The annual Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday night honored Quinceañera, an independent film by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, with the John Cassavetes Award.
The John Cassavetes Award, named after the legendary filmmaker and actor, honors the best feature film made for less than $500,000. Anjelica Huston presented the award.
"It was a dream come true receiving the award," said Westmoreland who got his start in gay adult films writing and directing under the name Wash West. He received the award along with Glatzer, his co-writer and director as well as life-partner, and Anne Clements, the producer of Quinceañera.
Westmoreland pointed out that mainstream and gay porn films share "more similarities than differences. They both have producers and agents. They both have stars on the rise and stars on the wane. And both have chaos on the set."
As Wash West, Westmoreland was responsible for many of gay XXX's most honored movies, Naked Highway (BIG Video), Animus (All Worlds Video), Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony (All Worlds Video), and The Hole (Jet Set Productions) among them.
Quinceañera, set in the ethnically diverse Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, is about a 15-year-old Hispanic girl who discovers she's pregnant just prior to her big coming out party. Disowned by her family, she takes refuge with her great-uncle and a gay cousin, creating a family of their own.
In addition to Saturday's award, the film also received the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival for independent dramatic film. Originally distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, Quinceañera is available on DVD from Sony Pictures.
Prior to Quinceañera, Westmoreland wrote The Fluffer, an independent film set in the gay porn industry that drew on his insider knowledge. Westmoreland co-directed the film with Glatzer. Together they also made the documentary Gay Republicans.
As for his future plans, Westmoreland was circumspect. He did advise fans to expect an announcement later this year about a mainstream film about Errol Flynn.
