Film Pertama Terbaik (Independent Spirit Award)
Pemenang dan nominee > 2000an

2000: You Can Count On Me – Kenneth Lonergan, sutradara; John Hart, Jeffrey Sharp, Barbara De Fina dan Larry Meistrich, produser
Boiler Room – Ben Younger, sutradara; Jennifer Todd dan Suzanne Todd, produser
Girlfight – Karyn Kusama, sutradara; Maggie Renzi, Sarah Green dan Martha Griffin, produser.
Love & Basketball – Gina Prince-Bythewood, sutradara; Spike Lee dan Sam Kitt, produser
The Visit – Jordan Walker-Pearlman, sutradara dan produser
2001: In the Bedroom – Todd Field, sutradara
The Anniversary Party – Alan Cumming dan Jennifer Jason Leigh, sutradara
The Believer – Henry Bean, sutradara
Donnie Darko – Richard Kelly, sutradara
Ghost World – Terry Zwigoff, sutradara
2002: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys – Peter Care, sutradara
Interview with the Assassin – Neil Burger, sutradara
Manito – Eric Eason, sutradara
Paid in Full – Charles Stone III, sutradara
Roger Dodger – Dylan Kidd, sutradara
2003: Monster – Patty Jenkins, sutradara; Mark Damon, Donald Kushner, Clark Peterson, Charlize Theron dan Brad Wyman, produser
Bomb the System – Adam Bhala Lough, sutradara; Ben Rekhi dan Sol Tryon, produser
House of Sand and Fog – Vadim Perelman, sutradara dan produser; Michael London, produser
Quattro Noza – Joey Curtis, sutradara; Fredric King, producer
Thirteen – Catherine Hardwicke, sutradara; Jeffrey Levy-Hinte dan Michael London, produser
2004: Garden State – Zach Braff, sutradara; Pamela Abdy, Gary Gilbert, Dan Halsted dan Richard Klubeck, produser
Brother to Brother – Rodney Evans, sutradara dan produser; Jim McKay, Isen Robbins dan Aimee Schoof, produser
Napoleon Dynamite – Jared Hess, sutradara; Jeremy Coon, Sean Covel dan Chris Wyatt, produser
Saints and Soldiers – Ryan Little, sutradara dan produser; Adam Abel, produser
The Woodsman – Nicole Kassell, sutradara; Lee Daniels, produser
2005: Crash – Paul Haggis, sutradara dan produser; Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R. Harris dan Bobby Moresco, produser
Lackawanna Blues – George C. Wolfe, sutradara; Halle Berry, Vince Cirrincione, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Nellie Nugiel dan Shelby Stone
Me and You and Everyone We Know – Miranda July, sutradara; Gina Kwon, produser
Thumbsucker – Mike Mills, sutradara; Anthony Bregman dan Bob Stephenson, produser
Transamerica – Duncan Tucker, sutradara; Sebastian Dungan, Linda Moran dan Rene Bastian, produser
2006: Sweet Land – Ali Selim, sutradara; Alan Cumming dan James Bigham, produser
Day Night Day Night – Julia Loktev, sutradara; Melanie Judd dan Jessica Levin, produser
Man Push Cart – Ramin Bahrani, sutradara; Pradip Ghosh dan Bedford T. Bentley, produser
The Motel – Michael Kang, sutradara; Matthew Greenfield, Miguel Arteta, Gina Kwon dan Karin Chien, produser
Wristcutters: A Love Story – Goran Dukić, sutradara; Adam Sherman, Chris Coen, Tatiana Kelly dan Mikal P. Lazarev, produser
2007: The Lookout – Scott Frank, sutradara; Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Laurence Mark dan Walter F. Parkes, produser
2 Days in Paris – Julie Delpy, sutradara; Christophe Mazodier dan Thierry Potok, produser
Great World of Sound – Craig Zobel, sutradara dan produser; Melissa Palmer, David Gordon Green dan Richard A. Wright, produser
Rocket Science – Jeffrey Blitz, sutradara; Effie Brown dan Sean Welch, produser
Vanaja – Rajnesh Domalpalli, sutradara; Latha R. Domalapalli, produser
2008: Synecdoche, New York – Charlie Kaufman, sutradara dan produser; Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze and Sidney Kimmel, produser
Afterschool – Antonio Campos, sutradara; T. Sean Durkin dan Josh Mond, produser
Medicine for Melancholy – Barry Jenkins, sutradara; Justin Barber, produser
Sangre de Mi Sangre – Christopher Zalla, sutradara; Per Melita dan Ben Odell, produser
Sleep Dealer – Alex Rivera, sutradara; Anthony Bregman, produser
2009: Crazy Heart – Scott Cooper, sutradara dan produser; Robert Duvall, Rob Carliner, Judy Cairo dan T-Bone Burnett, produser
Easier with Practice – Kyle Patrick Alvarez, sutradara; Cookie Carosella, produser
The Messenger – Oren Moverman, sutradara; Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee and Zach Miller, produser
Paranormal Activity – Oren Peli, sutradara dan produser; Jason Blum, produser
A Single Man – Tom Ford, sutradara dan produser; Chris Weitz, Andrew Miano dan Robert Salerno, produser