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Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award
Award for low-budget film productions
Award for low-budget film productions
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | John Cassavetes Award |
| awarded_for | Best creative team of a film budgeted at less than $500,000 |
| presenter | Independent Spirit Awards |
| year | The Blair Witch Project (1999) |
| holder | Girls Will Be Girls (2024) |
| website |
The Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award is presented to the creative team of a film budgeted at less than $1,000,000 by the Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It is named after actor/screenwriter/director John Cassavetes, a pioneer of American independent film. The award is given to the directors, writers and producers of a film.
History
Created for the 15th Independent Spirit Awards, it was originally called the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature (Under $500,000). After that, the rules changed so that any feature film budgeted under $500,000 could be eligible (regardless of how many films the director has made), hence the new name. The first recipient of the award was the horror film The Blair Witch Project. In 2023, the rules changed to include any feature film budgeted under $1,000,000. At the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, it was revealed to be renamed the Gena Rowlands Award (renamed after Cassavetes's wife).
Winners and nominees
1990s
| Year | Film | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *The Blair Witch Project* | Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez | Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie | |||
| La Ciudad | David Riker | David Riker, Paul S. Mezey | |||
| Compensation | Zeinabu irene Davis | Marc Arthur Chery | Marc Arthur Chery, Zeinabu Irene Davis | ||
| Judy Berlin | Eric Mendelsohn | Rocco Caruso | |||
| Treasure Island | Scott King | Adrienne Gruben |
2000s
| Year | Film | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | 2000 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | ||||||||||||||
| 2002 | ||||||||||||||
| 2003 | ||||||||||||||
| 2004 | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | ||||||||||||||
| 2006 | ||||||||||||||
| 2007 | ||||||||||||||
| 2008 | ||||||||||||||
| 2009 | ||||||||||||||
| *Chuck & Buck* | Miguel Arteta | Mike White | Matthew Greenfield | |||||||||||
| Bunny | Mia Trachinger | Rebecca Sonnenshine, Mia Trachinger | ||||||||||||
| Everything Put Together | Marc Forster | Marc Forster, Adam Forgash, Catherine Lloyd Burns | Sean Furst | |||||||||||
| Groove | Greg Harrison | Danielle Renfrew | ||||||||||||
| Our Song | Jim McKay | Jim McKay, Paul S. Mezey, Diana E. Williams | ||||||||||||
| *Jackpot* | Michael Polish | Michael Polish, Mark Polish | ||||||||||||
| Acts of Worship | Rosemary Rodriguez | Nadia Leonelli, Fredrick Sundwall, Rosemary Rodriguez | ||||||||||||
| Kaaterskill Falls | Josh Apter, Peter Olsen | |||||||||||||
| Punks | Patrik-Ian Polk | Patrik-Ian Polk, Tracey E. Edmonds, Michael McQuarn | ||||||||||||
| Virgil Bliss | Joe Maggio | Joe Maggio, John Maggio | ||||||||||||
| *Personal Velocity* | Rebecca Miller | Lemore Syvan, Alexis Alexanian, Gary Winick | ||||||||||||
| Charlotte Sometimes | Eric Byler | Marc Ambrose, Eric Byler | ||||||||||||
| Dahmer | David Jacobson | Larry Rattner | ||||||||||||
| ivans xtc. | Bernard Rose | Lisa Enos, Bernard Rose | Lisa Enos | |||||||||||
| The Slaughter Rule | Alex Smith, Andrew J. Smith | Gregory O'Connor, Michael Robinson | ||||||||||||
| *The Station Agent* | Tom McCarthy | Mary Jane Skalski, Robert May, Kathryn Tucker | ||||||||||||
| Anne B. Real | Lisa France | Lisa France, Antonio Macia | Luis Moro, Jeanine Rohn, Josselyne Herman Saccio | |||||||||||
| Better Luck Tomorrow | Justin Lin | Ernesto M. Foronda, Justin Lin, Fabian Marquez | Julie Asato, Justin Lin, Ernesto M. Foronda | |||||||||||
