MUMBAI: For the first time in its 20 year history the Independent Spirit Awards, which honour the best that American independent films has to offer will be seen in countries outside the US.

The 2006 Independent Spirit Awards will take place on 4 March, a day before the Oscars will be broadcast. The Awards will air in over 65 countries and territories. These include - Angola, Belgium, Cuba, Denmark, Haiti, Holland, the UK and Panama.

The carriage agreements for entertainment firm Rainbow Media's coverage of the ceremony were brokered by Electric Sky, and include ITV4 in the UK; additional coverage throughout Europe with Nonstop Televisions Entertainment Channel Star! and various agreements throughout all of Latin America and North Africa.

Rainbow Media Holdings senior VP business development Glenn Oakley says, "2006 will be a year of firsts for the Independent Spirit Awards. With its cross platform domestic coverage and now its international distribution, Rainbow Media is once again leveraging its unique and powerful resources to create a valuable global event. We are obviously very pleased to see the audience of the Spirit Awards expanding globally.

Its a great opportunity to be able to deliver a new and exciting movie awards title to the international market place says Electric Skys Chief Executive, David Pounds. We look forward to expanding the reach of the show even further for 2007.

Ang Lee's gay western Brokeback Mountain might well become one of the few films to win both the Independent Spirit Award and the Oscar for best picture. And, Phillip Seymour Hoffman may win the best actor award in both shows for Capote.