24th Independent Spirit Awards

The 2008 Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 2008, were announced on February 21, 2009. It was hosted by Steve Coogan.

Nominees and winners

Best Feature

The Wrestler

• Ballast
• Frozen River
• Rachel Getting Married
• Wendy and Lucy

Best First Feature

Synecdoche, New York

• Afterschool
• Medicine for Melancholy
• Sangre de Mi Sangre
• Sleep Dealer

Best Director

Thomas McCarthy – The Visitor

• Ramin Bahrani – Chop Shop
• Jonathan Demme – Rachel Getting Married
• Lance Hammer – Ballast
• Courtney Hunt – Frozen River

Best Male Lead

Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

• Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Richard Jenkins – The Visitor
• Sean Penn – Milk
• Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker

Best Female Lead

Melissa Leo – Frozen River

• Summer Bishil – Towelhead
• Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
• Tarra Riggs – Ballast
• Michelle Williams – Wendy and Lucy

Best Supporting Male

James Franco – Milk

• Anthony Mackie – The Hurt Locker
• Charlie McDermott – Frozen River
• Jim Myron Ross – Ballast
• Haaz Sleiman – The Visitor

Best 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

Best Screenplay

Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Woody Allen

• Sangre de Mi Sangre – Christopher Zalla
• Savage Grace – Howard A. Rodman
• Sugar – Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
• Synecdoche, New York – Charlie Kaufman

Best First Screenplay

Milk – Dustin Lance Black

• Ballast – Lance Hammer
• Frozen River – Courtney Hunt
• Rachel Getting Married – Jenny Lumet
• The Wackness – Jonathan Levine

Best Cinematography

The Wrestler – Maryse Alberti

• Ballast – Lol Crawley
• Chop Shop – Michael Simmonds
• Medicine for Melancholy – James Laxton
• Milk – Harris Savides

Best Foreign Film

The Class • France

• Gomorrah • Italy
• Hunger • Ireland/UK
• The Secret of the Grain • France
• Silent Light • Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany

Best Documentary Feature

Man on Wire

• The Betrayal
• Encounters at the End of the World
• The Order of Myths
• Up the Yangtze

John Cassavetes Award

In Search of a Midnight Kiss

• Prince of Broadway
• The Signal
• Take Out
• Turn the River

Truer Than Fiction Award

The Order of Myths

• Anvil! The Story of Anvil
• Loot

Producers Award

Heather Rae – Frozen River and Ibid

• Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy – Treeless Mountain and I'll Come Running
• Jason Orans – Goodbye Solo and Year of the Fish

Someone to Watch Award

Lynn Shelton – My Effortless Brilliance

• Barry Jenkins – Medicine for Melancholy
• Nina Paley – Sita Sings the Blues

Robert Altman Award

• Synecdoche, New York

External links

• 2008 Spirit Awards at IMDb