Independent Spirit Awards: 1996

Independent Spirit Award

Date:	23 March
Location:	Santa Monica, California, USA

Best Supporting Female


Winner:
	Georgia (1995) - Mare Winningham
Other Nominees:
	Dead Man Walking (1995) - Celia Weston Kids (1995) - Chloë Sevigny Little Odessa (1994) - Vanessa Redgrave My Family (1995) - Jennifer Lopez (I)

Best Supporting Male


Winner:
	Usual Suspects, The (1995) - Benicio Del Toro
Other Nominees:
	Crossing Guard, The (1995) - David Morse (I) Georgia (1995) - Max Perlich Living in Oblivion (1995) - James LeGros Smoke (1995) - Harold Perrineau

Best Director


Winner:
	Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Mike Figgis
Other Nominees:
	Georgia (1995) - Ulu Grosbard Nadja (1994) - Michael Almereyda Safe (1995) - Todd Haynes Secret of Roan Inish, The (1994) - John Sayles

Best Screenplay


Winner:
	Usual Suspects, The (1995) - Christopher McQuarrie
Other Nominees:
	Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Mike Figgis Living in Oblivion (1995) - Tom DiCillo Safe (1995) - Todd Haynes Secret of Roan Inish, The (1994) - John Sayles

Best First Screenplay


Winner:
	Smoke (1995) - Paul Auster
Other Nominees:
	Kids (1995) - Harmony Korine Little Odessa (1994) - James Gray (I) Post Cards from America (1994) - Steve McLean (I) River of Grass (1994) - Kelly Reichardt

Best Cinematography


Winner:
	Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Declan Quinn (I)
Other Nominees:
	Little Odessa (1994) - Tim Richmond Nadja (1994) - Jim Denault Underneath (1995) - Elliot Davis Usual Suspects, The (1995) - Newton Thomas Sigel

Best Foreign Film


Winner:
	Before the Rain (1994) - Milcho Manchevski - Macedonia.
Other Nominees:
	Cité des enfants perdus, La (1995) - Marc Caro; Jean-Pierre Jeunet - France. Exotica (1994) - Atom Egoyan - Canada. Soy Cuba (1964) - Mikhail Kalatozov - Soviet Union. Zire darakhatan zeyton (1994) - Abbas Kiarostami - Iran.

Best First Feature


Winner:
	Brothers McMullen, The (1995) - Edward Burns (I) (director); Dick Fisher (I) (producer)
Other Nominees:
	Kids (1995) - Larry Clark (I) (director); Cary Woods (producer) Little Odessa (1994) - James Gray (I) (director); Paul Webster (I) (producer) Picture Bride (1994) - Kayo Hatta (director); Diane Mei Lin Mark (producer); Lisa Onodera (producer) River of Grass (1994) - Kelly Reichardt (director)

Best Male Lead


Winner:
	Dead Man Walking (1995) - Sean Penn (I)
Other Nominees:
	Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Nicolas Cage Little Odessa (1994) - Tim Roth (I) My Family (1995) - Jimmy Smits Swimming with Sharks (1994) - Kevin Spacey

Best Debut Performance


Winner:
	Kids (1995) - Justin Pierce (I)
Other Nominees:
	Doom Generation, The (1995) - Rose McGowan New Jersey Drive (1995) - Gabriel Casseus Rhythm Thief (1994) - Jason Andrews (I) River of Grass (1994) - Lisa Bowman (I)

Best Feature


Winner:
	Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Lila Cazès; Annie Stewart (II)
Other Nominees:
	Addiction, The (1995) - Denis Hann; Fernando Sulichin Living in Oblivion (1995) - Michael Griffiths (II); Marcus Viscidi Safe (1995) - Christine Vachon; Lauren Zalaznick Secret of Roan Inish, The (1994) - Sarah Green (I); Maggie Renzi

Best Female Lead


Winner:
	Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Elisabeth Shue
Other Nominees:
	Addiction, The (1995) - Lili Taylor (I) Georgia (1995) - Jennifer Jason Leigh Nadja (1994) - Elina Löwensohn Safe (1995) - Julianne Moore (I)


Winner:
	Samuel Fuller - For his vast contributions to independent filmmaking.


Winner:
	Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day (1996) - Christopher Munch
Other Nominees:
	Art for Teachers of Children (1995) - Jennifer Montgomery (I) Desolation Angels (1995) - Tim McCann Fun (1994) - Rafal Zielinski River of Grass (1994) - Kelly Reichardt