Independent Spirit Awards
Founded in 1984, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is the premier awards event for the independent film community. Each year, the Spirit Awards brings together top talent from throughout the world of independent film. In addition to traditional categories such as Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, etc., the Spirit Awards ceremony features a number of unique honors.
Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the bare budgets of independent films. Since 2006, winners have received a metal trophy depicting a bird with its wings spread sitting atop of a pole with the shoestrings from the previous design wrapped around the pole. The awards show is held inside a tent in a parking lot at the beach in Santa Monica, California, usually on the day before the Academy Awards.