FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Greg Longstreet, Film Independent
Tel: 310.432.1287 or glongstreet@filmindependent.org

Gina Lang, Ginsberg/Libby
Tel: 323.645.6800 or gina.lang@ginsberglibby.com

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2013 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

Ceremony to air exclusively on IFC, tonight at 10:00 pm ET/PT

LOS ANGELES (February 23, 2013) – Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, handed out top honors to Silver Linings Playbook, The Sessions and The Perks of Being A Wallflower at this afternoon’s 28th Film Independent Spirit Awards. Beasts of the Southern Wild, Magic Mike, Amour and The Invisible War also received awards at the ceremony, which is held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.

Tune in to IFC tonight at 10:00 pm ET/PT to catch all the action at the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards, with actor and writer Andy Samberg hosting. Highlights include: Samberg’s trademarked digital shorts and a surprise, courtesy of web phenomenon Bad Lip Reading.

The Spirit Awards were the first event to exclusively honor independent film, and over the past 28 years, has become the premier awards show for the independent film community, celebrating films made by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. Artists receiving industry recognition first at the Spirit Awards include Joel & Ethan Coen, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Ashley Judd, Robert Rodriguez, David O. Russell, Edward Burns, Aaron Eckhart, Neil LaBute, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Hilary Swank, Marc Forster, Todd Field, Christopher Nolan, Zach Braff, Amy Adams and many more.

This year’s major category winners were Silver Linings Playbook, which won Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Female Lead and The Sessions, which won Best Supporting Female and Best Male Lead; The Perks of Being A Wallflower, which won Best First Feature and Safety Not Guaranteed, which won Best First Screenplay; Beasts of the Southern Wild, which won Best Cinematography, Magic Mike, which won Best Supporting Male and Middle of Nowhere from AFFRM in partnership with Participant Media, which won the John Cassavetes Award; Sony Pictures Classics’ Amour, which won Best International Film and Cinedigm Entertainmet Group’s The Invisible War, which won Best Documentary. A Special Distinction Award was given posthumously to Cinematographer Harris Savides.

The 6th annual Robert Altman Award was given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast. Sean Baker’s Starlet received this award, along with casting directors Julia Kim and ensemble cast members Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Karren Karagulian, Stella Maeve, James Ransone.

The 2013 Chaz and Roger Ebert Fellowship, which is awarded to a filmmaker in Project Involve, Film Independent’s diversity mentorship program and includes a cash grant of $10,000, was given to Melissa Haizlip, director of the documentary Mr. SOUL!. Haizlip is a Film Independent Fellow participating in Project Involve 2012-2013. Her film, which is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, was screened at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 41st Annual Independent Film Series in 2011.

Piaget is a Premier Sponsor and the Official Jeweler, Jameson® Irish Whiskey is a Premier Sponsor and Official Spirits, Lincoln, a Premier Sponsor, is the Official Automotive Partner, T-Mobile® is a Premier Sponsor and the Official Wi-Fi Provider, IFC is a Premier Sponsor and the Spirit Awards Broadcaster, Stella Artois is a Principal Sponsor and Official Beer, Windows Phone is a Principal Sponsor and the Official After Party Sponsor, jcp and Joe Fresh are the Official Gift Bag Sponsor, VOSS Artesian Water from Norway is the Official Water, WireImage is the Official Photographer, American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent

The following is a complete list of the winners:

Best Feature: Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Bruce Cohen, Donna Gigliotti, Jonathan Gordon

Best Director: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)

Best Screenplay: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)

Best First Feature: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Summit Entertainment)
Writer/Director: Stephen Chbosky / Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith

Best First Screenplay: Derek Connolly, Safety Not Guaranteed (FilmDistrict)

John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000): Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM in partnership with Participant Media)
Writer/Director/Producer: Ava DuVernay / Producers: Howard Barish, Paul Garnes

Best Supporting Female: Helen Hunt, The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)

Best Supporting Male: Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike (Warner Bros.Pictures)

Best Female Lead: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)

Best Male Lead: John Hawkes, The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)

Robert Altman Award: Starlet (Music Box Films)
Director: Sean Baker / Casting Director: Julia Kim / Ensemble Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Karren Karagulian, Stella Maeve, James Ransone

Best Cinematography: Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)

Best International Film: Amour (France – Sony Pictures Classics) Director: Michael Haneke

Best Documentary: The Invisible War (Cinedigm Entertainment Group)
Director: Kirby Dick / Producers: Amy Ziering, Tanner King Barklow

Special Distinction: Harris Savides

2012 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD WINNERS BY DISTRIBUTOR

4 The Weinstein Company
3 Fox Searchlight
1 Summit Entertainment
1 Cinedigm Entertainment Group
1 Sony Pictures Classics
1 Music Box Films
1 FilmDistrict
1 AFFRM in partnership with Participant Media
1 Warner Bros. Pictures

On January 12 the following winners were honored at the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grant and Nominee Brunch at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood:

Adam Leon, director of Gimme The Loot, received the Windows Phone Someone to Watch Award. The award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award, which is in its nineteenth year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by the Windows Phone.

