2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ is the top nominee

December 3, 2025

Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall in “Peter Hujar’s Day” (Photo courtesy of Janus Films and Sideshow)

The following is a press release from Film Independent:

Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, announced this morning the award nominations for the 41st annual edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The awards show will honor a diverse group of films and filmmakers, as well as celebrate the year-round work done by the organization in support of independent artists. 

Revealed this morning, the wide-ranging film and television nominations feature a Spirit Awards-record number of works and artists being honored. Among the films, Peter Hujar’s Day received the most nominations with five total, with Blue Sun PalaceLurkerOne of Them Days; Sorry, Baby and Train Dreams each receiving four and Lucky LuThe Plague and Twinless getting three each. In the television categories, AdolescenceForever and Mr Loverman tied for the most nominations with four apiece. Watch the announcement here.

“The distinguished and inspired work produced by our nominated artists this year shows both the incredible breadth and the essential nature of independent art being created today,” said Brenda Robinson, Acting President of Film Independent. “These artists brilliantly demonstrate that there is no limit to the places where storytellers are able to find drama, humor and beauty, all while challenging audiences to stay engaged and curious, to protect the space where independent art can thrive.”

The Spirit Awards will be hosted at the historic Hollywood Palladium after years at the beach in Santa Monica. The show is the centerpiece of Film Independent’s year-round initiatives, honoring thousands of artists across film and television over the past 40 plus years. In 2023, the Spirit Awards continued evolving toward a more inclusive and accurate reflection of the film and television industry by becoming one of the first major awards shows to introduce gender-neutral acting categories. Artists recognized early in their careers by the Spirit Awards who went on to incredible success include Sean Baker, Joel Coen, Ryan Coogler, Spike Lee, Kasi Lemmons, Robert Rodriguez, Whit Stillman and Chloé Zhao among many, many others. 

The 41st Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Sunday, February 15, 2026. The show will be streamed live on the Film Independent and IMDb YouTube channels, and across other social platforms. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and celebrate creative independence, diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision in independent film and television.

The 2026 Best Feature nominees include Peter Hujar’s DayThe Plague; Sorry, BabyTrain Dreams and TwinlessThe Long Walk, from director Francis Lawrence, has been selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon a single film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman, known for populating his films with extraordinary ensemble casts.

On the television side, the 2026 Best New Scripted Series nominees include AdolescenceCommon Side EffectsForeverMr Loverman and North of North. In the Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series category, the nominees are Citizen NationHurricane Katrina: Race Against TimePee-wee as HimselfSeen & Heard: The History of Black Television and Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae.

Exemplifying the impact of the organization’s year-round work, six of this year’s Spirit Awards nominees have been supported by Film Independent or Film Independent Artist Development, the essential program on the forefront of artist support and education within the film industry. They include Cherien Dabis (Best International Film for All That’s Left of You), Sarah Friedland (John Cassavetes Award for Familiar Touch), Julia Loktev (Best Documentary for My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow), Peter Nicks (Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series for Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time), Lizzie Shapiro (Best Feature for The Plague) and Brittany Shyne (Truer Than Fiction Award for Seeds).

This year, the Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from 18 different countries with budget ranging between $35,000 and $20 million. The following guidelines are applied in determining nominees: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means and diversity and inclusion. Of the overall 2026 nominees, 41% are women and 33% are BIPOC.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 45% female, 7% Nonbinary, 4% Transgender and 50% BIPOC; 31% identify as LGBTQ+ and 18% identify as people with disabilities (PWD).

Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Premier Sponsor Lavazza Coffee, Principal Sponsor IMDbPro and Official Sponsor FIJI Water. Easterseals Disability Services is the accessibility partner. The London West Hollywood and W Hollywood are the Official Hotels. Getty Images is the Official Photographer. Vision Media is the exclusive screening partner.

Want to vote?

