Saturday, December 21

FISA – Best First Feature

Click through each award to see the full list of nominees and winners!

2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Booksmart Olivia Wilde

Booksmart

Olivia Wilde

2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Sorry to Bother You Boots Riley

Sorry to Bother You

Boots Riley

2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Ingrid Goes West Matt Spicer

Ingrid Goes West

Matt Spicer

2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Witch Robert Eggers

The Witch

Robert Eggers

2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Diary of a Teenage Girl Marielle Heller

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Marielle Heller

2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Nightcrawler Dan Gilroy

Nightcrawler

Dan Gilroy

2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Fruitvale Station Ryan Coogler

Fruitvale Station

Ryan Coogler

2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky

2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Margin Call Joe Jenckes

Margin Call

Joe Jenckes

2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Get Low Aaron Schneider

Get Low

Aaron Schneider

2010 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Crazy Heart Scott Cooper

Crazy Heart

Scott Cooper

2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Synecdoche, New York Charlie Kaufman

Synecdoche, New York

Charlie Kaufman

2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Lookout Scott Frank

The Lookout

Scott Frank

2007 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Sweet Land Ali Selim

Sweet Land

Ali Selim

2006 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Crash Paul Haggis

Crash

Paul Haggis

2005 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Garden State Zach Braff

Garden State

Zach Braff

2004 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Monster Patty Jenkins

Monster

Patty Jenkins

2003 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Peter Care

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

Peter Care

2002 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

In the Bedroom Todd Field

In the Bedroom

Todd Field

2001 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

You Can Count on Me Kenneth Lonergan

You Can Count on Me

Kenneth Lonergan

2000 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Being John Malkovich Spike Jonze

Being John Malkovich

Spike Jonze

2000 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Blair Witch Project Daniel Myrick

The Blair Witch Project

Daniel Myrick

1999 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Opposite of Sex Don Roos

The Opposite of Sex

Don Roos

1998 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Eve's Bayou Kasi Lemmons

Eve’s Bayou

Kasi Lemmons

1997 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Sling Blade Billy Bob Thornton

Sling Blade

Billy Bob Thornton

1996 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Brothers McMullen Edward Burns

The Brothers McMullen

Edward Burns

1995 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Spanking the Monkey David O. Russell

Spanking the Monkey

David O. Russell

1994 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

El mariachi Robert Rodriguez

El mariachi

Robert Rodriguez

1993 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

The Waterdance Neal Jimenez

The Waterdance

Neal Jimenez

1992 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Straight Out of Brooklyn Matty Rich

Straight Out of Brooklyn

Matty Rich

1991 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Metropolitan Whit Stillman

Metropolitan

Whit Stillman

1990 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Heathers Michael Lehmann

Heathers

Michael Lehmann

1989 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Mystic Pizza Donald Petrie

Mystic Pizza

Donald Petrie

1988 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

Dirty Dancing Emile Ardolino

Dirty Dancing

Emile Ardolino

1987 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature

She's Gotta Have It Spike Lee

She’s Gotta Have It

Spike Lee