| Pieces of April | Peter Hedges | Alexis Alexanian, John S. Lyons, Gary Winick | ||||||||||||
| Virgin | Deborah Kampmeier | Sarah Schenck | ||||||||||||
| *Mean Creek* | Jacob Aaron Estes | Hagai Shaham, Rick Rosenthal, Susan Johnson | ||||||||||||
| Down to the Bone | Debra Granik | Debra Granik, Richard Lieske | Susan Leber, Anne Rosellini | |||||||||||
| On the Outs | Lori Silverbush, Michael Skolnik | Lori Silverbush | Lori Silverbush, Michael Skolnik | |||||||||||
| Robbing Peter | Mario F. de la Vega | T. Todd Flinchum, Lisa Y. Garibay, Mario F. de la Vega | ||||||||||||
| Unknown Soldier | Ferenc Toth | Sean Bachrodt, Seth Eisman, Chachi Senior, Ferenc Totho | ||||||||||||
| *Conventioneers* | Mora Stephens | Mora Stephens, Joel Viertel | Joel Viertel | |||||||||||
| Brick | Rian Johnson | Ram Bergman, Mark G. Mathis | ||||||||||||
| Jellysmoke | Mark Banning | Mark Banning, Cliff Charles, Mad Matthewz | ||||||||||||
| The Puffy Chair | Jay Duplass | Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass | Mark Duplass | |||||||||||
| Room | Kyle Henry | Allen Bain, Darren Goldberg, Jesse Scolaro | ||||||||||||
| *Quinceañera* | Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland | Anne Clements | ||||||||||||
| 12 and Holding | Michael Cuesta | Anthony Cipriano | Leslie Urdang, Michael Cuesta, Brian Bell, Jenny Schweitzer | |||||||||||
| Chalk | Mike Akel | Chris Mass, Maike Akel | Mike Akel, Angela Alvarez, Graham Davidson, Chris Mass | |||||||||||
| Four Eyed Monsters | Arin Crumley, Susan Buice | |||||||||||||
| Old Joy | Kelly Reichardt | Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt | Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, Anish Savjani, Neil Kopp | |||||||||||
| *August Evening* | Chris Eska | Connie Hill, Jason Wehling | ||||||||||||
| Owl and the Sparrow | Stephane Gauger | Nguyen Van Quan, Doan Nhat Nam, Stephane Gauger | ||||||||||||
| The Pool | Chris Smith | Chris Smith, Randy Russell | Kate Noble | |||||||||||
| Quiet City | Aaron Katz | Aaron Katz, Erin Fisher, Cris Lankenau | Brendan McFadden, Ben Stambler | |||||||||||
| Shotgun Stories | Jeff Nichols | David Gordon Green, Lisa Muskat, Jeff Nichols | ||||||||||||
| *In Search of a Midnight Kiss* | Alex Holdridge | Seth Caplan, Scoot McNairy | ||||||||||||
| Prince of Broadway | Sean Baker | Sean Baker, Darren Dean | Darren Dean | |||||||||||
| The Signal | David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry | Jacob Gentry, Alexander Motlagh | ||||||||||||
| Take Out | Sean Baker, Shih-Ching Tsou | |||||||||||||
| Turn the River | Chris Eigeman | Ami Armstrong | ||||||||||||
| *Humpday* | Lynn Shelton | |||||||||||||
| Big Fan | Robert D. Siegel | Jean Kouremetis, Elan Bogarin | ||||||||||||
| The New Year Parade | Tom Quinn | Steve Beal, Tom Quinn | ||||||||||||
| Treeless Mountain | So Yong Kim | Bradley Rust Gray, Ben Howe, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, So Yong Kim | ||||||||||||
| Zero Bridge | Tariq Tapa | Hilal Ahmed Langoo, Josée Lajoie, Tariq Tapa |
2010s
| Year | Film | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | 2010 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | ||||||||||||||
| 2012 | ||||||||||||||
| 2013 | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | ||||||||||||||
| 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | ||||||||||||||
| 2018 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| *Daddy Longlegs* | Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie | Casey Neistat, Tom Scott | ||||||||||||
| The Exploding Girl | Bradley Rust Gray | Karin Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim | ||||||||||||
| Lbs. | Matthew Bonifacio | Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti | ||||||||||||
| Lovers of Hate | Bryan Poyser | Megan Gilbride | ||||||||||||
| Obselidia | Diane Bell | Chris Byrne, Matthew Medlin | ||||||||||||
