Click through each award to see the full list of nominees and winners!
2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Booksmart Olivia Wilde](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/booksmart-olivia-wilde-image.jpg)
Booksmart
Olivia Wilde
2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Sorry to Bother You Boots Riley](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sorry-to-bother-you-boots-riley-image.jpg)
Sorry to Bother You
Boots Riley
2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Ingrid Goes West Matt Spicer](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ingrid-goes-west-matt-spicer-image.jpg)
Ingrid Goes West
Matt Spicer
2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Witch Robert Eggers](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-witch-robert-eggers-image.jpg)
The Witch
Robert Eggers
2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Diary of a Teenage Girl Marielle Heller](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-diary-of-a-teenage-girl-marielle-heller-image.jpg)
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Marielle Heller
2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Nightcrawler Dan Gilroy](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/nightcrawler-dan-gilroy-image.jpg)
Nightcrawler
Dan Gilroy
2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Fruitvale Station Ryan Coogler](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/fruitvale-station-ryan-coogler-image.jpg)
Fruitvale Station
Ryan Coogler
2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-stephen-chbosky-image.jpg)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Margin Call Joe Jenckes](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/margin-call-j.c.-chandor-image.jpg)
Margin Call
Joe Jenckes
2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Get Low Aaron Schneider](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/get-low-image.jpg)
Get Low
Aaron Schneider
2010 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Crazy Heart Scott Cooper](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/crazy-heart-scott-cooper-image.jpg)
Crazy Heart
Scott Cooper
2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Synecdoche, New York Charlie Kaufman](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/synecdoche-new-york-charlie-kaufman-image.jpg)
Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufman
2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Lookout Scott Frank](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-lookout-scott-frank-image.jpg)
The Lookout
Scott Frank
2007 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Sweet Land Ali Selim](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sweet-land-ali-selim-image.jpg)
Sweet Land
Ali Selim
2006 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Crash Paul Haggis](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/crash-paul-haggis-image.jpg)
Crash
Paul Haggis
2005 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Garden State Zach Braff](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/garden-state-zach-braff-image.jpg)
Garden State
Zach Braff
2004 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Monster Patty Jenkins](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/monster-patty-jenkins-image.jpg)
Monster
Patty Jenkins
2003 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Peter Care](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-dangerous-lives-of-altar-boys-peter-care-image.jpg)
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Peter Care
2002 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![In the Bedroom Todd Field](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/in-the-bedroom-todd-field-image.jpg)
In the Bedroom
Todd Field
2001 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![You Can Count on Me Kenneth Lonergan](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/you-can-count-on-me-kenneth-lonergan-image.jpg)
You Can Count on Me
Kenneth Lonergan
2000 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Being John Malkovich Spike Jonze](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/being-john-malkovich-spike-jonze-image.jpg)
Being John Malkovich
Spike Jonze
2000 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Blair Witch Project Daniel Myrick](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-blair-witch-project-daniel-myrick-eduardo-sanchez-image.jpg)
The Blair Witch Project
Daniel Myrick
1999 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Opposite of Sex Don Roos](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-opposite-of-sex-don-roos-image.jpg)
The Opposite of Sex
Don Roos
1998 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Eve's Bayou Kasi Lemmons](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/eves-bayou-kasi-lemmons-image.jpg)
Eve’s Bayou
Kasi Lemmons
1997 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Sling Blade Billy Bob Thornton](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sling-blade-billy-bob-thornton-image.jpg)
Sling Blade
Billy Bob Thornton
1996 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Brothers McMullen Edward Burns](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-brothers-mcmullen-edward-burns-image.jpg)
The Brothers McMullen
Edward Burns
1995 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Spanking the Monkey David O. Russell](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/spanking-the-monkey-david-o.-russell-image.jpg)
Spanking the Monkey
David O. Russell
1994 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![El mariachi Robert Rodriguez](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/el-mariachi-robert-rodriguez-image.jpg)
El mariachi
Robert Rodriguez
1993 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![The Waterdance Neal Jimenez](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-waterdance-neal-jimenez-michael-steinberg-image.jpg)
The Waterdance
Neal Jimenez
1992 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Straight Out of Brooklyn Matty Rich](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/straight-out-of-brooklyn-matty-rich-image.jpg)
Straight Out of Brooklyn
Matty Rich
1991 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Metropolitan Whit Stillman](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/metropolitan-whit-stillman-image.jpg)
Metropolitan
Whit Stillman
1990 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Heathers Michael Lehmann](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/heathers-michael-lehmann-image.jpg)
Heathers
Michael Lehmann
1989 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Mystic Pizza Donald Petrie](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mystic-pizza-donald-petrie-image.jpg)
Mystic Pizza
Donald Petrie
1988 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![Dirty Dancing Emile Ardolino](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/dirty-dancing-emile-ardolino-image.jpg)
Dirty Dancing
Emile Ardolino
1987 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature
![She's Gotta Have It Spike Lee](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/shes-gotta-have-it-spike-lee-image.jpg)