The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film (or Best Feature) is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards, presented to recognize the best in independent filmmaking, it was first awarded in 1985 with Martin Scorsese's film After Hours being the first recipient of the award.
Criteria In order to be considered as an independent film and therefore being eligible to this category, nomination committees base their decision on four criteria, "uniqueness of vision, original, provocative subject matter, percentage of financing from independent sources and economy of means"; the latter refers to a budget ceiling of $22.5 million. In 2022, Film Independent increased the budget cap for eligible films to $30 million to account for the rising cost of production.
In the following lists, the first titles listed are winners. These are also in bold and in blue background; those not in bold are nominees.
Winners and nominees 1980s YearWinnerDirector(s)Distributing company(s)1985Film Independent Spirit Awards - 34 Years of Nominees and Winners After Hours Martin Scorsese The Geffen Film Company/Warner Bros.Blood Simple Joel Coen Circle Films Smooth Talk Joyce Chopra Goldcrest Films The Trip to Bountiful Peter Masterson Island Pictures 1986 Platoon Oliver Stone Orion PicturesBlue Velvet David Lynch De Laurentiis Entertainment Group Down by Law Jim Jarmusch Island Pictures On Valentine's Day Ken Harrison Angelika Films Salvador Oliver Stone Hemdale Film Corporation Stand by Me Rob Reiner Columbia Pictures 1987 River's Edge Tim Hunter Island PicturesThe Big Easy Jim McBride Columbia Pictures The Dead John Huston Vestron Pictures Matewan John Sayles Cinecom Pictures Swimming to Cambodia Jonathan Demme Cinecom Pictures Tough Guys Don't Dance Norman Mailer The Cannon Group, Inc. 1988 Stand and Deliver Ramon Menendez American Playhouse/Warner Bros. Hairspray John Waters New Line Cinema Patti Rocks David Burton Morris FilmDallas Pictures The Thin Blue Line Errol Morris Miramax Films Torch Song Trilogy Paul Bogart New Line Cinema 1989 Sex, Lies, and Videotape Steven Soderbergh Miramax Films Drugstore Cowboy Gus Van Sant International Video Entertainment Heat and Sunlight Rob Nilsson Silverlight Pictures Mystery Train Jim Jarmusch Orion Classics True Love Nancy Savoca United Artists
1990s YearWinnerDirector(s)Distributing company(s)1990 The Grifters Stephen Frears Miramax Films Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer John McNaughton Greycat Films The Plot Against Harry Michael Roemer New Yorker Films Pump Up the Volume Allan Moyle New Line Cinema To Sleep with Anger Charles Burnett The Samuel Goldwyn Company 1991 Rambling Rose Martha Coolidge New Line/Seven Arts City of Hope John Sayles The Samuel Goldwyn Company Hangin' with the Homeboys Joseph Vasquez New Line Cinema Homicide David Mamet Triumph Films My Own Private Idaho Gus Van Sant Fine Line Features 1992 The Player Robert Altman Fine Line Features Bad Lieutenant Abel Ferrara Aries Films Gas Food Lodging Allison Anders Cineville Mississippi Masala Mira Nair The Samuel Goldwyn Company One False Move Carl Franklin I.R.S. Releasing 1993 Short Cuts Robert Altman Fine Line Features Equinox Alan Rudolph IRS Media Much Ado About Nothing Kenneth Branagh The Samuel Goldwyn Company Ruby in Paradise Victor Nuñez October Films The Wedding Banquet Ang Lee The Samuel Goldwyn Company 1994 Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino Miramax Films Bullets over Broadway Woody Allen Miramax Films Eat Drink Man Woman Ang Lee The Samuel Goldwyn Company Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Alan Rudolph Fine Line Features Wes Craven's New Nightmare Wes Craven New Line Cinema 1995 Leaving Las Vegas Mike Figgis United Artists The Addiction Abel Ferrara October Films Living in Oblivion Tom DiCillo Sony Pictures Classics Safe Todd Haynes Sony Pictures Classics The Secret of Roan Inish John Sayles Sony Pictures Classics 1996 Fargo Joel Coen Gramercy Pictures Dead Man Jim Jarmusch Miramax Films The Funeral Abel Ferrara October Films Lone Star John Sayles Sony Pictures