| *Pariah* | Dee Rees | Nekisa Cooper | ||||||||||||
| Bellflower | Evan Glodell | Vincent Grashaw, Evan Glodell | ||||||||||||
| Circumstance | Maryam Keshavarz | Karin Chien, Maryam Keshavarz, Melissa Lee | ||||||||||||
| The Dynamiter | Matthew Gordon | Brad Ingelsby | Kevin Abrams, Matthew Gordon, Merrilee Holt, Art Jones, Mike Jones, Nate Tuck, Amile Wilson | |||||||||||
| Hello Lonesome | Adam Reid | |||||||||||||
| *Middle of Nowhere* | Ava DuVernay | Paul Garnes, Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay | ||||||||||||
| Breakfast with Curtis | Laura Colella | |||||||||||||
| Mosquita y Mari | Aurora Guerrero | Chad Burris | ||||||||||||
| The Color Wheel | Alex Ross Perry | Alex Ross Perry, Carlen Altman | Alex Ross Perry | |||||||||||
| Starlet | Sean Baker | Chris Bergoch, Sean Baker | Blake Ashman-Kipervaser, Kevin Chinoy, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Francesca Silvestri | |||||||||||
| *This Is Martin Bonner* | Chad Hartigan | Cherie Saulter | ||||||||||||
| Computer Chess | Andrew Bujalski | Houston King, Alex Lipschultz | ||||||||||||
| Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus | Sebastián Silva | Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín | ||||||||||||
| Museum Hours | Jem Cohen | Paolo Calamita, Gabriele Kranzelbinder | ||||||||||||
| Pit Stop | Yen Tan | Yen Tan, David Lowery | Jonathan Duffy, James M. Johnston, Eric Steele, Kelly Williams | |||||||||||
| *Land Ho!* | Aaron Katz, Martha Stephens | Christina Jennings, Mynette Louie, Sara Murphy | ||||||||||||
| Blue Ruin | Jeremy Saulnier | Richard Peete, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani | ||||||||||||
| It Felt Like Love | Eliza Hittman | Shrihari Sathe, Laura Wagner, Eliza Hittman | ||||||||||||
| Man from Reno | Dave Boyle | Dave Boyle, Joel Clark, Michael Lerman | Ko Mori | |||||||||||
| Test | Chris Mason Johnson | Chris Martin | ||||||||||||
| *Krisha* | Trey Edward Shults | Trey Edward Shults, Justin R. Chan, Chase Joliet, and Wilson Smith | ||||||||||||
| Advantageous | Jennifer Phang | Jennifer Phang, Jacqueline Kim | Robert Chang, Ken Jeong, Moon Molson, Theresa Navarro, Jennifer Phang, Jacqueline Kim | |||||||||||
| Christmas, Again | Charles Poekel | |||||||||||||
| Heaven Knows What | Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie | Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie | Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear McClard | |||||||||||
| Out of My Hand | Takeshi Fukunaga | Donari Braxton, Takeshi Fukunaga | Donari Braxton, Mike Fox | |||||||||||
| *Spa Night* | Andrew Ahn | David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas | ||||||||||||
| Free in Deed | Jake Mahaffy | Mike Bowes, Mike S. Ryan, Brent Stiefel | ||||||||||||
| Hunter Gatherer | Josh Locy | Michael Covino, April Lamb, Sara Murphy, Isaiah Smallman | ||||||||||||
| Lovesong | So Yong Kim | Bradley Rust Gray, So Yong Kim | David Hansen, Bradley Rust Gray, Alex Lipschultz, Johnny Mac | |||||||||||
| Nakom | Kelly Daniela Norris, T. W. Pittman | Kelly Daniela Norris, Isaac Adakudugu | Giovanni Ximėnez, Kelly Daniela Norris, T. W. Pittman, Isaac Adakudugu | |||||||||||
| *Life and Nothing More* | Antonio Méndez Esparza | Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos | ||||||||||||
| Dayveon | Amman Abbasi | Steven Reneau, Amman Abbasi | Lachion Buckingham, Alexander Uhlmann, Amman Abbasi | |||||||||||
| A Ghost Story | David Lowery | Adam Donaghey, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston | ||||||||||||
| Most Beautiful Island | Ana Asensio | Ana Asensio, Larry Fessenden, Noah Greenberg, Chadd Harbold, Jenn Wexler | ||||||||||||
| The Transfiguration | Michael O'Shea | Susan Leber | ||||||||||||
| *En el séptimo día* | Jim McKay | Alex Bach, Jim McKay, Lindsey Cordero, Caroline Kaplan, Michael Stipe | ||||||||||||
| A Bread Factory | Patrick Wang | Daryl Freimark, Patrick Wang, Matt Miller | ||||||||||||
