WINNERS FROM THE INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS AND THE CESAR FILM AWARDS

To wrap up the film awards, here were the final two presented over the weekend:

This marks the thirtieth year of the Independent Spirit Awards and "Birdman" took the Best Picture prize.  It's surprising how closely many of these winners mirrored the eventual Oscar selections. I guess it just shows that independent film is where quality work is to be found these days.

Here is the complete list of winners of the Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature: "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Best Director: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Best Female Lead: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Best Male Lead: Michael Keaton, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Best Supporting Female: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Best Supporting Male: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Best Screenplay: Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler"
Best First Feature: "Nightcrawler"
Best First Screenplay: Justin Simien, "Dear White People"
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Best Editing: Tom Cross, "Whiplash"
Best Documentary: "Citizenfour"
Best International Film: "Ida" (Poland)
Robert Altman Award, (for a film with an extraordinary ensemble cast): "Inherent Vice"
Special Distinction Award (for "Uniqueness of vision, honesty of direction and screenwriting, superb acting and achievement on every level of filmmaking"): "Foxcatcher"
John Cassavetes Award (for features under $500,000): "Land Ho!"

"Timbuktu" swept the 2015 César Awards, the French equivalent of the Oscar. The film, which also received a Best Foreign-Language film nod from the Academy, won seven awards including Best Film.  What made this event (which celebrates it's fortieth year) most notable is Kristen Stewart winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Clouds of Sils Maria", making her the first American actress to win a César. The film is due to be released in the US later this year.

Here is the complete list of winners of The César Awards:

Best Film: "Timbuktu"



Best Director: Abderrahmane Sissako, "Timbuktu"
Best Actress: Adèle Haenel, "Les Combattants"
Best Actor: Pierre Niney, "Yves Saint Laurent"
Best Supporting Actress: Kristen Stewart, "Clouds Of Sils Maria"
Best Supporting Actor: Reda Kateb, "Hippocrate"
Best Original Screenplay: Abderrahmane Sissako, Kessen Tall, "Timbuktu"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Cyril Gely, Volker Schlöndorff, "Diplomatie"
Best Cinematography: Sofian El Fani, "Timbuktu"
Best Foreign Film: "Mommy"
Best Animated Film: "Minuscule"
Best Documentary: "Salt Of The Earth"
Best Editing: Nadia Ben Rachid, "Timbuktu"
Best Set Design: Thierry Flamand, "La Belle Et La Bête"
Best Costumes: Anaïs Romand, "Saint-Laurent"
Best Short Film: "La Femme De Rio"
Best Animated Short: "Les Petits Cailloux"
Best Score: Amine Bouhafa, "Timbuktu"
Best Sound: Philippe Welsh, Roman Dymny, Thierry Delor, "Timbuktu"
Best Debut Feature: "Les Combattants"
Best Newcomer (Male): Kevin Azaïs, "Les Combattants"
Best Newcomer (Female): Louane Emera, "La Famille Bélier"