Classics Welcome to the Dollhouse Todd Solondz Sony Pictures Classics 1997 The Apostle Robert Duvall October Films Chasing Amy Kevin Smith Miramax Films Loved Erin Dignam MDP Worldwide Ulee's Gold Victor Nuñez Orion Pictures Waiting for Guffman Christopher Guest Sony Pictures Classics 1998 Gods and Monsters Bill Condon Lionsgate Films Affliction Paul Schrader Lionsgate Films Claire Dolan Lodge Kerrigan New Yorker Films A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries James Ivory October Films Velvet Goldmine Todd Haynes Miramax Films 1999 Election Alexander Payne Paramount Pictures/MTV Films Cookie's Fortune Robert Altman October Films The Limey Steven Soderbergh Artisan Entertainment The Straight Story David Lynch Walt Disney Pictures Sugar Town Allison Anders and Kurt Voss October Films/USA Films
2000s YearWinnerDirector(s)Distributing company(s)2000 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Ang Lee Sony Pictures ClassicsBefore Night Falls Julian Schnabel Fine Line Features George Washington David Gordon Green ContentFilm International Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Jim JarmuschArtisan Entertainment Requiem for a Dream Darren Aronofsky2001 Memento Christopher Nolan Newmarket FilmsHedwig and the Angry Inch John Cameron Mitchell Fine Line Features L.I.E. Michael Cuesta New Yorker Films Things Behind the Sun Allison Anders Showtime Networks Waking Life Richard Linklater Fox Searchlight 2002 Far from Heaven Todd Haynes Focus FeaturesThe Good Girl Miguel Arteta Fox Searchlight Lovely & Amazing Nicole HolofcenerLionsgate Films Secretary Steven ShainbergTully Hilary Birmingham Small Planet Pictures 2003 Lost in Translation Sofia Coppola Focus FeaturesAmerican Splendor Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Fine Line Features/HBO Films In America Jim Sheridan Fox Searchlight Raising Victor Vargas Peter Sollett Samuel Goldwyn Films Shattered Glass Billy Ray Lions Gate Films 2004 Sideways Alexander Payne Fox SearchlightBaadasssss! Mario Van Peebles Sony Pictures Classics Kinsey Bill Condon Fox Searchlight Maria Full of Grace Joshua Marston Fine Line Features Primer Shane Carruth THINKFilm 2005 Brokeback Mountain Ang Lee Focus FeaturesCapote Bennett Miller Sony Pictures Classics Good Night, and Good Luck George Clooney Warner Independent Pictures The Squid and the Whale Noah Baumbach Samuel Goldwyn Films The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Tommy Lee Jones Sony Pictures Classics 2006 Little Miss Sunshine Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris Fox SearchlightAmerican Gun Aric Avelino IFC Films The Dead Girl Karen Moncrieff First Look International Half Nelson Ryan Fleck THINKFilm Pan's Labyrinth Guillermo del Toro Picturehouse 2007 Juno Jason Reitman Fox SearchlightThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly Julian Schnabel Miramax Films I'm Not There Todd Haynes The Weinstein Company A Mighty Heart Michael Winterbottom Paramount Vantage Paranoid Park Gus Van Sant IFC Films 2008 The Wrestler Darren Aronofsky Fox SearchlightBallast Lance Hammer Alluvial Film Company Frozen River Courtney Hunt Sony Pictures Classics Rachel Getting Married Jonathan DemmeWendy and Lucy Kelly Reichardt Oscilloscope Pictures 2009 Precious Lee Daniels Lionsgate(500) Days of Summer Marc Webb Fox Searchlight Amreeka Cherien Dabis National Geographic Entertainment The Last Station Michael Hoffman Sony Pictures Classics Sin Nombre Cary Fukunaga Focus Features
2010s YearWinnerDirector(s)Distributing company(s)2010 Black Swan Darren Aronofsky Fox Searchlight127 Hours Danny Boyle Fox Searchlight Greenberg Noah BaumbachFocus Features The Kids Are All Right Lisa CholodenkoWinter's Bone Debra Granik Roadside Attractions 2011 The Artist Michel Hazanavicius The Weinstein Company50/50 Jonathan Levine Summit Entertainment Beginners Mike Mills Focus Features The Descendants Alexander Payne Fox Searchlight Drive Nicolas Winding Refn FilmDistrict Take Shelter Jeff Nichols Sony Pictures Classics 2012 Silver Linings Playbook David O. Russell The Weinstein CompanyBeasts of the Southern