Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire won Best Feature and a total of 5 awards last night at the 25th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. Comedian Eddie Izzard served as Master of Ceremonies at the late-night show at LA Live’s event deck in downtown Los Angeles.

Here are all the winners:

BEST FEATURE
Producers Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness for Precious

BEST DIRECTOR
Lee Daniels for Precious

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall, Rob Carliner, Judy Cairo, T Bone Burnett for Crazy Heart

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD for Best Feature made for under $500,000
Lynn Shelton for Humpday

BEST SCREENPLAY
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber for 500 Days of Summer

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious

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If you happen to be an aspiring director then this is for you. Film Independent, the non-profit devoted to artists and independent filmmaking is now accepting applications for its 9th Annual Director’s Lab, an eight-week course designed to help directors who are in the midst of prepping films. Sound good? Well, read on to get all the latest details on the program, how to apply and other goodies.

FILM INDEPENDENT NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
FOR 2010 DIRECTORS LAB

* Deadline is October 5, 2009  -

Film Independent’s 9th Annual Directors Lab is an intensive eight-week incubator designed to help directors who are prepping their feature films, and is sponsored by Kodak.

Taking place in Los Angeles during the winter, the Lab assists directors with strong, original voices develop new narrative feature films, improve their craft, and advance their filmmaking careers in a nurturing, yet challenging creative environment.

To apply, please visit: http://filmindependent.org/fellowships/filmmaker_labs/directors_lab

Application fee is $55 for Film Independent Members and $75 for Non-Members.

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If you’re an aspiring screenwriter which, let’s face it, you may be, one way to break into the “business” is through a lab where you work with established mentors and advisers on honing your work and getting it in the hands of the right people. One of the most prestigious and famous of these labs is the one sponsored by Film Independent, a non-profit group dedicated to fostering and nurturing creativity that also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Spirit Awards.

Today, they’ve announced a new group of writers who will participate in this year’s lab. Here’s all the info about the lucky 9 participants from the official press release.

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival, has announced the screenwriters and film projects selected for its 10th annual Screenwriters Lab, sponsored by the Writers Guild of America, West.  Taking place in Los Angeles from August 17 until September 16, the Screenwriters Lab is an intensive five-week incubator designed to help writers improve their craft, and take their current scripts to the next level in a nurturing, yet challenging creative environment.

Screenwriter and producer Meg LeFauve returns as this yearís Lab Instructor, and Lab Mentors and Guest Speakers include Allison Anders (Things Behind the Sun), Shauna Cross (Whip It!), Rodrigo Garcia (Mother and Child), Dito Montiel (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints), Kay Schaber-Wolf (WGAw), Michael Sucsy (Grey Gardens), and Ligiah Villalobos (La Misma Luna).

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