As always, winners are voted upon by Members of Film Independent. Members must be current as of December 16, 2025 to receive full voting benefits, including access to nominee screeners. To join Film Independent and vote on the Spirit Awards, please visit filmindependent.org/join to Join. Watch. Vote.

To learn more about attending the Spirit Awards and supporting Film Independent’s mission and programs, please contact Jennifer Murby at [email protected].

To learn more about the Spirit Awards eligibility rules and regulations please visit filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/faq.
 

2026 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST FEATURE  (Award given to the producer)

Peter Hujar’s Day

Producers: Jonah Disend, Jordan Drake

The Plague

Producers: Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, Lizzie Shapiro

Sorry, Baby

Producers: Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Train Dreams

Producers: Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman

Twinless

Producers: David Permut, James Sweeney

  

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer) 

Blue Sun Palace

Director: Constance Tsang

Producers: Sally Sujin Oh, Eli Raskin, Tony Yang

Dust Bunny

Director/Producer: Bryan Fuller

Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee

East of Wall

Director/Producer: Kate Beecroft

Producers: Shannon Moss, Melanie Ramsayer, Lila Yacoub

Lurker

Director: Alex Russell

Producers: Galen Core, Archie Madekwe, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Olmo Schnabel, Jack Selby

One of Them Days

Director: Lawrence Lamont

Producers: Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi

  

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. (Award given to the writer, director and producer) 

The Baltimorons

Director/Writer/Producer: Jay Duplass

Writer/Producer: Michael Strassner

Producers: David Bonnett Jr., Drew Langer

Boys Go to Jupiter

Director/Writer: Julian Glander

Eephus

Director/Writer/Producer: Carson Lund

Writer/Producer: Michael Basta

Writer: Nate Fisher

Producers: David Entin, Tyler Taormina

Esta Isla (This Island)

Directors/Writers/Producers: Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina

Writer: Kisha Tikina Burgos

Familiar Touch

Director/Writer/Producer: Sarah Friedland

Producers: Alexandra Byer, Matthew Thurm

  

BEST DIRECTOR 

Clint Bentley

Train Dreams

Mary Bronstein

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Lloyd Lee Choi

Lucky Lu

Ira Sachs

Peter Hujar’s Day

Eva Victor

Sorry, Baby

  

BEST SCREENPLAY 

Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin

Splitsville

Angus MacLachlan

A Little Prayer

James Sweeney

Twinless

Christian Swegal

Sovereign

Eva Victor

Sorry, Baby

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY 

Andrew DeYoung

Friendship

Elena Oxman

Outerlands

Alex Russell

Lurker

Syreeta Singleton

One of Them Days

Constance Tsang

Blue Sun Palace

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE 

Everett Blunck

The Plague

Rose Byrne

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Kathleen Chalfant

Familiar Touch

Chang Chen

Lucky Lu

Joel Edgerton

Train Dreams

Dylan O’Brien

Twinless

Keke Palmer

One of Them Days

Théodore Pellerin

Lurker

Tessa Thompson

Hedda

Ben Whishaw

Peter Hujar’s Day

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE 

Naomi Ackie

Sorry, Baby

Zoey Deutch

Nouvelle Vague

Kirsten Dunst

Roofman

Rebecca Hall

Peter Hujar’s Day

Nina Hoss

Hedda

Jane Levy

A Little Prayer

Archie Madekwe

Lurker

Kali Reis

Rebuilding

Jacob Tremblay

Sovereign

Haipeng Xu

Blue Sun Palace

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Liz Larsen

The Baltimorons

Misha Osherovich

She’s the He

Kayo Martin

The Plague

SZA

One of Them Days

Tabatha Zimiga

East of Wall

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Alex Ashe

Peter Hujar’s Day

Norm Li

Blue Sun Palace

David J. Thompson

Warfare

Adolpho Veloso

Train Dreams

Nicole Hirsch Whitaker

Dust Bunny

  

