Skenario Terbaik (Independent Spirit Award)

1980an

• 1985: The Trip to Bountiful – Horton Foote
  • After Hours – Joseph Minion
  • Blood Simple – Joel Coen dan Ethan Coen
  • Smooth Talk – Tom Cole
• 1986: Platoon – Oliver Stone
  • Blue Velvet – David Lynch
  • A Great Wall – Peter Wang dan Shirley Sun
  • Salvador – Oliver Stone dan Richard Boyle
  • Stand by Me – Raynold Gideon dan Bruce A. Evans
• 1987: River's Edge – Neal Jimenez
  • Anna – Agnieszka Holland
  • The Dead – Tony Huston
  • Matewan – John Sayles
  • Swimming to Cambodia – Spalding Gray
• 1988: Stand and Deliver – Ramon Menendez dan Tom Musca
  • Five Corners – John Patrick Shanley
  • Hairspray – John Waters
  • The Moderns – Alan Rudolph dan John Bradshaw
  • Patti Rocks – John Jenkins, Karen Landry, David Burton Morris, dan Chris Mulkey
• 1989: Drugstore Cowboy – Gus Van Sant dan Daniel Yost
  • 84 Charlie Mopic – Patrick Sheane Duncan
  • Heathers – Daniel Waters
  • Miracle Mile – Steve De Jarnatt
  • Mystery Train – Jim Jarmusch