3rd Independent Spirit Awards


The 3rd Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 1987, were announced on February 11, 1988. The ceremony was hosted by Buck Henry and was held at 385 North, a restaurant in Los Angeles.

Winners and nominees

Best FeatureBest Director
River's Edge
John Huston - The Dead
  • Jonathan Demme - Swimming to Cambodia
  • Tim Hunter - River's Edge
  • Jim McBride - The Big Easy
  • John Sayles - Matewan
    • Best Male LeadBest Female Lead
    Dennis Quaid - The Big Easy
  • Spalding Gray - Swimming to Cambodia
  • Terry O'Quinn - The Stepfather
  • Mickey Rourke - Barfly
  • James Woods - Best Seller
    		• Sally Kirkland - Anna
  • Lillian Gish - The Whales of August
  • Debra Sandlund - Tough Guys Don't Dance
  • Louise Smith - Working Girls
  • Joanne Woodward - The Glass Menagerie
    • Best Supporting MaleBest Supporting Female
    Morgan Freeman - Street Smart
  • Wings Hauser - Tough Guys Don't Dance
  • James Earl Jones - Matewan
  • Vincent Price - The Whales of August
  • David Strathairn - Matewan
    		• Anjelica Huston - The Dead
  • Karen Allen - The Glass Menagerie
  • Kathy Baker - Street Smart
  • Martha Plimpton - Shy People
  • Ann Sothern - The Whales of August
    • Best ScreenplayBest Cinematography
    River's Edge - Neal Jimenez
  • Anna - Agnieszka Holland
  • The Dead - Tony Huston
  • Matewan - John Sayles
  • Swimming to Cambodia - Spalding Gray
    		• Matewan - Haskell Wexler
  • Barfly - Robby Müller
  • The Dead - Fred Murphy
  • Slam Dance - Amir Mokri
  • Tough Guys Don't Dance - John Bailey
    • Best First FeatureBest International Film
    Dirty Dancing
  • Anna
  • Hollywood Shuffle
  • Siesta
  • Waiting for the Moon
    		• My Life as a Dog • Sweden
  • Au Revoir les Enfants • France/West Germany
  • Hope and Glory • UK
  • Prick Up Your Ears • UK
  • Tampopo • Japan

    • Films with multiple nominations and awards

    Films that received multiple nominations

    Films that won multiple awards