BEST EDITING 

Ben Leonberg

Good Boy

Carson Lund

Eephus

Fin Oates

Warfare

Sara Shaw

Splitsville

Sofía Subercaseaux

The Testament of Ann Lee

  

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD  (Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast) 

The Long Walk

Director: Francis Lawrence

Casting Director: Rich Delia

Ensemble Cast: Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Joshua Odjick, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing

  

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer) 

Come See Me in the Good Light

Director/Producer: Ryan White

Producers: Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen

Endless Cookie

Director: Peter Scriver

Director/Producer: Seth Scriver

Producers: Dan Bekerman, Alex Ordanis, Jason Ryle, Chris Yurkovich

My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow

Director/Producer: Julia Loktev

The Perfect Neighbor

Director/Producer: Geeta Gandbhir

Producers: Sam Bisbee, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne

The Tale of Silyan

Director/Producer: Tamara Kotevska

Producers: Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Jordanco Petkovski

  

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director) 

All That’s Left of You

Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus

Director: Cherien Dabis

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Zambia, UK, Ireland

Director: Rungano Nyoni

A Poet

Colombia

Director: Simón Mesa Soto

The Secret Agent

Brazil

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Sirāt

Spain

Director: Oliver Laxe

  

PRODUCERS AWARD  – The Producers Award, now in its 29th year, honors an emerging producer who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrates the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Emma Hannaway

Luca Intili

Tony Yang

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD  – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 32nd year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Tatti Ribeiro

Director of Valentina

Neo Sora

Director of Happyend

Annapurna Sriram

Director of Fucktoys

  

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 31st year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Tony Benna

Director of André is an Idiot

Rajee Samarasinghe

Director of Your Touch Makes Others Invisible

Brittany Shyne

Director of Seeds

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer and Co-Executive Producer)

Citizen Nation

Creator: Bret Sigler

Executive Producers: Christopher Buck, Kyra Darnton

Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time

Executive Producers: Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn, Ryan Coogler, Myles Estey, Ted Skillman, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Peter Nicks, Kalia King, Carolyn Payne, Sean David Johnson

Co-Executive Producer: Kelli Buchanan

Pee-wee as Himself

Executive Producers: Matt Wolf, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Paul Reubens, Candace Tomarken, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television

Executive Producers: Issa Rae, Montrel McKay, John Maggio, Rachel Dretzin, John Ealer, Jonathan Berry, Dave Becky, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

Co-Executive Producers: Esther Dere, Zachary Herrmann

Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae

Executive Producers: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Amy Kaufman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker

Co-Executive Producer: Mark Becker

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer and Co-Executive Producer)

Adolescence

Creators/Executive Producers: Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham

Executive Producers: Philip Barantini, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Hannah Walters, Mark Herbert, Emily Feller

Co-Executive Producers: Carina Sposato, Niall Shamma, Peter Balm

Common Side Effects

Creators/Executive Producers: Joe Bennett, Steve Hely

Executive Producers: Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, Dustin Davis, James Merrill, Sean Buckelew, Benjy Brooke, Kelly Crews, Suzanna Makkos

Co-Executive Producer: Dave King

Forever

Creator/Executive Producer: Mara Brock Akil

Executive Producers: Regina King, Susie Fitzgerald, Shana C. Waterman, Reina King, Anthony Hemingway, Judy Blume, Erika Harrison, Sara E. White

Co-Executive Producer: Jerron Horton

Mr Loverman

Executive Producers: Lennie James, Hong Khaou, Jo McClellan, Faye Ward, Hannah Farrell, Hannah Price

North of North

Creators/Executive Producers: Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

Executive Producers: Garry Campbell, Anya Adams, Susan Coyne, Miranda de Pencier

Co-Executive Producers: Teresa M. Ho, Michael Goldbach, Kathryn Borel Jr., JP Larocque 

