Spirit Awards moves from beach to downtown L.A

By Steven Zeitchik

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Spirit Awards are taking things downtown.

After more than a decade under a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, the annual Film Independent event will move to a tent atop a building at L.A. Live, AEG's downtown Los Angeles' events complex.

The indie awards will move to the space, described as a "panoramic event deck," in the same year that the show switches from Saturday afternoon to Friday night. But the changes, organizers say, will not affect the feel of the event, which will continue to retain an informality that will allow attendees to mingle before and after the show.

The Spirits are also bringing on Dick Clark Prods. to executive produce the event, the first time it has brought on such a high-profile awards-show producer. Diana Zahn-Storey previously executive produced the show.

Dick Clark Prods. is behind the Golden Globes and several other broadcast kudos-fests. Indie producer Jamie McGurk will also executive produce this year's ceremony.

The initial move off the beach in Santa Monica, announced several months ago, prompted some in the industry to ask why one of the most popular events of Oscar weekend was tweaking a formula that so many liked.

Dawn Hudson, executive director of the nonprofit Film Independent, acknowledged that there were financial considerations behind the move.

"Obviously it's harder to put on an event in a place where you have to build up as opposed to a place where it's already set up," she said, comparing the ad hoc Santa Monica venue to the L.A. Live one.

But she said that was not the main impetus for the switch. "The change is meant to signal a different way to celebrate and do something that is in keeping with the spirit and is funky and fun and casual," she said, noting that this year marks the Spirits' 25th anniversary.

The Spirits will air live on IFC on Friday, March 4 at 8 p.m. PT. Despite the 11 p.m. start for the East Coast, Film Independent hopes that the cachet of being "the first late-night awards show" will bring in viewers. "Late-night is primetime on IFC," Hudson said.

A number of retrospective activities are in the works in connection with Film Independent's 25th anniversary. But Hudson said that there would be limits to how much sentiment would infuse the irreverent show. "We're not going to get too nostalgic. It's still the Spirits."

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)