The Seen: Fiercely Independent

Film Independent's Spirit Awards is absolutely one of my fav award shows to cover. It's on the beach, everyone swears in their acceptance speeches and Philip Seymour Hoffman wears the same brown sweater every year (he gussied it up with a black stocking hat this time which he wore again the next day to the Oscars). There was the added bonus this year of Mickey Rourke winning for The Wrestler and his speech had a little something for everyone, especially for his friend Eric Roberts. It also has a cool afterparty you can just walk to. The 2009 IFC Indie Film Celebration was down the sand at Shutters and Rainn Wilson, Mary-Kate Olsen, John Waters and John C. Reilly took the short stroll. Everyone chatted passionately about the biz while Danny Masterston/DJ Momjeans spun and waiters served little pizzas out of cardboard pizza boxes. As Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson said earlier at the awards, "Independent film is recession proof. We don't have money is good times and we don't have money in bad times."