| Never Goin' Back | Augustine Frizzell | Liz Cardenas, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston | ||||||||||||
| Sócrates | Alexandre Moratto | Alexandre Moratto, Thayná Mantesso | Ramin Bahrani, Alexandre Moratto, Jefferson Paulino, Tammy Weiss | |||||||||||
| Thunder Road | Jim Cummings | Natalie Metzger, Zack Parker, Benjamin Weissner | ||||||||||||
| *Give Me Liberty* | Kirill Mikhanovsky | Alice Austen, Kirill Mikhanovsky | Val Abel, Wally Hall, Kirill Mikhanovsky, Alice Austen, Michael Manasseri, George Rush, Sergey Shtern | |||||||||||
| Burning Cane | Phillip Youmans | Phillip Youmans, Ojo Akinlana, Jakob Johnson, Karen Kaia Livers, Mose Mayer, Wendell Pierce, Isaac Webb, Cassandra Youmans | ||||||||||||
| Colewell | Tom Quinn | Tom Quinn, Joshua Blum, Alexandra Byer, Craig Shilowich, Matthew Thurm | ||||||||||||
| Premature | Rashaad Ernesto Green | Rashaad Ernesto Green, Zora Howard | Darren Dean, Joy Ganes, Rashaad Ernesto Green | |||||||||||
| Wild Nights with Emily | Madeleine Olnek | Madeleine Olnek, Anna Margarita Albelo, Casper Andreas, Max Rifkind-Barron |
2020s
| Year | Film | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||
| *Residue* | Merawi Gerima | |||||||||
| The Killing of Two Lovers | Robert Machoian | Robert Machoian, Scott Christopherson, Clayne Crawford | ||||||||
| La Leyenda Negra | Patricia Vidal Delgado | Alicia Herder, Marcel Perez | ||||||||
| Lingua Franca | Isabel Sandoval | Isabel Sandoval, Darlene Catly Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo, Dax Stringer | ||||||||
| Saint Frances | Alex Thompson | Kelly O'Sullivan | Alex Thompson, James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Raphael Nash, Roger Welp | |||||||
| *Shiva Baby* | Emma Seligman | Emma Seligman, Kieran Altmann, Katie Schiller, Lizzie Shapiro | ||||||||
| Cryptozoo | Dash Shaw | Tyler Davidson, Kyle Martin, Jane Samborski, Bill Way | ||||||||
| Jockey | Clint Bentley | Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar | Clint Bentley, Nancy Schafer, Greg Kwedar | |||||||
| Sweet Thing | Alexandre Rockwell | Louis Anania, Haley Anderson, Kenan Baysal | ||||||||
| This Is Not a War Story | Talia Lugacy | Noah Lang, Julian West Margarita Albelo, Talia Lugacy, Casper Andreas, Max Rifkind-Barron | ||||||||
| *The Cathedral* | Ricky D'Ambrose | Graham Swon | ||||||||
| The African Desperate | Martine Syms | Martine Syms, Rocket Caleshu | Martine Syms, Rocket Caleshu, Vic Brooks | |||||||
| Holy Emy | Araceli Lemos | Araceli Lemos, Giulia Caruso | Giulia Caruso, Mathieu Bompoint, Ki Jin Kim, Konstantinos Vassilaros | |||||||
| A Love Song | Max Walker-Silverman | Max Walker-Silverman, Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey | ||||||||
| Something in the Dirt | Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead | Justin Benson | Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, David Lawson Jr. | |||||||
| *Fremont* | Babak Jalali | Babak Jalali, Carolina Cavalli | Rachael Fung, Chris Martin, Marjaneh Moghimi, George Rush, Sudnya Shroff, Laura Wagner | |||||||
| The Artifice Girl | Franklin Ritch | Aaron B. Koontz, Ashleigh Snead | ||||||||
| Cadejo Blanco | Justin Lerner | Mauricio Escobar, Ryan Friedkin, Jack Patrick Hurley | ||||||||
| Rotting in the Sun | Sebastian Silva | Sebastian Silva, Pedro Peirano | Jacob Wasserman | |||||||
| The Unknown Country | Morrisa Maltz | Morrisa Maltz, Lily Gladstone, Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Vanara Taing | Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Vanara Taing, Katherine Harper, Laura Heberton, Tommy Heitkamp | |||||||
| *Girls Will Be Girls* | Shuchi Talati | Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne, Shuchi Talati | ||||||||
| Big Boys | Corey Sherman | Corey Sherman, Allison Tate | ||||||||
