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“PRECIOUS” SWEEPS THE 2010 SPIRIT AWARDS
It was a big night for Lee Daniels’ Precious at the 2010 Spirit Awards. The film picked up awards for Best First Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher), Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique), Actress (Gabourey Sidibe), Director (Lee Daniels) and Picture. The only other film to win more than one award was Crazy Heart, which picked up Best First Screenplay and Actor (Jeff Bridges).
Hosted by Eddie Izzard and presented by Film Independent, the awards were the first Spirits held in downtown L.A. on a Friday night rather than Saturday afternoon at the Santa Monica beach. The Spirits’ gently irreverent tone remained the same — although, perhaps appropriately given the economic climate, there were less jokes about independent films this year and more heartfelt moments in which presenters and winners alike celebrated the struggle involved in making them. (It wasn’t until late in the show when Ben Stiller cracked a joke about “the ’90s, when there was a real independent film industry” that the sector’s current challenges were alluded to.) Particularly moving was a tribute to Roger Ebert, who was in attendance and received a standing ovation.
A complete list of winners follows:
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
Precious (pictured)
BEST DIRECTOR
Lee Daniels, Precious
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
Crazy Heart
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
Humpday
BEST SCREENPLAY
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, 500 Days of Summer
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
BEST MALE LEAD
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Mo’Nique, Precious
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, A Serious Man
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
Sacha Gervasi, Anvil! The Story of Anvil
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
Lone Scherfig, An Education
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
A Serious Man
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Casting Directors: Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner
Cast: Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Michael Stuhlbarg, Aaron Wolff
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Karen Chien (The Exploding Girl & Santa Mesa)
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Kyle Patrick Alvarez (Easier with Practice)
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Bill Ross & Turner Ross (45365)