Peter Nicks, director of The Waiting Room received the Stella Artois Truer Than Fiction Award. The award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award is in its eighteenth year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Stella Artois.

Mynette Louie received the Piaget Producers Award. The award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The annual award, in its sixteenth year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

Laura Colella for Breakfast With Curtis, which premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival, received the third annual Jameson FIND Your Audience Award. The award helps one low-budget independent film find a broader audience. The award included a $50,000 marketing and distribution grant, funded by Jameson® Irish Whiskey.

ATTENDEES:

Joining Sean Mc Manus and Josh Welsh, co-presidents of Film Independent, was Host Andy Samberg.

Presenters included: Amy Poehler, Aubrey Plaza, Bryan Cranston, Channing Tatum, Chris Tucker, Common, Dave Grohl, Dermot Mulroney, Dennis Quaid, Dermot Mulroney, Ellen Page, Emily Mortimer, Fred Armisen, Jake Johnson, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Renner, Jason Schwartzman, Kerry Washington, Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, Matthew McConaughey, Rashida Jones, Salma Hayek, Sofia Coppola, Zachary Booth and Zoe Saldana.

Nominees, special award recipients and celebrities expected to attend include: Adam Leon, Alex Ross Perry, Amy Ziering, Andre Royo, Ann Dowd, Assaf Amir, Aurora Guerrero, Ava DuVernay, Ben Richardson, Benh Zeitlin, Blake Ashman-Kipervaser , Bradley Cooper, Brit Marling, Brittany Snow, Bruce Cohen, Bruce Willis, Carlen Altman, Chad Burris, Chris Bergoch, Christopher Ford, Clea Duvall, Colin Egglesfield, Colin Trevorrow, Dan Janvey, Daniel Radcliffe, David Fenster, David France, David McMahon, David O. Russell, David Oyelowo, Derek Connolly, Dete Meserve, Dominic Buchanan, Donna Gigliotti, Dree Hemingway, EJ Bonilla, Elizabeth Mims, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Francesca Silvestri, Ginger Sledge, Hannah Simone, Hans Ritter, Harvey Weinstein, Helen Hunt, Howard Barish, Howard Gertler, Ira Sachs, Jack Black, James Ransone, Jamund Washington, Jason Tippet, Jeff Dupre, Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, John Waters, Jonathan Gordon, Jonathan Lisecki, Josh Penn, Judd Payne, Julia Kim, Julie Loktev, Kate Roughan, Kevin Chinoy, Kim Nguyen, Kirby Dick, Laura Colella, Leslie Mann, Lianne Halfon, Linda Cardellini, Linda Davis, Lol Crawley, Lorraine Toussant, Lucas Joaquin, Marie Therese Guirgis, Mark Duplass, Maro Chermayeff, Martin McDonagh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Matt Williams, Matthew Akers, Matthew McConaughey, Mauricio Zacharias, Maya Rudolph, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Gottwald, Michael Haneke, Michael Peña, Mynette Louie, Natalia Difford, Patrick Cunningham, Paul Garnes, Paul Rudd, Peter Nicks, Peter Saraf, Quvenzhané Wallis, Rashida Jones, Rebecca Thomas, Roman Coppola, Roman Vasyanov, Ron Livingston, Rosemarie DeWitt, Russell Smith, Sam Rockwell, Sarah Burns, Sean Baker, Sharon Lawrence, Shelley Surpin, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Sophie Savides, Stella Maeve, Stephanie Langhoff, Stephen Chbosky, Tanner Barklow, Thure Lindhardt, Tyler Hoechlin, Ursual Meier, Wendell Pierce ,Will McCormack, William B. Hirsch, Zal Batmanglij and more.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
Now in its 28th year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors Piaget, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, The Lincoln Motor Company, and T-Mobile® and Principal Sponsors Stella Artois and Windows Phone.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Grants include the Windows Phone Someone to Watch Award, Stella Artois Truer Than Fiction Award, Piaget Producers Award and Jameson FIND Your Audience Award.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is a non-profit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.

Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

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