SPIRIT AWARDS WINNERS TO BE REVEALED ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26,  WITH CEREMONY AIRING EXCLUSIVELY ON IFC AT 10:00 PM ET/PT   Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced the winners of its four filmmaker grant awards at the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grant and Nominee Brunch held at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.  Sandra Oh and Terrence Howard hosted the casual event and handed out the honor...

14 FILMMAKERS & 9 PROJECTS SELECTED FOR FILM INDEPENDENT’S 2010 PRODUCERS LABFilm Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival just wrapped its 10th annual Producers Lab earlier this week with 14 filmmakers and 9 projects participating. Sponsored by Technicolor and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the seven-week program took place in Los Angeles and was designed to help producers improve their craft, and move their current projects into...

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations this morning for the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards.  Eva Mendes and Jeremy Renner served as presenters and 2011 Spirit Awards host Joel McHale was also on hand.  Nominees for Best Feature include 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Winter's Bone. Please Give was selected for the Robert Altman Award, which is given...

The talented German Hannah Herzsprung will be a member of this year’s Best First Feature Jury. “I’m very pleased that Hannah Herzsprung will be coming to the Berlinale not only to present her films, but also to join the Jury in its quest for the Best First Feature”, says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.At this year’s Berlinale, Hannah Herzsprung can be seen in three films: Stephen Daldry’s The Reader in the Competition, Rudolph Thome’s Pink in the Berlinale Special, and Nicolai ...

The Berlinale has been even more committed to supporting the next generation of film makers since 2006, when it introduced the Best First Feature Award. The award is endowed with 50,000 Euros, donated by the GWFF (Gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von Film- und Fernsehrecht), a society dedicated to safeguarding film and television rights. The prize money is to be split between the producer and the director of the winning film. Additionally, the director will be awarded with a high-quality “viewfind...