Comedian Eddie Izzard will host the 25th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent has announced. The awards will take place the night of March 5th at LA Live's event deck in Los Angeles. Film Independent said of the comedian, "Izzard's tangential, absurd, bizarre, and surreal comic narratives are lauded for their creativity and wit, which suits the irreverent, laid-back style of the Spirit Awards."
Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, known for his lightening quick wit and surreal humor, returns to the US after a sold-out European tour. Critics have described Izzard as everything from the "funniest man in pretty much all of the known universe," to "a human search engine," to "a surrealist maestro of historical and scientific trivia, and "a one-man Monty Python crew." Izzard won acclaim in the U.S. with Dress To Kill, his one-man show which debuted on HBO and won two Emmy Awards.
In between tours, he has earned rave reviews for his acting talent seen on television in the hit FX series, "The Riches," on the big screen in Steven Soderbergh's "Oceans 13" and on Broadway, where he starred in the acclaimed revival of "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg." Izzard received a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance.
As the first event to honor independent film exclusively, Film Independent's Spirit Awards has made a name for itself as the premier awards event for the independent film community. It's a celebration of the spirited pioneers who bring a unique vision to filmmaking.
Along with being a great party, the Spirit Awards ceremony also brings together the top talent from independent film and Hollywood. Trophies are presented for the years' best achievements in independent film, with statues awarded for Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best Feature Made for Under $500,000 (the John Cassavetes Award), and many more.
Winners are chosen by those in the know: Film Independent members, with voting privileges extended to IFP members. Voters attend nominee screenings and view nominated films online and through Netflix before selecting the Spirit Award winners.
The nominees for the 25th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards are as follows:
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
(500) Days Of Summer - Producers: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Steven J. Wolfe
Amreeka - Producers: Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan
Precious - Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness
Sin Nombre - Producer: Amy Kaufman
The Last Station - Producers: Bonnie Arnold, Chris Curling, Jens Meuer
BEST DIRECTOR
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen - A Serious Man
Lee Daniels - Precious
Cary Joji Fukunaga - Sin Nombre
James Gray - Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman - The Last Station
BEST SCREENPLAY
Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman - The Messenger
Michael Hoffman - The Last Station
Lee Toland Krieger - The Vicious Kind
Greg Mottola - Adventureland
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber - (500) Days Of Summer
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
A Single Man - Director: Tom Ford, Producers: Tom Ford, Andrew Miano, Robert Salerno, Chris Weitz
Crazy Heart - Director: Scott Cooper, Producers: T Bone Burnett, Judy Cairo, Rob Carliner, Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall
Easier With Practice - Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Producer: Cookie Carosella
Paranormal Activity - Director: Oren Peli, Producer: Jason Blum, Oren Peli
The Messenger - Director: Oren Moverman, Producers: Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee, Zach Miller
