The 2012 Independent Spirit Awards were announced tonight and---you're not gonna believe this---the voters were smitten with The Artist.  The film won Best Feature, Michel Hazanavicius was awarded Best Director, Jean Dujardin was named Best Male Lead, and they threw in Best Cinematography to Guillaume Schiffman for good measure.  Some of the other winners have a good shot at repeating tomorrow night at the Oscars, like Christopher Plummer for Beginners (Best Supporting Male), Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (Best Female Lead), or the script for The Descendants by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash (Best Screenplay).  The "independent spirit" was seemingly saved for the unique categories: see Will Reiser's 50/50 script as Best First Screenplay, Pariah for the John Cassavetes Award, Take Shelter for the Piaget Producers Award.  Hit the jump for the full list of winners.

It's not a bad list---everyone here is deserving.  But I'd prefer the Spirit Awards to be the home of outcast films that don't find recognition from the more traditional outlets.

the-artist-movie-poster

Best Feature: The Artist

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Screenplay: The Descendants, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Best First Feature: Margin Call

Best First Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50

John Cassavetes Award: Pariah

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: Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist

Best Documentary: The Interrupters

Best International Film: A Separation

Robert Altman Award: Margin Call director J.C. Chandor, casting directors Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey, and ensemble cast Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey and Stanley Tucci

Piaget Producers Award: Sophia Lin, Take Shelter

Audi Someone to Watch Award: Mark Jackson, Without

Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award: Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From

Jameson FIND Your Audience Award: Benjamin Murray and Alyssa Nahmias, Unfinished Spaces