The 26th Independent Spirit Awards announced!

I can't believe it.  It seemed like yesterday that I was excited about the start of awards season and here we are at the very end.  Today is the turn of the anti-Oscars, The Independent Spirit Awards which honors the best of independent and small films that normally don't get noticed by Oscars.  There are few names that you will find on the Oscar ballot too.  In recent years, there are many names that are beginning to overlap.  Now, onto the winners!

(Pics: Thanks to Just Jared/Indiewire)

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
Black Swan

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
Get Low

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
Daddy Longlegs

BEST SCREENPLAY
Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

BEST MALE LEAD
James Franco, 127 Hours

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
Exit Through The Gift Shop

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
The King’s Speech

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Please Give
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sara Steele

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Anish Savjani, Meek’s Cutoff

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Mike Ott, Littlerock

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Jeff Malmberg, Marwencol