Yesterday, yours truly watched the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards on IFC which celebrated the year’s best in independent film. Though there were some similarities with the Oscar nominees, the Independent Spirit Awards prides itself in honoring those looked over and has a more international flavour. It reacts to “Hollywood” associations with dramatic disdain (as IFC correspondent Matt Singer’s assertions reinforce) and is more gritty than the Oscar ceremony. Known for being uncut, IFC had no qualms about its presenters and their foul mouths, with the ceremony having more F-bombs thrown about than the Source Awards had forks and knives thrown about. Most memorable was Dustin Hoffman jokingly admitting that he has f**ked Oscar nominee Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) with the spawn of their unholy union being Philip Seymour Hoffman. Equally hilarious was Rainn Wilson sporting striped teen maternity wear to audition for the role of Juno; a skit in which the awkward “Wizard!”-sex scene (among others) were reenacted with Jason Bateman filling in for Michael Cera. Tonight’s Oscars seem to pale in comparison to the Indie Spirit. Last night’s Indie winners were:

Best Feature:
Juno–beating out The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I’m Not There, A Mighty Heart, and Paranoid Park

Julian Schnabel (left) and Javier Bardem (right)

Best Director:
Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), whose acceptance speech was lost in translation.

Best Male Lead:
the spawn of Dustin Hoffman and Javier Bardem himself, Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Savages)–beating out Don Cheadle (Talk to Me) and Tony Leung (Lust, Caution)

Best Female Lead:
Ellen Page (Juno)–a consolation if she doesn’t win tonight at the Oscars. She beat out Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart), Parker Posey (Broken English–No, NOT Julian Schnabel’s acceptance speech), and Tang Wei (Lust, Caution).

Best Supporting Male:
Chiwetel Ejiofor–say that one three times fast–(Talk to Me). He beat out Marcus Carl Franklin (one of the many faces of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There), Irfan Khan (The Namesake),and Steve Zahn (Rescue Dawn).

Best Supporting Female:
Cate Blanchett (for another Bob Dylan portrayal in I’m Not There, which also starred the late Heath Ledger–to whom Blanchett dedicated her award)

Best Screenplay:
Tamara Jenkins (The Savages)

Best Foreign Film:
Once (Ireland)

Best Documentary:
Crazy Love