Hollywood: Independents' Day

By Stephen M. Silverman

04/22/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Taiwanese director of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Ang Lee, "Before Night Falls" Spanish actor Javier Bardem, American veterans Willem Dafoe ("Shadow of the Vampire") and Ellen Burstyn ("Requiem for a Dream") and "You Can Count on Me" screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan took home Independent Spirit trophies on Saturday in a Hollywood event that put the spotlight on arthouse films. As reported by Reuters, director John Waters, who hosted the Spirits under a beachfront marquee in Santa Monica, advised presenters to announce their addictions and winners to say "I deserve it" when accepting their awards. The spirit and the attire of the event were decidedly casual, and celebrities nibbled Chinese takeout food. Last year's best actress winner, "Boys Don't Cry" star Hilary Swank (who also ended up winning the Oscar for her role), and her husband, Chad Lowe, rode up to the Spirits on matching mountain bikes. Other winners this year included the homoerotic stalker comedy "Chuck & Buck," which was named best feature under $500,000.