12th Independent Spirit Awards


The 12th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 1996, were announced on March 22, 1997. It was hosted by Samuel L. Jackson.

Nominees and winners

Best FeatureBest Director
Fargo
Joel Coen - Fargo
  • Abel Ferrara - The Funeral
  • David O. Russell - Flirting with Disaster
  • Todd Solondz - Welcome to the Dollhouse
  • Robert M. Young - Caught
    • Best Male LeadBest Female Lead
    William H. Macy - Fargo
  • Chris Cooper - Lone Star
  • Chris Penn - The Funeral
  • Tony Shalhoub - Big Night
  • Stanley Tucci - Big Night
    		• Frances McDormand - Fargo
  • María Conchita Alonso - Caught
  • Scarlett Johansson - Manny & Lo
  • Catherine Keener - Walking and Talking
  • Renée Zellweger - The Whole Wide World
    • Best Supporting MaleBest Supporting Female
    Benicio del Toro - Basquiat
  • Kevin Corrigan - Walking and Talking
  • Matthew Faber - Welcome to the Dollhouse
  • Gary Farmer - Dead Man
  • Richard Jenkins - Flirting with Disaster
    		• Elizabeth Peña - Lone Star
  • Mary Kay Place - Manny & Lo
  • Queen Latifah - Set It Off
  • Lili Taylor - Girls Town
  • Lily Tomlin - Flirting with Disaster
    • Best ScreenplayBest First Screenplay
    Fargo - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
  • Dead Man - Jim Jarmusch
  • Flirting with Disaster - David O. Russell
  • The Funeral - Nicholas St. John
  • Lone Star - John Sayles
    		• Big Night - Joseph Tropiano and Stanley Tucci
  • Girl 6 - Suzan-Lori Parks
  • Manny & Lo - Lisa Krueger
  • Trees Lounge - Steve Buscemi
  • The Whole Wide World - Michael Scott Myers
    • Best First FeatureBest Debut Performance
    Sling Blade
  • Big Night
  • I Shot Andy Warhol
  • Manny & Lo
  • Trees Lounge
    		• Heather Matarazzo - Welcome to the Dollhouse
  • Jena Malone - Bastard Out of Carolina
  • Brendan Sexton III - Welcome to the Dollhouse
  • Arie Verveen - Caught
  • Jeffrey Wright - Basquiat
    • Best CinematographyBest Foreign Film
    Fargo - Roger Deakins
  • Bound - Bill Pope
  • Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day - Rob Sweeney
  • Dead Man - Robby Müller
  • The Funeral - Ken Kelsch
    		• Secrets & Lies • UK
  • Breaking the Waves • Denmark
  • Chungking Express • Hong Kong
  • Lamerica • Italy
  • Trainspotting • UK

    • Special awards

    Truer Than Fiction Award

    When We Were Kings

    Someone to Watch Award

    Larry Fessenden - Habit