Independent Spirit Award for Best Film Annual award
The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film (or Best Feature ) is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards , presented to recognize the best in independent filmmaking, it was first awarded in 1985 with Martin Scorsese 's film After Hours being the first recipient of the award.
Criteria
In order to be considered as an independent film and therefore being eligible to this category, nomination committees base their decision on four criteria, "uniqueness of vision, original, provocative subject matter, percentage of financing from independent sources and economy of means"; the latter refers to a budget ceiling of $22.5 million.[ 1] In 2022, Film Independent increased the budget cap for eligible films to $30 million to account for the rising cost of production.[ 2]
In the following lists, the first titles listed are winners. These are also in bold and in blue background; those not in bold are nominees.
Winners and nominees
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Year
Winner
Distributing company(s)
Director(s)
2020 [ 26] [ 27]
Nomadland
Searchlight Pictures
Chloé Zhao
First Cow
A24
Kelly Reichardt
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Netflix
George C. Wolfe
Minari
A24
Lee Isaac Chung
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Focus Features
Eliza Hittman
2021 [ 28]
The Lost Daughter
Netflix
Maggie Gyllenhaal
A Chiara
Neon
Jonas Carpignano
C’mon C’mon
A24
Mike Mills
The Novice
IFC Films
Lauren Hadaway
Zola
A24
Janicza Bravo
2022 [ 29]
Everything Everywhere All at Once
A24
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Bones and All
MGM/United Artists Releasing
Luca Guadagnino
Our Father, the Devil
Resolve Media
Ellie Foumbi
Tár
Focus Features
Todd Field
Women Talking
MGM/United Artists Releasing
Sarah Polley
2023 [ 30]
Past Lives
A24
David Hinojosa , Pamela Koffler , and Christine Vachon
All of Us Strangers
Searchlight Pictures
Graham Broadbent , Pete Czernin , and Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios
Cord Jefferson , Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, and Ben LeClair
May December
Netflix
Jessica Elbaum , Will Ferrell , Grant S. Johnson , Pamela Koffler , Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman , and Christine Vachon
Passages
Mubi
Michel Merkt and Saïd Ben Saïd
We Grown Now
Sony Pictures Classics
Minhal Baig and Joe Pirro
2025 [ 31] [ 32]
Anora
Neon
Sean Baker , Alex Coco, and Samantha Quan
I Saw the TV Glow
A24
Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary , Emma Stone , and Sarah Winshall
Nickel Boys
Amazon MGM Studios
Joslyn Barnes , Dede Gardner , Jeremy Kleiner , and David Levine
Sing Sing
A24
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, and Monique Walton
The Substance
Mubi
Tim Bevan , Coralie Fargeat , and Eric Fellner
Distributors with most wins and nominations (2 or more)
Netflix - 4 (one win)
A24 - 14 (four wins)
Island Pictures - 3 (one win)
Fox Searchlight/Searchlight Pictures - 17 (eight wins)
Orion Pictures - 4 (one win)
Columbia/Sony Pictures Classics - 20 (one win)
The Weinstein Company - 4 (two wins)
Miramax - 9 (three wins)
Universal/Focus Features - 13 (four wins)
Fine Line Features - 7 (two wins)
IFC Films - 5 (no wins)
Samuel Goldwyn - 8 (no wins)
MGM/United Artists/Amazon - 6 (1 win)
Artisan Entertainment - 3 (no wins)
New Line Cinema - 6 (one win)
October Films - 7 (one win)
Lionsgate - 7 (two wins)
New Yorker Films - 3 (no wins)
Warner Bros/Warner Independent Films - 3 (two wins)
Paramount/Paramount Vantage - 5 (one win)
Mubi - 2 (no wins)
References
^ "FAQ" . Film Independent . Retrieved December 24, 2021 .
^ Hammond, Pete (2022-08-23). "Spirit Awards Set 2023 Date, Go Gender-Neutral And Increase Budget Cap" . Deadline . Retrieved 2023-10-17 .
^ Film Independent Spirit Awards - 34 Years of Nominees and Winners
^ " 'The Limey,' 'Election' Got the Spirit" . Hollywood.com . January 14, 2000. Retrieved August 17, 2012 .
^ " 'Election' Elected by Spirit Awards" . Hollywood.com . March 26, 2000. Retrieved August 17, 2012 .
