1st Independent Spirit Awards

1st Independent Spirit Awards
1st Independent Spirit Awards
Date	March 22, 1986
Site	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Hosted by	Peter Coyote ; Jeanne Lucas
Highlights
Best Film	After Hours
Most awards	After Hours (2); Blood Simple (2); The Trip to Bountiful (2)
Most nominations	After Hours (5); Blood Simple (5); Smooth Talk (5)
	Independent Spirit Awards ; 2nd →;

Last updated October 27, 2025

The 1st Independent Spirit Awards , honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 1985, were announced on March 22, 1986. The ceremony^[1]^[2] was hosted by Peter Coyote and Jeanne Lucas. It was held at 385 North, a restaurant in Los Angeles.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Winners and nominees

Best Feature	Best Director
After Hours ^[9] Blood Simple Smooth Talk The Trip to Bountiful	*Joel Coen – Blood Simple* ^[10]** Martin Scorsese – After Hours Joyce Chopra – Smooth Talk Peter Masterson – The Trip to Bountiful
Best Actor	Best Actress
M. Emmet Walsh – Blood Simple Rubén Blades – Crossover Dreams Tom Bower –Wildrose Treat Williams – Smooth Talk	Geraldine Page – The Trip to Bountiful ^[11] Rosanna Arquette – After Hours Laura Dern – Smooth Talk Lori Singer – Trouble in Mind
Best Screenplay	Best Cinematography
The Trip to Bountiful – Horton Foote After Hours – Joseph Minion Blood Simple – Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Smooth Talk – Tom Cole	Trouble in Mind – Toyomichi Kurita After Hours – Michael Ballhaus Blood Simple – Barry Sonnenfeld Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart – Michael Chin
Best International Film
Kiss of the Spider Woman Dreamchild The Hit Ran

Films with multiple nominations and awards

Films that received multiple nominations
Nominations	Film
5	After Hours
	Blood Simple
	Smooth Talk
4	The Trip to Bountiful
2	Trouble Mind

Films that won multiple awards
Awards	Film
2	After Hours
	Blood Simple
	The Trip to Bountiful

Special Distinction Award

David Puttnam

References

↑ Fox, David J. (March 27, 1992). "The Little Award Show That Could : Film: Since it started in the '80s, the Independent Spirit Awards, sort of an offbeat Oscar, has gained big-name supporters. Saturday's ceremony is sold out". Los Angeles Times .
↑ "First Spirit Awards ceremony ever hosted by Peter Coyote - full show (1986)". Film Independent . April 7, 2020 – via YouTube.
↑ Lindsey, Robert (August 18, 1985). "California Grows Her Own Cuisine". The New York Times .
↑ Burros, Marian (July 4, 1984). "In Los Angeles, High-Style Restaurant Fare". The New York Times .
↑ "Can Rosalie's Succeed Where 385 North Fell on Its Soufflé?". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 1987.
↑ "385 North Turns to the Southwest". Los Angeles Times. December 25, 1987.
↑ "375 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048". LoopNet.com.
↑ "385 North". chefdb.com.
↑ "Awards . . . Everybody Wants To Get In The Act". Los Angeles Times. March 12, 1986. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
↑ "Film Independent Spirit Awards - A Brief History - Playlist". Film Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
↑ Collins, Keith (February 24, 2005). "Independence days". Variety. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

External links

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[1] Fox, David J. (March 27, 1992). "The Little Award Show That Could : Film: Since it started in the '80s, the Independent Spirit Awards, sort of an offbeat Oscar, has gained big-name supporters. Saturday's ceremony is sold out". Los Angeles Times .

[2] "First Spirit Awards ceremony ever hosted by Peter Coyote - full show (1986)". Film Independent . April 7, 2020 – via YouTube.

[3] Lindsey, Robert (August 18, 1985). "California Grows Her Own Cuisine". The New York Times .

[4] Burros, Marian (July 4, 1984). "In Los Angeles, High-Style Restaurant Fare". The New York Times .

[5] "Can Rosalie's Succeed Where 385 North Fell on Its Soufflé?". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 1987.

[6] "385 North Turns to the Southwest". Los Angeles Times. December 25, 1987.

[7] "375 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048". LoopNet.com.

[8] "385 North". chefdb.com.

[9] "Awards . . . Everybody Wants To Get In The Act". Los Angeles Times. March 12, 1986. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

[10] "Film Independent Spirit Awards - A Brief History - Playlist". Film Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2017.

[11] Collins, Keith (February 24, 2005). "Independence days". Variety. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

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v t e Independent Spirit Awards
Current categories	Best Film Best Director Best Lead Performance Best Supporting Performance Best Breakthrough Performance Best Cinematography Best Editing Best Documentary Feature Best First Feature Best International Film Best Screenplay Best First Screenplay Best New Scripted Series Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series John Cassavetes Award Robert Altman Award
Retired categories	Best Male Lead Best Female Lead Best Supporting Male Best Supporting Female Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series
Ceremonies	1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (years are of film release; ceremonies are the following year)