Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award

The Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award is presented to the creative team of a film budgeted at less than $500,000 by the Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It is named after actor/screenwriter/director John Cassavetes, a pioneer of American independent film.

Created for the 15th Independent Spirit Awards, it was originally called the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature (Under $500,000). After that, the rules changed so that any feature film budgeted under $500,000 could be eligible (regardless of how many films the director has made), hence the new name.

Winners[]

1990s[]

• 1999: The Blair Witch Project – Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, directors; Gregg Hale and Robin Cowie, producers
  • La Ciudad (The City) – David Riker, director and producer; Paul S. Mezey, producer
  • Compensation – Zeinabu irene Davis, director and producer; Marc Arthur Chery, producer
  • Judy Berlin – Eric Mendelsohn, director; Rocco Caruso, producer
  • Treasure Island – Scott King, director; Adrienne Gruben, producer

2000s[]

• 2000: Chuck & Buck – Miguel Arteta, director; Matthew Greenfield; producer; Mike White, screenwriter
  • Bunny – Mia Trachinger, director/screenwriter/producer; Rebecca Sonnenshine, producer
  • Everything Put Together – Marc Forster, director/screenwriter; Adam Forgash, screenwriter; Sean Furst and Catherine Lloyd Burns, producers
  • Groove – Greg Harrison, director/screenwriter; Danielle Renfrew, producer
  • Our Song – Jim McKay, director/screenwriter/producer; Paul S. Mezey and Diana E. Williams, producers
• 2001: Jackpot – Michael Polish, screenwriter/director; Mark Polish, screenwriter/producer
  • Acts of Worship
  • Kaaterskill Falls
  • Punks
  • Virgil Bliss
• 2002: Personal Velocity – Rebecca Miller, screenwriter/director; Lemore Syvan, Alexis Alexanian, and Gary Winick, producers^[1]
  • Charlotte Sometimes
  • Dahmer
  • ivans xtc.
  • The Slaughter Rule
• 2003: The Station Agent – Tom McCarthy, screenwriter/director; Mary Jane Skalski, Robert May, and Kathryn Tucker, producers^[2]
  • Anne B. Real
  • Better Luck Tomorrow
  • Pieces of April
  • Virgin
• 2004: Mean Creek – Jacob Aaron Estes, screenwriter/director; Hagai Shaham, Rick Rosenthal, and Susan Johnson, producers
  • Down to the Bone
  • On the Outs
  • Robbing Peter
  • Unknown Soldier
• 2005: Conventioneers – Mora Stephens, screenwriter/director; Joel Viertel, screenwriter/producer
  • Brick-Rian Johnson (director/screenwriter)
  • Jellysmoke
  • The Puffy Chair-Mark and Jay Duplass (director/producer/screenwriters)
  • Room
• 2006: Quinceañera - Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland, directors/screenwriters, Anne Clements, producer
  • 12 and Holding
  • Chalk
  • Four Eyed Monsters
  • Old Joy-Kelly Reichardt (director/screenwriter)
• 2007: August Evening – Chris Eska, screenwriter/director; Connie Hill and Jason Wehling, producers
  • Owl and the Sparrow
  • The Pool
  • Quiet City
  • Shotgun Stories
• 2008: In Search of a Midnight Kiss – Alex Holdridge, screenwriter/director; Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy, producers
  • Prince of Broadway
  • The Signal
  • Take Out
  • Turn the River
• 2009: Humpday – Lynn Shelton, screenwriter/director; Steven Schardt and Jennifer Maas, producers
  • Big Fan
  • The New Year Parade
  • Treeless Mountain
  • Zero Bridge

2010s[]