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Sydney Chandler

Alien: Earth

Stephen Graham

Adolescence

Ethan Hawke

The Lowdown

Lennie James

Mr Loverman

Anna Lambe

North of North

Lola Petticrew

Say Nothing

Seth Rogen

The Studio

Lovie Simone

Forever

Michelle Williams

Dying for Sex

Noah Wyle

The Pitt

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Ariyon Bakare

Mr Loverman

Babou Ceesay

Alien: Earth

Sharon D. Clarke

Mr Loverman

Taylor Dearden

The Pitt

Erin Doherty

Adolescence

Stephen McKinley Henderson

A Man on the Inside

Poorna Jagannathan

Deli Boys

Xosha Roquemore

Forever

Jenny Slate

Dying for Sex

Ben Whishaw

Black Doves

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Asif Ali

Deli Boys

Wally Baram

Overcompensating

Owen Cooper

Adolescence

Michael Cooper Jr.

Forever

Ernest Kingsley Junior

Washington Black

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Chief of War

Ensemble Cast: Charlie Brumbly, Luciane Buchanan, Cliff Curtis, Brandon Finn, Moses Goods, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Benjamin Hoetjes, Siua Ikale’o, Keala Kahuanui-Paleka, Mainei Kinimaka, Kaina Makua, Jason Momoa, Temuera Morrison, Te Kohe Tuhaka, James Udom

NOMINATIONS BY DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTORTITLE#
1-2 SpecialA Poet, Best International1
A24Friendship, Best First ScreenplayIf I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Best DirectorIf I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Best Lead PerformanceOn Becoming a Guinea Fowl, Best InternationalSorry, Baby, Best FeatureSorry, Baby, Best DirectorSorry, Baby, Best ScreenplaySorry, Baby, Best Supporting PerformanceWarfare, Best CinematographyWarfare, Best Editing10
Amazon MGM StudiosHedda, Best Lead PerformanceHedda, Best Supporting Performance2
Apple TVChief of War, Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted SeriesCome See Me in the Good Light, Best DocumentaryThe Studio, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series3
Bleecker StreetRebuilding, Best Supporting Performance1
Briarcliff EntertainmentSovereign, Best ScreenplaySovereign, Best Supporting Performance2
BritBoxMr Loverman, Best New Scripted SeriesMr Loverman, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesMr Loverman, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesMr Loverman, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series4
Cartuna & Irony PointBoys Go to Jupiter, John Cassavetes Award1
DekanalogBlue Sun Palace, Best First FeatureBlue Sun Palace, Best First ScreenplayBlue Sun Palace, Best CinematographyBlue Sun Palace, Best Supporting Performance4
Film MovementHappyend, Someone to Watch Award1
FXAlien: Earth, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesAlien: Earth, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesDying for Sex, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesDying for Sex, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesThe Lowdown, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesSay Nothing, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series6
HBO MaxCommon Side Effects, Best New Scripted SeriesPee-wee as Himself, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary SeriesThe Pitt, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesThe Pitt, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesSeen & Heard: The History of Black Television, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series5
HuluDeli Boys, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesDeli Boys, Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted SeriesWashington Black, Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series3
