“The Wrestler” Leads 2009 Spirit Award Winners

iw by Peter Knegt and Brian Brooks (February 21, 2009)
“The Wrestler” Leads 2009 Spirit Award Winners
Darren Aronofsky at the Spirit Awards. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” led a fairly evenly split Film Independent’s Spirit Awards this afternoon in Santa Monica, taking awards for best feature, best actor Mickey Rourke, and best cinematography.  The film joined other multiply honored films like “Milk,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “Frozen River.”  For a detailed report, check out this minute-by-minute account. Otherwise, here is the complete list of winners:

BEST FEATURE
The Wrestler

BEST DIRECTOR
Tom McCarthy, “The Visitor”

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Synecdoche, New York

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
In Search of a Midnight Kiss

BEST SCREENPLAY
Woody Allen, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”

BEST MALE LEAD
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
James Franco, “Milk”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Maryse Alberti, “The Wrester”

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Man on Wire

BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Class

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
Charlie Kaufman (Director), Jeanne McCarthy (Casting Director), Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Diane Weist, Michelle Williams, Synecdoche, New York

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Heather Rae, “Frozen River”

ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Lynn Shelton, “My Effortless Brillance”

LACOSTE TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Margaret Brown, “The Order of Myths”

posted on February 21, 2009
Films to Snag

AFI Fest
AFI Fest '09
BROKEN EMBRACES
A Film By Almodovar, Starring Penelope Cruz
Opens New York 11/20, Opens Los Angeles 12/11
Opens additional cities 12/25
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"Astonishing! A Masterpiece!"
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Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar
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