5th Independent Spirit Awards


The 5th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 1989, were announced on March 24, 1990 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. It was hosted by Buck Henry.

Winners and nominees

Best FeatureBest Director
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
  • Drugstore Cowboy
  • Heat and Sunlight
  • Mystery Train
  • True Love
Steven Soderbergh - Sex, Lies, and Videotape
  • Jim Jarmusch - Mystery Train
  • Charles Lane - Sidewalk Stories
  • Nancy Savoca - True Love
  • Gus Van Sant - Drugstore Cowboy
    • Best ActorBest Actress-
    Matt Dillon - Drugstore Cowboy
    • Nicolas Cage - Vampire's Kiss
    • Charles Lane - Sidewalk Stories
    • Randy Quaid - Parents
    • James Spader - Sex, Lies, and Videotape
    		Andie MacDowell - Sex, Lies, and Videotape
  • Youki Kudoh - Mystery Train
  • Kelly Lynch - Drugstore Cowboy
  • Winona Ryder - Heathers
  • Annabella Sciorra - True Love
    • Best Supporting ActorBest Supporting Actress
    Max Perlich - Drugstore Cowboy
  • Steve Buscemi - Mystery Train
  • Scott Coffey - Shag
  • Gary Farmer - Powwow Highway
  • Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Mystery Train
    		• Laura San Giacomo - Sex, Lies, and Videotape
  • Bridget Fonda - Shag
  • Heather Graham - Drugstore Cowboy
  • Mare Winningham - Miracle Mile
  • Mary Woronov - Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
    • Best ScreenplayBest First Feature
    Drugstore Cowboy - Gus Van Sant and Daniel Yost
  • 84 Charlie Mopic - Patrick S. Duncan
  • Heathers - Daniel Waters
  • Miracle Mile - Steve De Jarnatt
  • Mystery Train - Jim Jarmusch
    		• Heathers
  • 84 Charlie Mopic
  • Powwow Highway
  • Sidewalk Stories
  • Talking to Strangers
    • Best CinematographyBest Foreign Film
    Drugstore Cowboy - Robert Yeoman
  • Earth Girls Are Easy - Oliver Stapleton
  • Mystery Train - Robby Müller
  • Powwow Highway - Toyomichi Kurita
  • Talking to Strangers - Robert Tregenza
    		• My Left Foot • Ireland/UK
  • Distant Voices, Still Lives • UK
  • Hanussen • Hungary/West Germany/Austria
  • High Hopes • UK
  • Rouge • Hong Kong

    • Films with multiple nominations and awards

    Films that received multiple nominations

    Films that won multiple awards

    Special Distinction Award

    Do the Right Thing