11th Independent Spirit Awards

11th Independent Spirit Awards
11th Independent Spirit Awards
Date	March 23, 1996
Site	Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Hosted by	Samuel L. Jackson
Highlights
Best Film	Leaving Las Vegas
Most awards	Leaving Las Vegas (4)
Most nominations	Leaving Las Vegas (7)

The 11th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 1995, were announced on March 23, 1996. It was hosted by Samuel L. Jackson.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Nominees and winners

Elisabeth Shue, winner of Best Female Lead

Benicio del Toro, winner of Best Supporting Male

Mare Winningham, winner of Best Supporting Female

Christopher McQuarrie, winner of Best Screenplay

Best Feature	Best Director
Leaving Las Vegas The Addiction Living in Oblivion Safe The Secret of Roan Inish	Mike Figgis – Leaving Las Vegas Michael Almereyda – Nadja Ulu Grosbard – Georgia Todd Haynes – Safe John Sayles – The Secret of Roan Inish
Best Male Lead	Best Female Lead
Sean Penn – Dead Man Walking Nicolas Cage – Leaving Las Vegas Tim Roth – Little Odessa Jimmy Smits – My Family Kevin Spacey – Swimming with Sharks	Elisabeth Shue – Leaving Las Vegas Jennifer Jason Leigh – Georgia Elina Löwensohn – Nadja Julianne Moore – Safe Lili Taylor – The Addiction
Best Supporting Male	Best Supporting Female
Benicio del Toro – The Usual Suspects James LeGros – Living in Oblivion David Morse – The Crossing Guard Max Perlich – Georgia Harold Perrineau – Smoke	Mare Winningham – Georgia Jennifer Lopez – My Family Vanessa Redgrave – Little Odessa Chloë Sevigny – Kids Celia Weston – Dead Man Walking
Best Screenplay	Best First Screenplay
The Usual Suspects – Christopher McQuarrie Leaving Las Vegas – Mike Figgis Living in Oblivion – Tom DiCillo Safe – Todd Haynes The Secret of Roan Inish – John Sayles	Smoke – Paul Auster Kids – Harmony Korine Little Odessa – James Gray Post Cards from America – Steve McLean River of Grass – Kelly Reichardt
Best First Feature	Best Debut Performance
The Brothers McMullen Kids Little Odessa Picture Bride River of Grass	Justin Pierce – Kids Jason Andrews – Rhythm Thief Lisa Bowman – River of Grass Gabriel Casseus – New Jersey Drive Rose McGowan – The Doom Generation
Best Cinematography	Best Foreign Film
Leaving Las Vegas – Declan Quinn Little Odessa – Tom Richmond Nadja – Jim Denault The Underneath – Elliot Davis The Usual Suspects – Newton Thomas Sigel	Before the Rain • Macedonia The City of Lost Children • France Exotica • Canada I Am Cuba • Soviet Union Through the Olive Trees • Iran

Films that received multiple nominations

Nominations	Film
7	Leaving Las Vegas
5	Little Odessa
4	Georgia
	Kids
	River of Grass
	Safe
	The Secret of Roan Irish
3	Living in Oblivion
	Nadja
	The Usual Suspects
2	The Addiction
	Dead Man Walking
	My Family
	Smoke

Films that won multiple awards

Awards	Film
4	Leaving Las Vegas
2	The Usual Suspects

Special awards

Someone to Watch Award

Christopher Münch – Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day

Tim McCann – Desolation Angels
Jennifer Montgomery – Art for Teachers of Children
Kelly Reichardt – River of Grass
Rafal Zielinski – Fun

Special Distinction Award

Samuel Fuller

References

^ "Film Nominations Are Independent-minded". Chicago Tribune. January 12, 1996. Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
^ "'Leaving Las Vegas' Arrives in Big Way at Spirit Awards". Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1996. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
^ "Independent Spirits Give Awards All Own". Chicago Tribune. March 25, 1996. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2012.

External links

[1] "Film Nominations Are Independent-minded". Chicago Tribune. January 12, 1996. Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2012.

[2] "'Leaving Las Vegas' Arrives in Big Way at Spirit Awards". Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1996. Retrieved August 16, 2012.

[3] "Independent Spirits Give Awards All Own". Chicago Tribune. March 25, 1996. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Independent Spirit Awards
Current categories	Best Film Best Director Best Lead Performance Best Supporting Performance Best Breakthrough Performance Best Cinematography Best Editing Best Documentary Feature Best First Feature Best International Film Best Screenplay Best First Screenplay Best New Scripted Series Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series John Cassavetes Award Robert Altman Award
Retired categories	Best Male Lead Best Female Lead Best Supporting Male Best Supporting Female Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series
Ceremonies	1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (years are of film release; ceremonies are the following year)