By Robert Goldrich
LOS ANGELES --Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire was the big winner at the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards held Friday (3/5) night at L.A. Live’s event deck in Los Angeles. The Lee Daniels-directed film won every category for which it was nominated, taking best feature, best director, best first screenplay for Geoffrey Fletcher, best lead female for Gabourey Sidibe, and best supporting female actress for Mo’Nique.
Precious is nominated in many of the same categories for the Academy Awards, with Mo’Nique generally regarded as the Oscar frontrunner. However, when asked backstage if she had drafted an Oscar acceptance speech, she said no. Then asked why, she responded, “I think the universe would say, ‘you’ve got a lot of nerve.'”
Another Oscar favorite, Jeff Bridges, won the Spirit Award for best male lead based on his performance in Crazy Heart. The film was also named best first feature, with awards bestowed upon its director/producer Scott Cooper, and producers T Bone Burnett, Judy Cairo, Rob Carliner and Robert Duvall.
Cooper was emotional in the portion of his acceptance in which he attempted to thank his wife. He couldn’t express his feelings about her on stage but completed what he wanted to say backstage, saying that he has knocked around a long time in his professional life, serving as a perennial bridesmaid. He noted that it takes a special companion to stay by your side and believe in you for so long.
Earning the best cinematography Spirit Award was Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, for A Serious Man, which also won the coveted third annual Robert Altman Award for its directors Joel and Ethan Coen, casting directors Ellen Chenoweth and Rachel Tenner and ensemble cast members Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Fred Melamed, Michael Stuhlbarg and Aaron Wolff.
Garnering the best screenplay honor were Scott Nerustadter and Michael H. Weber for (500) Days of Summer, which marked the feature film directorial debut of Marc Webb, who first established himself as a music video helmer before diversifying into commercials. Webb directs spots and videos through DNA.
Winning the best foreign film Spirit Award was An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig, and the best documentary film was Anvil! The Story of Anvil, directed by Sacha Gervasi.
Woody Harrelson earned best supporting male actor distinction for The Messenger.
The John Cassavetes Award recognizing the best feature made for under $500,000 was given to writer/director/producer Lynn Shelton for Humpday.
Karin Chien, producer of The Exploding Girl and Santa Mesa, received the Piaget Producers Award, which includes a $25,000 grant created to honor emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision needed to produce quality independent films.
Bill and Turner Ross, who directed the documentary 45365, earned the Chaz & Roger Ebert Truer Than Fiction Award, which too included a $25,000 grant, presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant attention.
And Kyle David Patrick, who directed Easier With Practice, won the Acura Someone to Watch Award, which also carries a $25,000 grant and honors a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not otherwise received appropriate recognition.
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More