Independent Spirit Awards 2004
The 19th presentation of the Independent Spirit Awards took place on February 28, 2004 and was hosted by John Waters .
Summary
The big winner was Sofia Coppola's melancholy love story Lost in Translation with four awards. Competition films included the comic book adaptation American Splendor (five nominations, no award), the drama House of Sand and Fog (House of Sand and Fog) (a Award, two nominations) and monsters (two awards, one nomination) and Jim Sheridan's immigrant film In America (two awards, four nominations). As at the Oscars, Errol Morris ' The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara was best documentary, Niki Caro's Whale Rider beat Sylvain Chomets The Great Race of Belleville (Les triplettes de Belleville) and Fernando Meirelles ' Cidade de Deus and became best foreign film. Alejandro González Iñárritus 21 grams ( 21 grams ) was not eligible for the official awards due to his budget and received a special prize.
Winners and nominees
Best movie
Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola , Ross Katz
- American Splendor - Ted Hope
- In America - Jim Sheridan , Arthur Lappin
- Raising Victor Vargas - Alain de la Mata , Robin O'Hara , Scott Macaulay , Peter Sollett
- Shattered Glass - Craig Baumgarten , Tove Christensen , Gaye Hirsch , Adam Merims
Best debut film
Monsters - Patty Jenkins , Mark Damon , Donald Kushner , Clark Peterson , Charlize Theron , Brad Wyman
- Bomb the System - Adam Bhala Lough , Ben Rekhi , Sol Tryon
- Thirteen (Thirteen) - Catherine Hardwicke , Jeffrey Levy-Hinte , Michael London
- House of Sand and Fog (House of Sand and Fog) - Vadim Perelman , Michael London
- Streets of Legend - Joey Curtis , Fredric King
Best documentation
- Mayor of the Sunset Strip - George Hickenlooper
- My Architect - Nathaniel Kahn
- OT: Our Town - Scott Hamilton Kennedy
- Power Trip - Paul Devlin
Best Actor
Bill Murray - Lost in Translation
- Peter Dinklage - The Station Agent
- Paul Giamatti - American Splendor
- Ben Kingsley - House of Sand and Fog (House of Sand and Fog)
- Lee Pace - Soldier's Girl
Best main actress
- Agnes Bruckner - Blue Car
- Zooey Deschanel - All the Real Girls
- Samantha Morton - In America
- Elisabeth Moss - Virgin
Best supporting actor
- Judah Friedlander - American Splendor
- Troy Garity - Soldier's Girl
- Alessandro Nivola - Laurel Canyon
- Peter Sarsgaard - Shattered Glass
The best supporting actress
Shohreh Aghdashloo - House of Sand and Fog (House of Sand and Fog)
- Sarah Bolger - In America
- Patricia Clarkson - Pieces of April - A day with April Burns
- Hope Davis - The Secret Lives of Dentists
- Frances McDormand - Laurel Canyon
Best screen debut
Nikki Reed - Thirteen (Thirteen)
- Anna Kendrick - Camp
- Judy Marte - Raising Victor Vargas
- Victor Rasuk - Raising Victor Vargas
- Janice Richardson - Anne B. Real
Best director
Sofia Coppola - Lost in Translation
- Jim Sheridan - In America
- Peter Sollett - Raising Victor Vargas
- Shari Springer Berman , Robert Pulcini - American Splendor
- Gus Van Sant - Elephant
Best script
Sofia Coppola - Lost in Translation
- Christopher Guest , Eugene Levy - A Mighty Wind
- Peter Hedges - Pieces of April - A day with April Burns
- Billy Ray - Shattered Glass
- Shari Springer Berman , Robert Pulcini - American Splendor
Best screenplay debut
Tom McCarthy - The Station Agent
- Catherine Hardwicke , Nikki Reed - Thirteen (Thirteen)
- Patty Jenkins - monsters
- Karen Moncrieff - Blue Car
- Peter Sollett , Eva Vives - Raising Victor Vargas
Best camera
- Derek Cianfrance - Streets of Legend
- M. David Mullen - Northfork
- Harris Savides - Elephant
- Mandy Walker - Shattered Glass
John Cassavetes Award
Tom McCarthy , Mary Jane Skalski , Robert May , Kathryn Tucker - The Station Agent
- Lisa France , Antonio Macia , Josselyne Herman , Luis Moro , Jeanine Rohn - Anne B. Real
- Peter Hedges , Alexis Alexanian , John S. Lyons , Gary Winick - Pieces of April - A Day with April Burns
- Deborah Kampmeier , Sarah Schenck - Virgin
- Justin Lin , Ernesto Foronda , Fabian Marquez , Julie Asato - Better Luck Tomorrow
Producers Award
Mary Jane Skalski - The Jimmy Show and The Station Agent
- Callum Greene , Anthony Katagas - Happy Here and Now and Homework
- Lauren Moews - Cabin Fever and Briar Patch
Truer Than Fiction Award
Megan Mylan , Jon Shenk - Lost Boys of Sudan
- Linda Goode Bryant , Laura Poitras - Flag Wars
- Nathaniel Kahn - My Architect
- Robb Moss - The Same River Twice
Best foreign film
- Cidade de Deus - Fernando Meirelles
- The great race of Belleville (Les triplettes de Belleville) - Sylvain Chomet
- Lilja 4-ever - Lukas Moodysson
- The Merciless Sisters (The Magdelene Sisters) - Peter Mullan
Someone to Watch Award
Andrew Bujalski - Funny Ha Ha
- Ben Coccio - Zero Day
- Ryan Eslinger - Madness and Genius
Special Distinction Award
Alejandro González Iñárritu , Guillermo Arriaga , Robert Salerno , Sean Penn , Benicio del Toro , Naomi Watts - 21 grams (21 grams )