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 . After that, the rules changed so that any feature film budgeted under $500,000 could be eligible, 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 – 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
- * 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
- * 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
- * Jellysmoke
- * The Puffy Chair-Mark and Jay Duplass
- * Room
- 2006: Quinceañera - Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland, directors/screenwriters, Anne Clements, producer
- * 12 and Holding
- * Chalk
- * Four Eyed Monsters
- * Old Joy-Kelly Reichardt
- 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
- * 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
- * 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
- * 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
- *Burning Cane
- *Colewell
- *Premature
- *Wild Nights with Emily