Hulu / Onyx CollectiveVow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series1
Independent Film CompanyThe Baltimorons, John Cassavetes AwardThe Baltimorons, Best Breakthrough PerformanceThe Plague, Best FeatureThe Plague, Best Lead PerformanceThe Plague, Best Breakthrough Performance5
Independent Film Company & ShudderGood Boy, Best Editing1
Janus FilmsPeter Hujar’s Day, Best FeaturePeter Hujar’s Day, Best DirectorPeter Hujar’s Day, Best CinematographyPeter Hujar’s Day, Best Lead PerformancePeter Hujar’s Day, Best Supporting Performance5
Joint VentureAndré is an Idiot, Truer Than Fiction Award1
LionsgateThe Long Walk, Robert Altman Award1
Magnolia PicturesMaddie’s Secret, Producers Award1
MUBILurker, Best First FeatureLurker, Best First ScreenplayLurker, Best Lead PerformanceLurker, Best Supporting Performance4
Music Box FilmsEephus, John Cassavetes AwardEephus, Best EditingFamiliar Touch, John Cassavetes AwardFamiliar Touch, Best Lead PerformanceA Little Prayer, Best ScreenplayA Little Prayer, Best Supporting Performance6
National GeographicHurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary SeriesThe Tale of Silyan, Best Documentary2
NEONThe Secret Agent, Best InternationalSirāt, Best InternationalSplitsville, Best ScreenplaySplitsville, Best Editing4
NetflixAdolescence, Best New Scripted SeriesAdolescence, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesAdolescence, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesAdolescence, Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBlack Doves, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesForever, Best New Scripted SeriesForever, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesForever, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesForever, Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted SeriesA Man on the Inside, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesNorth of North, Best New Scripted SeriesNorth of North, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesNouvelle Vague, Best Supporting PerformanceThe Perfect Neighbor, Best DocumentaryTrain Dreams, Best FeatureTrain Dreams, Best DirectorTrain Dreams, Best CinematographyTrain Dreams, Best Lead Performance18
Obscured ReleasingEndless Cookie, Best Documentary1
OscilloscopeOBEX, Producers Award1
PBSCitizen Nation, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series1
Prime VideoOvercompensating, Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series1
Roadside AttractionsDust Bunny, Best First FeatureDust Bunny, Best CinematographyTwinless, Best FeatureTwinless, Best ScreenplayTwinless, Best Lead Performance5
Searchlight PicturesThe Testament of Ann Lee, Best Editing1
Sony Pictures ClassicsEast of Wall, Best First FeatureEast of Wall, Best Breakthrough Performance2
Sony Pictures ReleasingOne of Them Days, Best First FeatureOne of Them Days, Best First ScreenplayOne of Them Days, Best Lead PerformanceOne of Them Days, Best Breakthrough Performance4
Visibility Films / Watermelon PicturesAll That’s Left of You, Best International1
Wolfe VideoOuterlands, Best First Screenplay1
Nominees without distributionEsta Isla (This Island), John Cassavetes AwardLucky Lu, Best DirectorLucky Lu, Best Lead PerformanceLucky Lu, Producers AwardShe’s the He, Best Breakthrough PerformanceFucktoys, Someone to Watch AwardMy Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow, Best DocumentarySeeds, Truer Than Fiction AwardValentina, Someone to Watch AwardYour Touch Makes Others Invisible, Truer Than Fiction Award10

