Independent Spirit Awards of 1987

The 2nd Annual Independent Spirit Awards, given by Film Independent on 28 March, 1987, honored the best independent filmmaking of 1986.

Best Cinematography

* "Blue Velvet" - Frederick Elmes
* "Down by Law" - Robby Müller
* "Platoon" - Bob Richardson
* "Salvador" - Bob Richardson
* "True Stories" - Ed Lachman

Best Director

* "Blue Velvet" - David Lynch
* "Down by Law" - Jim Jarmusch
* "Platoon" - Oliver Stone
* "Salvador" - Oliver Stone
* "Stand by Me" - Rob Reiner

Best Feature

* "Blue Velvet" - Fred Caruso
* "Down by Law" - Alan Kleinberg
* "On Valentines Day" - Lillian Foote, Calvin Skaggs
* "Platoon" - Arnold Kopelson
* "Salvador" - Gerald Green, Oliver Stone
* "Stand by Me" - Andrew Scheinman, Raynold Gideon, Bruce Evans

Best Female Lead

* "Blue Velvet" - Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern
* "Desert Hearts" - Patti Charbonneau
* "Salvador" - Elpidia Carillo
* "She's Gotta Have It" - Tracy Camilla Johns

Best First Feature

* "A Great Wall" - Peter Wang
* "Belizaire the Cajun" - Glen Pitre
* "Hoosiers" - David Anspaugh
* "She's Gotta Have It" - Spike Lee
* "True Stories" - David Byrne

Best Foreign Film

* "28 Up" - Michael Apted
* "A Room with a View" - James Ivory, Ismail Merchant
* "Men" - Doris Dorrie, Harold Kugler
* "Mona Lisa" - Neil Jordan, Stephen Woolley, Patrick Cassavetti
* "My Beautiful Laundrette" - Stephen Frears, Sarah Radclyffe, Tim Bevan

Best Male Lead

* "Blue Velvet" - Dennis Hopper
* "Down by Law" - Roberto Benigni
* "Native Son" - Victor Love
* "Platoon" - Willem Dafoe
* "Salvador" - James Woods

Best Screenplay

* "A Great Wall" - Shirley Sun, Peter Wang
* "Blue Velvet" - David Lynch
* "Platoon" - Oliver Stone
* "Salvador" - Oliver Stone, Richard Boyle
* "Stand by Me" - Raynold Gideon, Bruce Evans