The Indie Spirits are heading to Santa Monica this February, but will last year's host Eddie Izzard be going with them?

Credit: AP Photo/Matt Sayles

What was pretty much guaranteed within days of last year's ceremony has officially come to pass: the Independent Spirit Awards are going home.  After making a 25th Anniversary prime time stop at L.A. Live this past March, the 2011 edition of the Spirts will return to the friendly, if not windy confines of Santa Monica Beach. 

This year's ceremony will be held Saturday, Feb. 26 at 2 PM PST.  However, unlike previous years where the ceremony was broadcast live, IFC has decided to rebroadcast cast the show in an edited form later that night at 10 PM EST/PST.  That will no doubt save the company money on satellite feeds, but ruin some of the fun for awards season fans.

Film Independent did announce more good news, however, when it revealed that Audrey Morrissey has agreed to join Dick Clark Productions to Executive Produce this year's telecast.  A veteran of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, 2010 People's Choice Awards and 2009 MTV Latin American VMAs, Morrissey should bring a more professional and slicker presentation to what has always been a mixed bag affair.  Whether last year's host, Eddie Izzard, will be given another chance in a better setting remains to be seen (here's hoping). 

In other news…

- Jennifer Lawrence is going to have to return to Los Angeles again.  The "Winter's Bone" and "X-Men: First Class" star has been honored with the Palm Springs Film Festival Rising Star Award.  The annual show takes place at an awards gala hosted by none other than Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart on January 8 when Lawrence may still be shooting "First Class." That means another quick cross country trip for the up and coming actress who also has roles in the upcoming films "The Beaver" and "House at the End of the Street."  Whether it will be worth it if she hasn't landed a SAG Award or Golden Globe nomination in December is unclear, but at a minimum, it brings more attention to Lawrence's acclaimed performance in "Bone" (now conveniently available on DVD).

- Jeff Bridges is making a Christmas splash by hosting "Saturday Night Live" on Dec. 18. At least, according to Gold Derby he is.  The air date would be a nice compromise for both Disney and Paramount who have compromising publicity needs for last year's best actor winner and 2011 contender.  Disney's "Tron Legacy" opens on Dec. 17 and "True Grit" hits theaters on Dec. 25.  The last time Bridges hosted "SNL" was in 1983 when he co-hosted with his brother Beau.  And yes, we're psyched.  Are you?

- Guy Lodge at "In Contention" has a fantastic piece on why Emma Stone should receive Best Actress consideration for "Easy A" (and we don't disagree).  His colleague, Kris Tapley, writes about the disappointing "Love and Other Drugs."  I'll have my thoughts on that one soon…