• 2010: Daddy Longlegs – Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie, screenwriters/directors; Casey Neistat and Tom Scott, producers
  • The Exploding Girl
  • Lbs.
  • Lovers of Hate
  • Obselidia
• 2011: Pariah – Dee Rees, screenwriter/director, Nekisa Cooper, producer
  • Bellflower
  • Circumstance
  • The Dynamiter
  • Hello Lonesome
• 2012: Middle of Nowhere – Ava DuVernay, screenwriter/director, Paul Garnes and Howard Barish, producers^[3]
  • Breakfast with Curtis
  • The Color Wheel
  • Mosquita y Mari
  • Starlet
• 2013: This Is Martin Bonner – Writer/Director: Chad Hartigan, Producer: Cherie Saulter
  • Computer Chess – Writer/Director: Andrew Bujalski, Producers: Houston King and Alex Lipschultz
  • Crystal Fairy – Writer/Director: Sebastián Silva, Producers: Juan de Dios Larraín and Pablo Larraín
  • Museum Hours – Writer/Director: Jem Cohen, Producers: Paolo Calamita and Gabriele Kranzelbinder
  • Pit Stop – Writer/Director: Yen Tan, Writer: David Lowery, Producers: Jonathan Duffy, James M. Johnston, Eric Steele, and Kelly Williams
• 2014: Land Ho! – Writers/Directors: Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens, Producers: Christina Jennings, Mynette Louie and Sara Murphy
  • Blue Ruin – Writer/Director: Jeremy Saulnier, Producers: Richard Peete, Vincent Savino and Anish Savjani
  • It Felt Like Love – Writer/Director/Producer: Eliza Hittman, Producers: Shrihari Sathe and Laura Wagner
  • Man from Reno – Writer/Director: Dave Boyle, Writers: Joel Clark and Michael Lerman, Producer: Ko Mori
  • Test – Writer/Director: Chris Mason Johnson, Producer: Chris Martin
• 2015: Krisha – Writer/Director/Producer: Trey Edward Shults; Producers: Justin R. Chan, Chase Joliet, and Wilson Smith
  • Advantageous – Writer/Director/Producer: Jennifer Phang; Writer/Producer: Jacqueline Kim; Producers: Robert Chang, Ken Jeong, Moon Molson, Theresa Navarro
  • Christmas, Again – Writer/Director/Producer: Charles Poekel
  • Heaven Knows What – Directors: Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie; Writers: Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie; Producers: Oscar Boyson and Sebastian Bear McClard
  • Out of My Hand – Writer/Director: Takeshi Fukunaga; Writer/Producer: Donari Braxton; Producer: Mike Fox
• 2016: Spa Night – Writer/Director: Andrew Ahn; Producers: David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas
  • Free In Deed – Writer/Director: Jake Mahaffy; Producers: Mike Bowes, Mike S. Ryan, Brent Stiefel
  • Hunter Gatherer – Writer/Director: Josh Locy; Producers: Michael Covino, April Lamb, Sara Murphy, Isaiah Smallman
  • Lovesong – Writer/Director: So Yong Kim; Writer/Producer: Bradley Rust Gray; Producers: David Hansen, Alex Lipschultz, Johnny Mac
  • Nakom – Writer/Director/Producer: T.W. Pittman; Director/Producer: Kelly Daniela Norris; Writer/Producer: Isaac Adakudugu; Producer: Giovanni Ximėnez
• 2017: Life and Nothing More – Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza; Producers: Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos^[4]
  • Dayveon – Writer/Director/Producer: Amman Abbasi; Writer: Steven Reneau; Producers: Lachion Buckingham, Alexander Uhlmann
  • A Ghost Story – Writer/Director: David Lowery; Producers: Adam Donaghey, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston
  • Most Beautiful Island – Writer/Director/Producer: Ana Asensio; Producers: Larry Fessenden, Noah Greenberg, Chadd Harbold, Jenn Wexler
  • The Transfiguration – Writer/Director: Michael O’Shea; Producer: Susan Leber
• 2018: En el séptimo día – Writer/Director/Producer: Jim McKay; Producers: Alex Bach, Lindsey Cordero, Caroline Kaplan, Michael Stipe^[5]
  • A Bread Factory – Writer/Director/Producer: Patrick Wang; Producers: Daryl Freimark, Matt Miller
  • Never Goin' Back – Writer/Director: Augustine Frizzell; Producers: Liz Cardenas, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston
  • Sócrates – Writer/Director/Producer: Alex Moratto; Writer: Thayná Mantesso; Producers: Ramin Bahrani, Jefferson Paulino, Tammy Weiss
  • Thunder Road – Writer/Director: Jim Cummings; Producers: Natalie Metzger, Zack Parker, Benjamin Weissner
• 2019: Give Me Liberty – Writer/Director/Producer: ; Writer/Producer: Alice Austen; Producers: Val Abel, Wally Hall, Michael Manasseri, George Rush, Sergey Shtern^[6]
  • Burning Cane
  • Colewell
  • Premature
  • Wild Nights with Emily

2020s[]

• 2020: Residue – Writer/Director: Merawi Gerima^[7]
  • The Killing of Two Lovers
  • La Leyenda Negra
  • Lingua Franca
  • Saint Frances

References[]

External links[]

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