# 27th Independent Spirit Awards

The 27th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2011, were presented on February 25, 2012. The nominations were announced on November 29, 2011. The ceremony was hosted by Seth Rogen and aired exclusively on IFC. Highlights included John Waters as the "Voice of God", and musical performances by My Morning Jacket and K'naan.

## Winners and nominees

| Best Feature | Best Director |
| The Artist 50/50 Beginners The Descendants Drive Take Shelter | Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist Mike Mills – Beginners Jeff Nichols – Take Shelter Alexander Payne – The Descendants Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive |
| Best Male Lead | Best Female Lead |
| Jean Dujardin – The Artist Demián Bichir – A Better Life Ryan Gosling – Drive Woody Harrelson – Rampart Michael Shannon – Take Shelter | Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn Lauren Ambrose – About Sunny Rachael Harris – Natural Selection Adepero Oduye – Pariah Elizabeth Olsen – Martha Marcy May Marlene |
| Best Supporting Male | Best Supporting Female |
| Christopher Plummer – Beginners Albert Brooks – Drive John Hawkes – Martha Marcy May Marlene John C. Reilly – Cedar Rapids Corey Stoll – Midnight in Paris | Shailene Woodley – The Descendants Jessica Chastain – Take Shelter Anjelica Huston – 50/50 Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs Harmony Santana – Gun Hill Road |
| Best Screenplay | Best First Screenplay |
| Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash – The Descendants Joseph Cedar – Footnote Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist Tom McCarthy – Win Win Mike Mills – Beginners | Will Reiser – 50/50 Mike Cahill and Brit Marling – Another Earth J. C. Chandor – Margin Call Patrick deWitt – Terri Phil Johnston – Cedar Rapids |
| Best First Feature | Best Documentary Feature |
| Margin Call Another Earth In the Family Martha Marcy May Marlene Natural Selection | The Interrupters An African Election Bill Cunningham New York The Redemption of General Butt Naked We Were Here |
| Best Cinematography | Best International Film |
| Guillaume Schiffman – The Artist Joel Hodge – Bellflower Benjamin Kasulke – The Off Hours Darius Khondji – Midnight in Paris Jeffrey Waldron – The Dynamiter | A Separation • Iran The Kid with a Bike • Belgium / France / Italy Melancholia • Denmark / France / Germany / Sweden Shame • UK Tyrannosaur • UK |

### Films with multiple nominations and awards

Films that received multiple nominations :
| Nominations | Film |
| 5 | The Artist |
| 4 | Beginners |
| 4 | The Descendants |
| 4 | Drive |
| 4 | Take Shelter |
| 3 | 50/50 |
| 3 | Martha Marcy May Marlene |
| 2 | Another Earth |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids |
| 2 | Margin Call |
| 2 | Midnight in Paris |
| 2 | Natural Selection |
Films that won multiple awards :
| Awards | Film |
| 4 | The Artist |
| 2 | The Descendants |
| 2 | Margin Call |

## Special awards
### John Cassavetes Award

Pariah
* Bellflower
* Circumstance
* The Dynamiter
* Hello Lonesome

### Truer Than Fiction Award

Where Soldiers Come From
* Bombay Beach
* Hell and Back Again

### Piaget Producers Award

Sophia Lin – Take Shelter
* Chad Burris – Mosquita y Mari
* Josh Mond – Martha Marcy May Marlene

### Someone to Watch Award

Mark Jackson – Without
* Simon Arthur – Silver Tongues
* Nicholas Ozeki – Mamitas

### Robert Altman Award

* Margin Call – J. C. Chandor, Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, and Stanley Tucci