Film Independent's 26^th Spirit Awards will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2011. 

Film Independent is accepting submissions, with the early deadline of Monday, September 13 and the final deadline of Tuesday, October 5.

Submission guidelines, applications, and more information can be found at SpiritAwards.com

Now in its 26^th year, Film Independent's Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and originality.  Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, the Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience. 

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award.  The Filmmaker Grants include Acura Someone to Watch Award, Truer Than Fiction Award, and Piaget Producers Award.