SIDEWAYS SWEEP UP LA SPIRIT AWARDS

Producer Michael London, Director Alexander Payne, and writers Payne and Jim Taylor walked away with something of a sweep in the dramatic film categories at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon in Santa Monica for their film SIDEWAYS. Grabbing the acting kudos Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen, all from the cast of the darkly romantic wine country comedy. Catalina Sandino Moreno, lead in MARIA FULL OF GRACE being the lone exception, took the award for best female lead.

The documentary award went to METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER, directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky and the feature BORN INTO BROTHELS won the DirecTV/IFC Truer than Fiction award for Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman with a cash prize of $20,000. Zach Braff, director of GARDEN STATE won the Spirit Award for best first feature.

Films overlooked at the Spirit Awards were Jonathan Caouette's groundbreaking documentary essay film TARNATION and Kevin Beacon's bracing performance in THE WOODSMEN. Critics often accuse the Spirit Awards of trying to out Oscar the Oscars by awarding big name Indiewood films and passing over the stronger but smaller independent titles.

COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS:

BEST FEATURE
"Sideways," Producer: Michael London

BEST DIRECTOR
Alexander Payne, "Sideways"

BEST SCREENPLAY
"Sideways," Writers: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor

BEST FIRST FEATURE
"Garden State," Director: Zach Braff

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
"Maria Full of Grace," Writer: Joshua Marston

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Best Feature made for under $500,000)
"Mean Creek," Writer/Director: Jacob Aaron Estes

BEST DEBUT PERFORMANCE (Actors in first major role in a feature film)
Rodrigo de la Serna, "The Motorcycle Diaries"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Virginia Madsen, "Sideways"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Thomas Haden Church, "Sideways"

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Catalina Sandino Moreno, "Maria Full of Grace"

BEST MALE LEAD
Paul Giamatti, "Sideways"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Motorcycle Diaries," Eric Gautier

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the Director)
"The Sea Inside" (Spain) Director: Alejandro Amenábar

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the Director)
"Metallica: Some Kind of Monster," Directors: Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky

SPECIAL DISTINCTION
Ensemble Cast: "Mean Creek"
Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck, Carly Schroeder

Turning Leaf Someone to Watch Award
Jem Cohen, director of "Chain"

DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award
Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman for "Born Into Brothels"

Bravo/American Express Producers Award
Gina Kwon, producer of "The Good Girl" and "Me and You and Everyone We Know"