| Ghostlight | Kelly O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson | Kelly O'Sullivan | Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Chelsea Krant, Eddie Linker, Alex Thompson | |||||||
| Jazzy | Morrisa Maltz | Morrisa Maltz, Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Andrew Hajek, Vanara Taing | Miranda Bailey, Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Tommy Heitkamp, Morrisa Maltz, John Way, Natalie Whalen, Elliott Whitton | |||||||
| The People's Joker | Vera Drew | Bri LeRose, Vera Drew | Joey Lyons | |||||||
| The Baltimorons | Jay Duplass | Jay Duplass, Michael Strassner | David Bonnett Jr., Jay Duplass, Drew Langer, Michael Strassner | |||||||
| Boys Go to Jupiter | Julian Glander | |||||||||
| Eephus | Carson Lund | Carson Lund, Michael Basta, Nate Fisher | Carson Lund, Michael Basta,David Entin, Tyler Taormina | |||||||
| Esta Isla (This Island) | Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina | Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina, Kisha Tikina Burgos | Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina | |||||||
| Familiar Touch | Sarah Friedland | Sarah Friedland, Alexandra Byer, Matthew Thurm |
Multiple nominees
- Sean Baker - 3 (no wins)
- So Yong Kim - 3 (no wins)
- Bradley Rust Gray - 3 (no wins)
- George Rush - 2 (two wins)
- Laura Wagner - 2 (one win)
- Jim McKay - 2 (one win)
- Aaron Katz - 2 (one win)
- Gary Winick - 2 (one win)
- Giulia Caruso - 2 (one win)
- Ki Jin Kim - 2 (one win)
- Jay Van Hoy - 2 (no wins)
- Lars Knudsen - 2 (no wins)
- Karin Chien - 2 (no wins)
- Ben Howe - 2 (no wins)
- Darren Dean - 2 (no wins)
- Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie - 3 (one win)
References
References
- "37 Years of Nominees and Winners".
- "FILM INDEPENDENT MOVES TO GENDER-NEUTRAL ACTING CATEGORIES AND INCREASED BUDGET CAPS FOR THE 2023 SPIRIT AWARDS".
- Gardner, Chris. (2025-02-23). "9 Things the Cameras Missed During the Spirit Awards".
- [https://believermag.com/contributor/rebecca-miller/ Rebecca Miller - Believer Magazine]
- [https://www.disruptorawards.com/fellows-blog-last-name-z/2018/12/28/kathryn-tucker Kathryn Tucker —Disruptor Awards]
- [https://www.sloanfilmsummit.org/people/howard-barish/ Howard Barish - Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Public Understanding & Film Independent]
- [https://news.fsu.edu/news/2018/03/07/fsu-film-professor-wins-prestigious-independent-spirit-award/ FSU film professor wins prestigious Independent Spirit Award - Florida State University News]
- [https://www.remhq.com/news/congratulations-to-director-jim-mckay-for-his-independent-spirit-award/ Congratulations to Director Jim McKay for His Independent Spirit Award. R.E.M.HQ]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f81VLS06gc4 GIVE ME LIBERTY wins the John Cassavetes Award at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards - Film Independent on YouTube]
- [https://www.indiewire.com/2021/04/2021-independent-spirit-awards-winners-list-1234630882/ 2021 Independent Spirit Awards Winner's List]
- (March 6, 2022). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'The Lost Daughter' Takes Home Best Feature As Netflix Reigns With Six Wins". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT5ozbLLSx4 SHIVA BABY wins the JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD at the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards on official YouTube channel]
- Lattanzio, Ryan. (November 22, 2022). "'Everything Everywhere,' 'TÁR' Lead Independent Spirit Award Nominations: See the Full List". [[IndieWire]].
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StXm_XrplW0&ab_channel=FilmIndependent FREMONT wins the John Cassavetes Award at the 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards - Film Independent on YouTube]
- [https://variety.com/2025/film/news/spirit-awards-2026-nominations-1236596640/ Spirit Awards 2026 Nominations: Full List – Variety]
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