Independent Spirit Awards: 1997

Independent Spirit Award

Date:	22 March
Location:	Santa Monica, California, USA

Best Supporting Female


Winner:
	Lone Star (1996) - Elizabeth Peña
Other Nominees:
	Flirting with Disaster (1996) - Lily Tomlin Girls Town (1996) - Lili Taylor (I) Manny & Lo (1996) - Mary Kay Place Set It Off (1996) - Queen Latifah

Best Supporting Male


Winner:
	Basquiat (1996) - Benicio Del Toro
Other Nominees:
	Dead Man (1995) - Gary Farmer Flirting with Disaster (1996) - Richard Jenkins (I) Walking and Talking (1996) - Kevin Corrigan (I) Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) - Matthew Faber

Best Director


Winner:
	Fargo (1996) - Joel Coen
Other Nominees:
	Caught (1996) - Robert M. Young (I) Flirting with Disaster (1996) - David O. Russell Funeral, The (1996) - Abel Ferrara Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) - Todd Solondz

Best Screenplay


Winner:
	Fargo (1996) - Joel Coen; Ethan Coen
Other Nominees:
	Dead Man (1995) - Jim Jarmusch Flirting with Disaster (1996) - David O. Russell Funeral, The (1996) - Nicholas St. John Lone Star (1996) - John Sayles

Best First Screenplay


Winner:
	Big Night (1996) - Joseph Tropiano; Stanley Tucci (I)
Other Nominees:
	Girl 6 (1996) - Suzan-Lori Parks Manny & Lo (1996) - Lisa Krueger (I) Trees Lounge (1996) - Steve Buscemi Whole Wide World, The (1996) - Michael Scott Myers

Best Cinematography


Winner:
	Fargo (1996) - Roger Deakins
Other Nominees:
	Bound (1996) - Bill Pope (I) Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day (1996) - Rob Sweeney Dead Man (1995) - Robby Müller Funeral, The (1996) - Ken Kelsch

Best Foreign Film


Winner:
	Secrets & Lies (1996) - Mike Leigh - UK.
Other Nominees:
	Breaking the Waves (1996) - Lars von Trier - Denmark. Chung Hing sam lam (1994) - Kar Wai Wong - Hong Kong. Lamerica (1994) - Gianni Amelio - Italy. Trainspotting (1996) - Danny Boyle - UK.

Best First Feature


Winner:
	Sling Blade (1996) - Billy Bob Thornton (director); David L. Bushell (producer); Brandon Rosser (producer)
Other Nominees:
	Big Night (1996) - Campbell Scott (director); Stanley Tucci (I) (director); Jonathan Filley (producer) I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) - Mary Harron (I) (director); Tom Kalin (producer); Christine Vachon (producer) Manny & Lo (1996) - Lisa Krueger (I) (director); Marlen Hecht (producer); Dean Silvers (producer) Trees Lounge (1996) - Steve Buscemi (director); Chris Hanley (I) (producer); Brad Wyman (producer)

Best Male Lead


Winner:
	Fargo (1996) - William H. Macy
Other Nominees:
	Big Night (1996) - Tony Shalhoub Big Night (1996) - Stanley Tucci (I) Funeral, The (1996) - Chris Penn (I) Lone Star (1996) - Chris Cooper (I)

Best Debut Performance


Winner:
	Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) - Heather Matarazzo
Other Nominees:
	Basquiat (1996) - Jeffrey Wright (I) Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) - Jena Malone Caught (1996) - Arie Verveen Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) - Brendan Sexton III

Best Feature


Winner:
	Fargo (1996) - Ethan Coen
Other Nominees:
	Dead Man (1995) - Demetra J. MacBride Funeral, The (1996) - Mary Kane (I) Lone Star (1996) - R. Paul Miller; Maggie Renzi Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) - Todd Solondz

Best Female Lead


Winner:
	Fargo (1996) - Frances McDormand
Other Nominees:
	Caught (1996) - Maria Conchita Alonso Manny & Lo (1996) - Scarlett Johansson Walking and Talking (1996) - Catherine Keener Whole Wide World, The (1996) - Renée Zellweger


Winner:
	When We Were Kings (1996) - Leon Gast
Other Nominees:
	"American Experience, The" (1988) {Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern} - Steven Ascher; Jeanne Jordan Celluloid Closet, The (1995) - Rob Epstein (I); Jeffrey Friedman (I) Looking for Richard (1996) - Al Pacino Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) - Joe Berlinger; Bruce Sinofsky


Winner:
	Habit (1997) (V) - Larry Fessenden
Other Nominees:
	American Job (1996) - Chris Smith (II) Keeper, The (1995) - Joe Brewster