^ "Tiger Takes 3 Spirit Awards" . ABC News . March 24, 2001. Retrieved August 19, 2012 .
^ " "Memento" Has the Spirit" . E! Online . March 23, 2002. Retrieved August 19, 2012 .
^ Hernandez, Eugene; Brooks, Brian (March 22, 2003). " "Far From Heaven" Sweeps 2003 Independent Spirit Awards" . IndieWire . Retrieved August 20, 2012 .
^ Hernandez, Eugene (February 28, 2004). " "Lost In Translation" Tops Independent Spirit Awards, "Station Agent" Another Big Winner" . IndieWire . Retrieved August 20, 2012 .
^ Hernandez, Eugene (February 28, 2005). "Sideways Wins Six at Independent Spirit Awards" . IndieWire . Retrieved August 21, 2012 .
^ Germain, David (March 4, 2006). " 'Brokeback' named best independent film" . USA Today . Retrieved August 21, 2012 .
^ McNary, Dave (February 24, 2007). " 'Sunshine' brightens Spirit Awards" . Variety . Retrieved August 21, 2012 .
^ Siegel, Tatiana (February 23, 2008). " 'Juno' tops Spirit Awards" . Variety . Retrieved August 22, 2012 .
^ Brooks, Brian (February 21, 2009). " "The Wrestler" Leads 2009 Spirit Award Winners" . IndieWire . Retrieved August 25, 2012 .
^ Breznican, Anthony (March 6, 2010). " 'Precious' dominates Spirit Awards with 5 prizes" . USA Today . Retrieved August 25, 2012 .
^ Knegt, Peter (February 27, 2011). " "Black Swan" Lead Spirit Award Winners" . IndieWire . Retrieved August 25, 2012 .
^ McNary, Dave (February 25, 2012). " 'The Artist' dominates Spirit Awards" . Variety . Retrieved August 26, 2012 .
^ "Independent Spirit Awards 2013: Winners List" . The Hollywood Reporter . February 23, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2013 .
^ Atkinson, Katie. "Independent Spirit Awards 2014: The winners list" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 9, 2020 .
^ "Spirit Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List" . The Hollywood Reporter . February 21, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2020 .
^ "Spirit Awards 2016: Complete Winners List" . Variety . February 27, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2020 .
^ Earl, William (February 26, 2017). "2017 Independent Spirit Awards: Full Winners List" . IndieWire . Retrieved February 9, 2020 .
^ Nyren, Erin (March 3, 2018). "2018 Independent Spirit Awards: Winners List (Updating Live)" . Variety . Retrieved February 9, 2020 .
^ Welk, Brian (February 24, 2019). "Independent Spirit Awards 2019: Complete Winners List" . TheWrap . Retrieved February 9, 2020 .
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Blyth, Antonia (February 8, 2020). "Independent Spirit Awards Redresses Female Balance With Wins For Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde & Julia Reichert – Complete Winners List" . Deadline . Retrieved February 9, 2020 .
^ Grobar, Matt (April 22, 2021). " 'Nomadland' Wins Independent Spirit Awards For Best Picture, Director, Editing & Cinematography, Further Solidifying Oscars Prospects" . Deadline . Retrieved December 24, 2021 .
^ Sharf, Zack (April 23, 2021). "2021 Independent Spirit Awards Winner's List" . IndieWire . Retrieved December 24, 2021 .
^ Long, Brent; Tangcay, Jazz (December 14, 2021). "Indie Spirit Awards 2022: Full List of Nominations" . Variety . Retrieved December 14, 2021 .
^ Davis, Clayton (November 22, 2022). "Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere' Leads With Eight Noms" . Variety . Retrieved November 22, 2022 .
^ "Film Independent Spirit Awards (2024)" . IMDb . Retrieved 2024-02-25 .
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2024-12-04). "Spirit Awards Best Feature Nominees Include 'Anora', 'I Saw The TV Glow', 'Nickel Boys', 'Sing Sing' & 'The Substance' " . Deadline . Retrieved 2024-12-04 .
^ Lattanzio, Ryan (December 4, 2024). " 'Anora' and 'I Saw the TV Glow' Lead Spirit Award Noms with Six Each — See the Full List" . IndieWire . Retrieved December 5, 2024 .
External links
Current categories Retired categories Ceremonies
(years are of film release; ceremonies are the following year)