce - A Single Man

John Cassavetes AWARD - Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. 
Big Fan - Writer/Director: Robert Siegel, Producers: Elan Bogarin, Jean Kouremetis
Humpday - Writer/Director/Producer: Lynn Shelton
The New Year Parade - Writer/Director: Tom Quinn, Producers: Steve Beal, Tom Quinn
Treeless Mountain - Writer/Director: So Yong Kim, Producers: Bradley Rust Gray, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy
Zero Bridge - Writer/Director: Tariq Tapa, Producers: Josée Lajoie, Hilal Ahmed Langoo, Tariq Tapa

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Maria Bello - Downloading Nancy
Nisreen Faour - Amreeka
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Gwyneth Paltrow - Two Lovers
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

BEST MALE LEAD
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - (500) Days Of Summer
Souléymane Sy Savané - Goodbye Solo
Adam Scott - The Vicious Kind

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Dina Korzun - Cold Souls
Mo'Nique - Precious
Samantha Morton - The Messenger
Natalie Press - Fifty Dead Men Walking
Mia Wasikowska - That Evening Sun

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Jemaine Clement - Gentlemen Broncos
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
ChristIan McKay - Me and Orson Welles
Raymond McKinnon - That Evening Sun
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins - A Serious Man
Adriano Goldman - Sin Nombre
Anne Misawa - Treeless Mountain
Andrij Parekh - Cold Souls
Peter Zeitlinger - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
Anvil! The Story of Anvil - Director: Sacha Gervasi
Food, Inc. - Director: Robert Kenner
More Than A Game - Director: Kristopher Belman
October Country - Directors: Donal Mosher, Michael Palmieri
Which Way Home - Director: Rebecca Cammisa

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
A Prophet (Un Prophete) (France) - Director: Jacques Audiard
An Education (UK/France)- Director: Lone Scherfig
Everlasting Moments (Sweden) - Director: Jan Troell
Mother (South Korea) -Director: Bong Joon-Ho
The Maid (Chile) - Director: Sebastián Silva

ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD - The 16th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricTed Grant funded by Acura.
Kyle Patrick Alvarez - Easier With Practice
Asiel Norton - Redland
Tariq Tapa - Zero Bridge

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD - The 15th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricTed Grant.
Natalia Almada - El General
Jessica Oreck - Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
Bill Ross, Turner Ross - 45365

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD - The 13th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricTed Grant funded by Piaget.
Karin Chien - The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa
Larry Fessenden - I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil
Dia Sokol - Beeswax, Nights & Weekends

Robert Altman AWARD - (Given to one film's director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
A Serious Man
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Casting Directors: Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner
Ensemble Cast: Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Fred Melamed, Michael Stuhlbarg, Aaron Wolff

Photo credit: Eugene Lovedusky

 

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