Wild Benh Zeitlin Fox Searchlight Bernie Richard Linklater Millennium Entertainment Keep the Lights On Ira Sachs Music Box Films Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson Focus Features 2013 12 Years a Slave Steve McQueen Fox SearchlightAll Is Lost J. C. Chandor Lionsgate Frances Ha Noah Baumbach IFC Films Inside Llewyn Davis Joel Coen and Ethan Coen CBS Films Nebraska Alexander Payne Paramount Vantage 2014 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Alejandro G. Iñárritu Fox SearchlightBoyhood Richard Linklater IFC Films Love Is Strange Ira Sachs Sony Pictures Classics Selma Ava DuVernay Paramount Pictures Whiplash Damien Chazelle Sony Pictures Classics 2015 Spotlight Tom McCarthyOpen Road Films Anomalisa Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson Paramount Pictures Beasts of No Nation Cary Joji Fukunaga Bleecker Street/Netflix Carol Todd Haynes The Weinstein Company Tangerine Sean Baker Magnolia Pictures 2016 Moonlight Barry JenkinsA24 American Honey Andrea Arnold A24 Chronic Michel Franco Monument Releasing Jackie Pablo Larraín Fox Searchlight Manchester by the Sea Kenneth Lonergan Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions 2017 Get Out Jordan PeeleUniversal Pictures/Blumhouse Productions Call Me by Your Name Luca Guadagnino Sony Pictures Classics The Florida Project Sean BakerA24 Lady Bird Greta Gerwig The Rider Chloé Zhao Sony Pictures Classics 2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Barry JenkinsAnnapurna Pictures Eighth Grade Bo BurnhamA24 First Reformed Paul SchraderLeave No Trace Debra Granik Bleecker Street You Were Never Really Here Lynne Ramsay Amazon Studios 2019 The Farewell Lulu WangA24 A Hidden Life Terrence Malick Fox Searchlight Clemency Chinonye Chukwu Neon Marriage Story Noah Baumbach Netflix Uncut Gems Benny Safdie and Joshua Safdie A24
2020s YearWinnerDirector(s)Distributing company(s) 2020 Nomadland Chloé ZhaoSearchlight Pictures First Cow Kelly Reichardt A24 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom George C. Wolfe Netflix Minari Lee Isaac Chung A24 Never Rarely Sometimes Always Eliza Hittman Focus Features 2021 The Lost Daughter Maggie GyllenhaalNetflix A ChiaraJonas Carpignano NeonC’mon C’monMike MillsA24The NoviceLauren HadawayIFC FilmsZolaJanicza BravoA242022 Everything Everywhere All at OnceDaniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert A24Bones and AllLuca GuadagninoMGM/United Artists ReleasingOur Father, the Devil Ellie FoumbiResolve MediaTárTodd FieldFocus FeaturesWomen TalkingSarah PolleyMGM/United Artists Releasing2023Past LivesCeline SongA24All of Us StrangersAndrew HaighSearchlight PicturesAmerican FictionCord JeffersonOrion Pictures/Amazon MGM StudiosMay December Todd HaynesNetflixPassagesIra SachsMubiWe Grown NowMinhal BaigSony Pictures Classics2024AnoraSean BakerNeonI Saw the TV GlowJane SchoenbrunA24Nickel BoysRaMell RossOrion Pictures/Amazon MGM StudiosSing SingGreg KwedarA24The SubstanceCoralie FargeatMubi2025Spirit Awards 2026 Nominations: Full List – VarietyTrain DreamsClint BentleyNetflixPeter Hujar's DayIra SachsJanus Films/SideshowThe PlagueCharlie PolingerIndependent Film CompanySorry, BabyEva VictorA24TwinlessJames SweeneyLionsgate Films/Roadside Attractions
Distributors with most wins and nominations (2 or more)
Columbia/Sony Pictures Classics - 20 (one win) Fox Searchlight/Searchlight Pictures - 17 (eight wins) A24 - 15 (four wins) Universal/Focus Features - 13 (four wins) Miramax - 9 (three wins) Samuel Goldwyn - 8 (no wins) Lionsgate - 8 (two wins) Fine Line Features - 7 (two wins) October Films - 7 (one win) IFC Films - 6 (no wins) MGM/United Artists/Amazon - 6 (one win) New Line Cinema - 6 (one win) Netflix - 6 (two wins) Paramount/Paramount Vantage - 5 (one win) The Weinstein Company - 4 (two wins) Orion Pictures - 4 (one win) Warner Bros/Warner Independent Films - 3 (two wins) Island Pictures - 3 (one win) Neon - 3 (one win) Artisan Entertainment - 3 (no wins) New Yorker Films - 3 (no wins) Bleecker Street - 2 (no wins) Mubi - 2 (no wins)
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