In 1985, Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute buys the struggling U.S. Film Festival, moves it to Park City from Salt Lake, and focuses programming on the work of independent filmmakers.
My Book:
Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film, 1975-2000
In its first year under the Sundance supervision, the festival screens 80 pictures, including Grand Jury Prize winner Blood Simple, a low-budget noir thriller from first-timers Joel and Ethan Coen.
Year 1: Highlights of 1985 Edition
Blood Simple – (Grand Jury Prize)
Seventeen – (Grand Jury Prize: Documentary)
Stranger Than Paradise – (Special Jury Prize)
Paris, Texas
The Hit
Independent Spirit Awards: Year 1
The first Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 1985, were announced on March 22, 1986.
The ceremony, hosted by Peter Coyote and Jeanne Lucas, was held at 385 North, a restaurant in Los Angeles.
Winners and nominees
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Best DirectorScorsese, After Hours
Joel and Ethan Coen, Blood Simple
Joyce Chopra, Smooth Talk
Peter Masterson , The Trip to Bountiful
Best Actor
M. Emmet Walsh – Blood Simple
Rubén Blades – Crossover Dreams
Tom Bower – Wildrose
Treat Williams – Smooth Talk
Best Actress:
Geraldine Page – The Trip to Bountiful
Rosanna Arquette, After Hours
Laura Dern, Smooth Talk
Lori Singer, Trouble in Mind
Best Screenplay
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
Best Cinematography
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 with multiple nominations
5 Noms
Blood Simple
Smooth Talk
Films that won multiple awards
2 Awards:
Blood Simple
The Trip to Bountiful
