Independent Spirit Awards 1994
The ninth presentation of the Independent Spirit Awards took place on March 19, 1994.
Summary
As in the previous year, a work by Robert Altman won the award for best film. Short Cuts also received awards for directing and screenwriting, so Altman received two awards. Ang Lees The Wedding Banquet (Hsi yen) was Altman's fiercest competitor: The film was nominated for prizes six times, but never received a prize. Victor Nuñez 's Ruby in Paradise fared similar : nominated six times, the film won only one award. Jane Campion received the award for the best foreign film (with The Piano ) for the third time , again Mike Leigh was among the losers, as was Zhang Yimou . Robert Rodriguez 's low-budget surprise hit El Mariachi won the Best Debut Film award, putting John Turturro's directorial debut Mac and Menace II Society in the spotlight.
Winners and nominees
Best movie
- Equinox - David Blocker
- The Wedding Banquet (Hsi yen) - Ted Hope , Ang Lee , James Schamus
- Ruby in Paradise - Keith Crofford
- Much Ado About Nothing (Much Ado About Nothing) - Kenneth Branagh , Stephen Evans , David Parfitt
Best debut film
El Mariachi - Robert Rodriguez , Carlos Gallardo
- American Heart - The Second Chance (American Heart) - Martin Bell , Jeff Bridges , Rosilyn Heller
- Combination Platter - Tony Chan , Judy Moy
- Menace II Society - Albert Hughes , Allen Hughes , Darin Scott
- Mac - John Turturro , Brenda Goodman , Nancy Tenenbaum
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges - American Heart - The Second Chance (American Heart)
- Vincent D'Onofrio - A Normal Miracle (Household Saints)
- Mitchell Lichtenstein - The Wedding Banquet (Hsi yen)
- Matthew Modine - Equinox
- Tyrin Turner - Menace II Society
Best main actress
Ashley Judd - Ruby in Paradise
- Suzy Amis - Little Jo - A Woman Among Wolves (The Ballad of Little Jo)
- May Chin - The Wedding Banquet (Hsi yen)
- Ariyan A. Johnson - Brooklyn Girl (Just Another Girl on the IRT)
- Emma Thompson - Much Ado About Nothing (Much Ado About Nothing)
Best supporting actor
Christopher Lloyd - Twenty Bucks
- David Chung - Little Jo - A Woman Among Wolves (The Ballad of Little Jo)
- Tate Donovan - The normal madness (Inside Monkey Zetterland)
- Todd Field - Ruby in Paradise
- Edward Furlong - American Heart - The Second Chance (American Heart)
The best supporting actress
Lili Taylor - A Normal Miracle (Household Saints)
- Lara Flynn Boyle - Equinox
- Ah Lei Gua - The Wedding Banquet (Hsi yen)
- Lucinda Jenney - American Heart - The Second Chance (American Heart)
- Julianne Moore - Short Cuts
Best director
- Ang Lee - The Wedding Banquet (Hsi yen)
- Victor Nuñez - Ruby in Paradise
- Robert Rodriguez - El Mariachi
- John Turturro - Mac
Best script
Robert Altman , Frank Barhydt - Short Cuts
- Edwin Baker , Tony Chan - Combination Platter
- Ang Lee , Neil Peng , James Schamus - The Wedding Banquet (Hsi yen)
- Víctor Núñez - Ruby in Paradise
- Nancy Savoca , Richard Guay - A Normal Miracle (Household Saints)
Best camera
Lisa Rinzler - Menace II Society
- James R. Bagdonas - American Heart - The Second Chance (American Heart)
- Elliot Davis - Equinox
- Nancy Schreiber - In the vortex of desire (Chain of Desire)
- Alex Vlacos - Ruby in Paradise
Best foreign film
The Piano (The Piano) - Jane Campion
- Bittersweet chocolate (Como agua para chocolate) - Alfonso Arau
- The story of Qiu Ju (Qiu Ju da guan si) - Zhang Yimou
- Nude (Naked) - Mike Leigh
- Orlando - Sally Potter