Actress Julie Christie ("Away From Her" by Sarah Polley) was this year's recipient of the Aspen Film Festival's "Independent by Nature Award" (pictured here with the fest's executive director Laura Thielen). According to a fest release, Christie said her decisions on whether to accept a role is purely based on who is directing. In other Aspen kudos, this year's Audience Award went to Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe," while "Living with Big Cats" by Beverly and Dereck Joubert shared the Aspen Audience Favorite Documentary with Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine's "War/Dance." The audience prizes at AFF's other venue in neighboring Carbondale went to "War/Dance" and "Hula Girls." 7,000 people attended 30 screenings in Aspen and Carbondale from September 25 - 30, according to the festival. [Brian Brooks]