# 19th Independent Spirit Awards

The 19th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 2003, were announced on February 28, 2004. It was hosted by John Waters.

## Nominees and winners

| Best Feature | Best Director |
| Lost in Translation American Splendor In America Raising Victor Vargas Shattered Glass | Sofia Coppola – Lost in Translation Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini – American Splendor Jim Sheridan – In America Peter Sollett – Raising Victor Vargas Gus Van Sant – Elephant |
| Best Male Lead | Best Female Lead |
| Bill Murray – Lost in Translation Peter Dinklage – The Station Agent Paul Giamatti – American Splendor Ben Kingsley – House of Sand and Fog Lee Pace – Soldier's Girl | Charlize Theron – Monster Agnes Bruckner – Blue Car Zooey Deschanel – All the Real Girls Samantha Morton – In America Elisabeth Moss – Virgin |
| Best Supporting Male | Best Supporting Female |
| Djimon Hounsou – In America Judah Friedlander – American Splendor Troy Garity – Soldier's Girl Alessandro Nivola – Laurel Canyon Peter Sarsgaard – Shattered Glass | Shohreh Aghdashloo – House of Sand and Fog Sarah Bolger – In America Patricia Clarkson – Pieces of April Hope Davis – The Secret Lives of Dentists Frances McDormand – Laurel Canyon |
| Best Screenplay | Best First Screenplay |
| Lost in Translation – Sofia Coppola American Splendor – Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini A Mighty Wind – Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy (and the rest of the cast) Pieces of April – Peter Hedges Shattered Glass – Billy Ray | The Station Agent – Tom McCarthy Blue Car – Karen Moncrieff Monster – Patty Jenkins Raising Victor Vargas – Peter Sollett and Eva Vives Thirteen – Catherine Hardwicke and Nikki Reed |
| Best First Feature | Best Debut Performance |
| Monster Bomb the System House of Sand and Fog Quattro Noza Thirteen | Nikki Reed – Thirteen Anna Kendrick – Camp Judy Marte – Raising Victor Vargas Victor Rasuk – Raising Victor Vargas Janice Richardson – Anne B. Real |
| Best Cinematography | Best Documentary Feature |
| In America – Declan Quinn Elephant – Harris Savides Northfork – M. David Mullen Quattro Noza – Derek Cianfrance Shattered Glass – Mandy Walker | The Fog of War Mayor of the Sunset Strip My Architect OT: Our Town Power Trip |
| Best Foreign Film ||
| Whale Rider • New Zealand City of God • Brazil Lilya 4-Ever • Denmark The Magdalene Sisters • England/Ireland The Triplets of Belleville • France ||

## Special awards
### John Cassavetes Award

The Station Agent
* Anne B. Real
* Better Luck Tomorrow
* Pieces of April
* Virgin

### Truer Than Fiction Award

Lost Boys of Sudan
* Flag Wars
* My Architect
* The Same River Twice

### Producers Award

Mary Jane Skalski – The Jimmy Show and The Station Agent
* Callum Greene and Anthony Katagas – Happy Here and Now and Homework
* Lauren Moews – Cabin Fever and Briar Patch

### Someone to Watch Award

Andrew Bujalski – Funny Ha Ha
* Ben Coccio – Zero Day
* Ryan Eslinger – Madness and Genius

### Special Distinction Award

* 21 Grams

## Films with multiple wins and nominations
### Films with multiple nominations

| Nominations | Film |
| 6 | In America |
| 5 | American Splendor |
| 5 | Raising Victor Vargas |
| 4 | Lost in Translation |
| 4 | Shattered Glass |
| 3 | House of Sand and Fog |
| 3 | Monster |
| 3 | Pieces of April |
| 3 | Thirteen |
| 2 | Anne B. Real |
| 2 | Blue Car |
| 2 | Elephant |
| 2 | My Architect |
| 2 | Soldier's Girl |

### Films with multiple wins

| Nominations | Film |
| 4 | Lost in Translation |
| 3 | The Station Agent |
| 2 | In America |
| 2 | Monster |