Far From Heaven big winner at Independent Spirit Awards
Far From Heaven swept the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, gathering five awards, including Best Feature. Far From Heaven also won honors for Best Director for out filmmaker Todd Haynes, female lead for Julianne Moore, male supporting lead for Dennis Quaid, and cinematography for Edward Lachman. The movie stars Moore as a wife whose picture-perfect domestic life crumbles after her husband begins an affair with another man and she has a platonic dalliance with her black gardener.
Out screenwriter Mike White was honored for his screenplay for The Good Girl, and the gay-themed Y Tu Mamá También won in the foreign film category.
The nonprofit Independent Feature Project/Los Angeles-presented awards honor movies that have been at least partially independently financed. Nominees are expected to have original and provocative subject matter, been produced economically, and show a "uniqueness of vision." Openly gay director John Waters served as master of ceremonies, with actress Halle Berry as honorary chair. Elvis Costello performed during the ceremonies, held in a tent on the Santa Monica beach.
Here are this year's Independent Spirit Award winners:
Best Feature: Far From Heaven
Best Director: Todd Haynes, Far From Heaven
Best Screenplay: Mike White, The Good Girl
Best First Screenplay: Erin Cressida Wilson, Secretary
Best First Feature: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
John Cassavetes Award (for Best Feature Made for Under $500,000): Personal Velocity
Best Female Lead: Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
Best Male Lead: Derek Luke, Antwone Fisher
Best Debut Performance: Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Best Supporting Female: Emily Mortimer, Lovely & Amazing
Best Supporting Male: Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven
Best Foreign Film: Y Tu Mamá También
Best Cinematographer: Edward Lachman, Far From Heaven
Best Documentary: Bowling for Columbine
Motorola Producers Award: Effie T. Brown (Real Women Have Curves, Stranger Inside)
Turning Leaf Coastal Reserve Someone to Watch Award: Presmyslaw Reut (Paradox)
DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award: Jennifer Dworkin (Love & Diane)
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