2012 Independent Spirit Awards

Live from the beach at Santa Monica was announced and Seth Rogen made his way to the stage. Rogen's opening jokes were a bit edgy but were very well received by the audience. He began by commenting about the event being in a tent on the beach, when there are perfectly good existing permanent structures. As the event airs on the uncensored IFC channel, the comedic f-bombs fell with hilarity. Some of the jokes revealed plot lines so I will not repeat them to avoid Drive or the Descendants spoilers. Rogen announced the first presenters with one more joke, "Keep your acceptance speeches short, because the tent has to be at a Bar Mitzvah at 5pm."
The event has a lighthearted, fun-loving tone with the same dinner party seating as the Globes and the SAGs. The presenters and acceptance speeches were full of humor and the event was MC-ed by John Waters. George Clooney, Ewan McGregor and Jean Dujardin were not present. In fairness the first two were not nominated and Dujardin was flying back from the César Awards in France. Back around on the other side, their films were nominated and Dujardin made it from SNL in New York to the BAFTAs in England the next day. Michel Hazanavicius, the director of the Artist, made it back in time to accept his award, so it is possible. Nominee Ryan Gosling was not there either and I have no info on that one.

Interestingly enough, there were ads for the Oscars during the commercial breaks of the Spirit Awards. Of the three writers that won for Best Adapted Screenplay, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, the later two are comedic actors which I did not know until the trio stepped on stage to accept their Spirit Awards and I recognized them. Oh, and the "red" carpet was purple. I love that.

Jessica Chastain, Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams

The winners:
Best Feature: The Artist
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Screenplay: The Descendants by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Best Male Lead: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Supporting Male: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Female Lead: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Supporting Female: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Supporting Female Winner Shailene Woodley

Best Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist
Robert Altman Award: Margin Call (given to director JC Chandor, casting directors Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey, and the ensemble cast)
Best First Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50

Best First Feature: Margin Call (award given to the director J.C. Chandor, and producers Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto)
Best Documentary: The Interrupters
Best International Feature: A Separation
John Cassavetes Award (best feature made for under $500,000): Pariah (written and directed by Dee Reeds and produced by Nekisa Cooper)
Piaget Producers Award: Sophia Lin, Take Shelter
Someone To Watch Award: Mark Jackson, Without
Truer Than Fiction Award: Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From