Now that Film Independent has lavished three awards on “Train Dreams”—Best Feature Film, Best Director for Clint Bentley, and Best Cinematography for Adolpho Veloso—it’s time to talk about money. Maybe you don’t know that Film Independent puts a cap on how much a film can cost to compete for a Spirit prize. “Train Dreams,” though it cost a mere $10 million shooting in Washington state, has an epic feel worth 10 times as much.
Spirit Winner: "Train Dreams"
This story of building America took three top prizes, including Best Film. Cost? Negligible. Artistic dividends? Huge.