12th Independent Spirit Awards (1997)

Best Feature

	Fargo
	Dead Man
	The Funeral
	Lone Star
	Welcome to the Dollhouse

Best Director

	Joel Coen - Fargo
	Abel Ferrara - The Funeral
	David O. Russell - Flirting with Disaster
	Todd Solondz - Welcome to the Dollhouse
	Robert M. Young - Caught

Best Male Lead

	William H. Macy - Fargo
	Chris Cooper - Lone Star
	Chris Penn - The Funeral
	Tony Shalhoub - Big Night
	Stanley Tucci - Big Night

Best Female Lead

	Frances McDormand - Fargo
	María Conchita Alonso - Caught
	Scarlett Johansson - Manny & Lo
	Catherine Keener - Walking and Talking
	Renée Zellweger - The Whole Wide World

Best Supporting Male

	Benicio del Toro - Basquiat
	Kevin Corrigan - Walking and Talking
	Matthew Faber - Welcome to the Dollhouse
	Gary Farmer - Dead Man
	Richard Jenkins - Flirting with Disaster

Best Supporting Female

	Elizabeth Peña - Lone Star
	Mary Kay Place - Manny & Lo
	Queen Latifah - Set It Off
	Lili Taylor - Girls Town
	Lily Tomlin - Flirting with Disaster

Best Screenplay

	Fargo - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
	Dead Man - Jim Jarmusch
	Flirting with Disaster - David O. Russell
	The Funeral - Nicholas St. John
	Lone Star - John Sayles

Best Cinematography

	Fargo - Roger Deakins
	Bound - Bill Pope
	Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day - Rob Sweeney
	Dead Man - Robby Müller
	The Funeral - Ken Kelsch

Best Foreign Film

	Secrets & Lies • UK
	Breaking the Waves • Denmark
	Chungking Express • Hong Kong
	Lamerica • Italy
	Trainspotting • UK

Best First Feature

	Sling Blade
	Big Night
	I Shot Andy Warhol
	Manny & Lo
	Trees Lounge

Best First Screenplay

	Big Night - Joseph Tropiano and Stanley Tucci
	Girl 6 - Suzan-Lori Parks
	Manny & Lo - Lisa Krueger
	Trees Lounge - Steve Buscemi
	The Whole Wide World - Michael Scott Myers

Best Debut Performance

	Heather Matarazzo - Welcome to the Dollhouse
	Jena Malone - Bastard Out of Carolina
	Brendan Sexton III - Welcome to the Dollhouse
	Arie Verveen - Caught
	Jeffrey Wright - Basquiat