# 17th Independent Spirit Awards

The 17th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 2001, were announced on March 23, 2002. It was hosted by John Waters.

## Winners and nominees

| Best Feature | Best Director |
| Memento Hedwig and the Angry Inch L.I.E. Things Behind the Sun Waking Life | Christopher Nolan – Memento Michael Cuesta – L.I.E. Cheryl Dunye – Stranger Inside Richard Linklater – Waking Life John Cameron Mitchell – Hedwig and the Angry Inch |
| Best Male Lead | Best Female Lead |
| Tom Wilkinson – In the Bedroom Brian Cox – L.I.E. Ryan Gosling – The Believer Jake Gyllenhaal – Donnie Darko John Cameron Mitchell – Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Sissy Spacek – In the Bedroom Kim Dickens – Things Behind the Sun Molly Parker – The Center of the World Tilda Swinton – The Deep End Kerry Washington – Lift |
| Best Supporting Male | Best Supporting Female |
| Steve Buscemi – Ghost World Don Cheadle – Things Behind the Sun Billy Kay – L.I.E. Garrett Morris – Jackpot John C. Reilly – The Anniversary Party | Carrie-Anne Moss – Memento Davenia McFadden – Stranger Inside Summer Phoenix – The Believer Uma Thurman – Tape Tamara Tunie – The Caveman's Valentine |
| Best Screenplay | Best First Screenplay |
| Memento – Christopher Nolan The Believer – Henry Bean In the Bedroom – Robert Festinger and Todd Field Monster's Ball – Milo Addica and Will Rokos Waking Life – Richard Linklater | Ghost World – Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff The Anniversary Party – Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming Donnie Darko – Richard Kelly Hedwig and the Angry Inch – John Cameron Mitchell L.I.E. – Stephen M. Ryder, Michael Cuesta and Gerald Cuesta |
| Best First Feature | Best Debut Performance |
| In the Bedroom The Anniversary Party The Believer Donnie Darko Ghost World | Paul Franklin Dano – L.I.E. Hilary Howard, Anthony Leslie and Mitchell Riggs – Kaaterskill Falls Clint Jordan – Virgil Bliss Ana Reeder – Acts of Worship Yolonda Ross – Stranger Inside |
| Best Cinematography | Best Documentary Feature |
| Mulholland Drive – Peter Deming The American Astronaut – W. Mott Hupfel III The Deep End – Giles Nuttgens Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Frank G. DeMarco Memento – Wally Pfister | Dogtown and Z-Boys Go Tigers! LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton Promises Scratch |
| Best International Film ||
| Amélie • France Amores Perros • Mexico Lumumba • Belgium/France/Germany/Haiti Sexy Beast • Spain/UK Together • Denmark/Italy/Sweden ||

## Special awards
### John Cassavetes Award

Jackpot
* Acts of Worship
* Kaaterskill Falls
* Punks
* Virgil Bliss

### Truer Than Fiction Award

Hybrid
* Children Underground
* The Mark of Cain
* Promises
* Trembling Before G-d

### Producers Award

Rene Bastian and Linda Moran – Martin & Orloff and L.I.E.
* Adrienne Gruben – Treasure Island and Olympia
* Jasmine Kosovic – Just One Time and The Adventures of Sebastian Cole
* Nadia Leonelli – Acts of Worship and Perfume

### Someone to Watch Award

Debra Eisenstadt – Daydream Believer
* DeMane Davis and Khari Streeter – Lift
* Michael Gilio – Kwik Stop
* David Maquiling – Too Much Sleep

## Films with multiple nominations and awards
### Films that received multiple nominations

| Nominations | Film |
| 7 | L.I.E. |
| 5 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch |
| 5 | Memento |
| 3 | Acts of Worship |
| 3 | The Anniversary Party |
| 3 | Donnie Darko |
| 3 | Ghost World |
| 3 | Waking Life |

### Films that won multiple awards

| Awards | Film |
| 4 | Memento |
| 3 | In the Bedroom |
| 2 | Ghost World |
| 2 | L.I.E. |