Indies love 'Sunshine'

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- "Little Miss Sunshine" won four Independent Spirit Awards, including best feature, in ceremonies Saturday in Santa Monica, Calif.

In addition to the top feature prize, the Oscar-nominated film also won a directing award for Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, a first-screenplay prize for Michael Arndt and a supporting actor trophy for Alan Arkin.

"Little Miss Sunshine" is up for Oscars for best picture, first screenplay, supporting actor (Arkin) and supporting actress (Abigail Breslin).

The movie, about a dysfunctional family on a road trip, was named best feature by the Producers Guild of America. It won the top acting prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the original screenplay award from the Writers Guild of America.

Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps of "Half Nelson" won Independent Spirit Awards -- known as Indies -- for male and female leads. Jason Reitman won the best-screenplay Indie for his adaptation of "Thank You for Smoking."

Frances McDormand won for best supporting actress for "Friends with Money."

"The Lives of Others," set in the former East Germany before the fall of the Iron Curtain, was named best foreign film.

Guillermo Navarro won the cinematography prize for "Pan's Labyrinth." "The Road to Guantanamo" won for best documentary.