lifestyle MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Awards

Director Steve McQueen accepts the Best Director Actress Cate Blanchett accepts the Best Female Lead (From left) Producers Anthony Katagas and Dede Gardner, director Steve McQueen, and actor/producer , award for ‘12 Years a Slave’ onstage during the 2014 ward for ‘Blue Jasmine’. and producer Arnon Milchan accept the Best Feature award for ‘12 Years a Slave’ with actress Angela Bassett onstage. —AP/AFP photos Film Independent Spirit Awards at Santa Monica Beach on March 1, 2014 in Santa Monica, California.

Factbox: List of winners at the Independent Spirit Awards

BEST FEATURE “12 Years a Slave” BEST FEMALE LEAD Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine” BEST MALE LEAD Matthew McConaughey, “ Buyers Club” Years a Slave” rolled at the Spirit Awards, win- are first and foremost a show to fete indie film and cast a spot- ning five awards including best feature at the light on the little films that have to scrape money together to BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE “12annual independent film celebration. On the get made. Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave” eve of the , the slavery tale won awards for McQueen, with “12 Years a Slave” producer Brad Pitt and BEST SUPPORTING MALE director Steve McQueen, actress Lupita Nyong’o, screenwriter Angelina Jolie looking on, reflected on how the naturalistic films , “Dallas Buyers Club” and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. In a more laid- of John Cassavetes “changed my life.” He dedicated his directing back, beachside ceremony in Santa Monica, just west of Los award to Cassavetes and Solomon Northup, the man whose BEST DIRECTOR Angeles, “12 Years a Slave” was applauded as the clear favorite of memoir “12 Years a Slave” is based on. Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave” the indie circuit. In accepting the award for best first feature, “Fruitvale BEST SCREENPLAY The Spirit Awards could end up being - more than ever Station” director Ryan Coogler provided the afternoon’s most before - a dress rehearsal to yesterda’s Academy Awards. “12 emotional moment. His film is about OscarGrant, a 22-year-old John Ridley, “12 Years of Slave” Years a Slave” is considered, albeit extremely narrowly, the black man shot while handcuffed by police. Coogler implored BEST DOCUMENTARY favorite for best picture over the space spectacle “Gravity” and the audience to remember the “thousands of other Oscar “20 Feet From Stardom” the 1970s con-artist “American Hustle.” (Neither film was eligible Grants” and wondered why so many victims of such gun vio- at the Spirits, which honor films made for $20 million or less.) lence “always look like me.” The crowd gave him a standing ova- BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM The acting winners, too, may line up. All of the Oscar favorites tion. “Blue is the Warmest Color” won Saturday at the Spirits, including best actor for Matthew Several beloved fixtures of independent film were also BEST FIRST FEATURE McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club” and Cate Blanchett in “Blue remembered. The deaths of James Gandolfini, Philip Seymour (Award given to the director and producer) Jasmine.” McConaughey’s co-star, Jared Leto, won best male sup- Hoffman and critic Roger Ebert over the last year were singled porting performance. Leto gave what might be the acceptance out. Gandolfini’s wife, Deborah Lin, and one of their two children Ryan Coogler, “” speech to end all acceptance speeches, rattling off an absurd list attended the ceremony. (The actor was nominated for best sup- BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY of thank yous to not just those with “Dallas Buyers Club,” but porting male performance.) Bob Nelson, “Nebraska” Hermann Hesse, Wayne Gretzky, home-made burritos, “the sev- The Spirits’ Robert Altman Award, an honor for best ensem- en billion people on the planet” and many more. ble and director, was given to Jeff Nichols’ coming-of-age tale BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY The actor-rocker added, with emphasis, “all the women I’ve “Mud.” The John Cassavetes Award, which honors films made for Sean Bobbitt, “12 Years a Slave” been with and all the women who think they’ve been with me.” less than $500,000, went to the unlikely friendship drama “This Is JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD For many, the Spirit Awards conclude months of award-season Martin Bonner,” which director Chad Hartigan said was made for (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000) events, and they provide a chance to exhale before the Oscars. just $42,000. Gasps of admiration were heard throughout the McConaughey, Blanchett, Leto and Nyong’o have racked up a beachside tent. “This is Martin Bonner” Screenwriter Bob Nelson accepts the Best First slew of awards, often triumphing over the same colleagues. Other winners included “20 Feet From Stardom” for best doc- Screenplay award for ‘Nebraska’. ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD “What am I going to say that I haven’t already said?” umentary, “Blue Is the Warmest Color” for best international film, (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its Blanchett remarked in her acceptance speech. On her way into Bob Nelson of “Nebraska” for best first screenplay, and “Short the luncheon, the actress also repeated her view of the renewed Term 12” for best editing. The show was to be broadcast on the ensemble cast) scandal surrounding “Blue Jasmine” director Woody Allen and IFC cable channel later Saturday night. The spirit of thrifty striv- “Mud” Dylan Farrow’s claims he sexually assaulted her as a child: “It’s a ing pervaded. McConaughey (also a co-star in “Mud”) called PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD family issue, and I hope they can resolve it as a family.” This indie work, “a feeder road” compared to the Autobahn of big- award, one of many for Nyong’o, stood out for the now 31-year- budget moviemaking. But he said he relished the freedom, even Tony Halbrooks and James M. Johnston old actress: “Not a bad way to celebrate my birthday,” she said. though it means “less zeroes on the paycheck.” In his mono- STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN Nyong’o dedicated the award to her mother, Dorothy, who logue, however, Oswalt put a less optimistic spin on it. He said FICTION AWARD was in the audience, for years of driving her to auditions. “Your that in the course of his opening remarks, “The Lego Movie” had Jason Osder, “Let the Fire Burn”—Reuters love has driven me this far,” she said. Presented by Film made more money than all of the Spirit Award nominees com- Independent (a group of filmmakers, industry professionals and bined.—AP movie buffs) and hosted Saturday by Patton Oswalt, the Spirits

Actor Matthew McConaughey accepts the Best Male Screenwriter John Ridley accepts the Best Screenplay Lead award for ‘Dallas Buyers Club’. award for ‘12 Years a Slave’ from actors Sarah Paulson and Jon Hamm onstage.

Director Jeff Nichols (at microphone) accepts the Robert Altman Award for ‘Mud’ with actors Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson, Jacob Lofland, and Bonnie Sturdivant, and casting director Francine Maisler onstage.

Actor Brad Pitt Lupita Nyong’o and director Steve Actress Lupita Nyong’o accepts the Best Supporting McQueen pose with their award for best feature film. Female award for ‘12 Years a Slave’.

Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie during the 2014 Actor Jared Leto accepts the Best Supporting Male Film Independent Spirit Awards. Actors Keanu Reeves and Gong Li speak onstage. award for ‘Dallas Buyers Club’.