‘The Artist’ Receives Last Minute Oscar Boost

Happy Oscar Day everyone! The stars are about to descend on the red carpet for Hollywood’s night of night’s, but over the weekend they had one last dress rehearsal by way of the final awards season precursor: the Independent’s Spirit Awards. Traditionally, it’s the last pit stop on the Road To The Oscar’s to foreshadow the Academy Award winners. However, the Independent Spirit Awards are different in that they focus on bringing recognition to the low-budget, art house and under the radar films by small budget production companies and up and coming filmmakers.

So to the winners. Michel Hazanavicius‘s The Artist was the big winner of the night, taking out categories for Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin and Best Cinematography. It’s hard not to imagine that The Artist will snare victory in at least one of those categories at the Oscar’s, particularly in the Best Actor category in which Dujardin would have to be the front runner.

Michelle Williams took out the Best Actress award and made the most heartfelt, adorable speech that it kind of makes us hope she upsets Meryl and Viola Davis.

2012 Spirit Award winners
BEST FEATURE – “The Artist”

BEST DIRECTOR – Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

BEST FIRST FEATURE – “Margin Call”

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – “Pariah”

BEST SCREENPLAY – “The Descendants”

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY – “50/50”

BEST FEMALE LEAD – Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”

BEST MALE LEAD – Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE – Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

BEST SUPPORTING MALE – Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – “The Artist”

BEST DOCUMENTARY – “The Interrupters”

BEST FOREIGN FILM – “A Separation”

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (ensemble cast) – “Margin Call”

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – Sophia Linn – “Take Shelter”

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – Mark Jackson – “Without”

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – Heather Courtney – “Where Soldiers Come From”

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