Spirit Awards 2009
2009 Spirit Awards
2009 Spirit Award nominations: Dec. 2, 2008.
2009 Spirit Award winners: Feb. 21, 2009.
("*" denotes the winner in each category)
Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler was the big winner at the 2009 Spirit Awards, bagging trophies for best independent film, best actor for Mickey Rourke, who plays an aging wrestler attempting a comeback (and who dedicated his award to his recently deceased chihuahua, Loki), and best cinematography (Maryse Alberti). Best supporting actress winner Penélope Cruz (for Vicky Cristina Barcelona) thanked Woody Allen — who won the Spirit Award for best screenplay — "just for letting me be around him … He’s really the symbol of independence in our industry." According to Cruz, Allen abruptly left the set on the day she was to shoot her kissing scene with Scarlett Johansson, for the director had found a freckle on his hand and wanted a dermatologist to examine it. "He just left, and I love him for that," Cruz added.
FEATURE (Award given to the producer)
Ballast – Producer: Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh
Frozen River – Producers: Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
Rachel Getting Married – Producers: Jonathan Demme, Neda Armin, Marc Platt
Wendy and Lucy – Producer: Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
* The Wrestler – Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin
FOREIGN FILM
* The Class (France) – Director: Laurent Cantet
Gomorra (Italy) – Director: Matteo Garrone
Hunger (UK/Ireland) – Director: Steve McQueen
Secret of the Grain (France) – Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Silent Light (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany) – Director: Carlos Reygadas
FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
Afterschool
Director: Antonio Campos
Producers: Sean Durkin, Josh Mond
Medicine for Melancholy
Director: Barry Jenkins
Producer: Justin Barber
Sangre De Mi Sangre
Director: Christopher Zalla
Producers: Per Melita, Benjamin Odell
Sleep Dealer
Director: Alex Rivera
Producer: Anthony Bregman
* Synecdoche, New York
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
The Betrayal – Director: Ellen Kuras & Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World – Director: Werner Herzog
* Man on Wire – Director: James Marsh
The Order of Myths – Director: Margaret Brown
Up the Yangtze – Director: Yung Chang
DIRECTOR
Ramin Bahrani, Chop Shop
Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
Lance Hammer, Ballast
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
* Tom McCarthy, The Visitor
MALE LEAD
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Sean Penn, Milk
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
* Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
FEMALE LEAD
Summer Bishil, Towelhead
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
* Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Tarra Riggs, Ballast
Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
SUPPORTING MALE
* James Franco, Milk
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Charlie McDermott, Frozen River
Jim Myron Ross, Ballast
Haaz Sleiman, The Visitor
SUPPORTING FEMALE
* Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Rosie Perez, The Take
Misty Upham, Frozen River
Debra Winger, Rachel Getting Married
SCREENPLAY
* Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, Sugar
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
Howard A. Rodman, Savage Grace
Christopher Zalla, Sangre De Mi Sangre
FIRST SCREENPLAY
* Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Lance Hammer, Ballast
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Jonathan Levine, The Wackness
Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
CINEMATOGRAPHY
* Maryse Alberti, The Wrestler
Lol Crawley, Ballast
James Laxton, Medicine for Melancholy
Harris Savides, Milk
Michael Simmonds, Chop Shop
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
* In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Writer/Director: Alex Holdridge
Producers: Seth Caplan, Scoot McNairy
Prince of Broadway
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker, Darren Dean
Producer: Darren Dean
The Signal
Writer/Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Producers: Jacob Gentry, Alexander Motlagh
Take Out
Writer/Director/Producers: Sean Baker, Shih-Ching Tsou
Turn the River
Writer/Director: Chris Eigeman
Producer: Ami Armstrong
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
* Synecdoche, New York
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams
IFC/ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Barry Jenkins, director of Medicine for Melancholy
Nina Paley, director of Sita Sings the Blues
* Lynn Shelton, director of My Effortless Brilliance
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
* Margaret Brown, director of The Order of Myths
Sacha Gervasi, director of Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Darius Marder, director of Loot
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, producers of Treeless Mountain and I’ll Come Running
Jason Orans, producer of Goodbye Solo and Year of the Fish
* Heather Rae, producer of Frozen River and Ibid
Film Independent’s Spirit Awards Site
Spirit Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Film Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
National Board of Review Awards 2008
Brasilia Film Festival Awards 2008
Turin Film Festival Awards 2008
Stockholm Film Festival Awards 2008
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So happy for James Franco. He was wonderful in MILK. Glad to see him finally get some recognition for his very fine work in this film.