NOMINATIONS BY TITLE

TITLECATEGORY#
AdolescenceBest New Scripted SeriesBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series4
Alien: EarthBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series2
All That’s Left of YouBest International1
André is an IdiotTruer Than Fiction Award1
The BaltimoronsJohn Cassavetes AwardBest Breakthrough Performance2
Black DovesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series1
Blue Sun PalaceBest First FeatureBest First ScreenplayBest CinematographyBest Supporting Performance4
Boys Go to JupiterJohn Cassavetes Award1
Chief of WarBest Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series1
Citizen NationBest New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series1
Come See Me in the Good LightBest Documentary1
Common Side EffectsBest New Scripted Series1
Deli BoysBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series2
Dust BunnyBest First FeatureBest Cinematography2
Dying for SexBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series2
East of WallBest First FeatureBest Breakthrough Performance2
EephusJohn Cassavetes AwardBest Editing2
Endless CookieBest Documentary1
Esta Isla (This Island)John Cassavetes Award1
Familiar TouchJohn Cassavetes AwardBest Lead Performance2
ForeverBest New Scripted SeriesBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series4
FriendshipBest First Screenplay1
FucktoysSomeone to Watch Award1
Good BoyBest Editing1
HappyendSomeone to Watch Award1
HeddaBest Lead PerformanceBest Supporting Performance2
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against TimeBest New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series1
If I Had Legs I’d Kick YouBest DirectorBest Lead Performance2
A Little PrayerBest ScreenplayBest Supporting Performance2
The Long WalkRobert Altman Award1
The LowdownBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series1
Lucky LuBest DirectorBest Lead PerformanceProducers Award3
LurkerBest First FeatureBest First ScreenplayBest Lead PerformanceBest Supporting Performance4
Maddie’s SecretProducers Award1
A Man on the InsideBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series1
Mr LovermanBest New Scripted SeriesBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series4
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in MoscowBest Documentary1
North of NorthBest New Scripted SeriesBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series2
Nouvelle VagueBest Supporting Performance1
ObexProducers Award1
On Becoming a Guinea FowlBest International1
One of Them DaysBest First FeatureBest First ScreenplayBest Lead PerformanceBest Breakthrough Performance4
OuterlandsBest First Screenplay1
OvercompensatingBest Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series1
Pee-wee as HimselfBest New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series1
The Perfect NeighborBest Documentary1
Peter Hujar’s DayBest FeatureBest DirectorBest CinematographyBest Lead PerformanceBest Supporting Performance5
The PittBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted SeriesBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series2
The PlagueBest FeatureBest Lead PerformanceBest Breakthrough Performance3
A PoetBest International1
RebuildingBest Supporting Performance1
RoofmanBest Supporting Performance1
Say NothingBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series1
The Secret AgentBest International1
SeedsTruer Than Fiction Award1
Seen & Heard: The History of Black TelevisionBest New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series1
She’s the HeBest Breakthrough Performance1
SirātBest International1
Sorry, BabyBest FeatureBest DirectorBest ScreenplayBest Supporting Performance4
SovereignBest ScreenplayBest Supporting Performance2
SplitsvilleBest ScreenplayBest Editing2
The StudioBest Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series1
The Tale of SilyanBest Documentary1
The Testament of Ann LeeBest Editing1
Train DreamsBest FeatureBest DirectorBest CinematographyBest Lead Performance4
TwinlessBest FeatureBest ScreenplayBest Lead Performance3
ValentinaSomeone to Watch Award1
Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie MaeBest New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series1
WarfareBest CinematographyBest Editing2
Washington BlackBest Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series1
Your Touch Makes Others InvisibleTruer Than Fiction Award1
ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
 

For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms and foster a culture of inclusion, in support of a global community of artists and audiences who embody diversity, innovation, curiosity and uniqueness of vision.

In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Weekly Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. International programs provide cultural exchanges and career-building opportunities for film professionals around the world. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents offers a robust program of unique cinematic experiences, including screenings, conversations, Live Reads and Bring the Noise musical events.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Anora,’ ‘Baby Reindeer’ are the top winners

February 22, 2025

Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, handed out top honors February 22 at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Hosted for the second year in a row by acclaimed comedian Aidy Bryant, the awards ceremony was broadcast live on IMDb’s and Film Independent’s YouTube channels. The Spirit Awards are Film Independent’s largest annual celebration, making year-round programming for filmmakers and film loving audiences possible, while amplifying the voices of independent storytellers and celebrating their diversity, originality and uniqueness of vision.

This year’s ceremony, the 40th in Film Independent’s history, celebrated both the best of the past year in film and television as well as the organization’s storied history of supporting independent artists. This included paying touching tribute to Josh Welsh, the beloved longtime president of Film Independent who passed away recently after a courageous five-year battle with cancer.

For this year’s awards, Anora led the way in the film categories with three wins, including Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison. Among the other films and artists honored, A Real Pain won Best Supporting Performance for Kieran Culkin and Best Screenplay for Jesse Eisenberg; Maisy Stella won Best Breakthrough Performance for My Old AssDìdi won Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay for Sean Wang; Flow won Best International Film; No Other Land won Best Documentary; Best Cinematography went to Jomo Fray for Nickel Boys; and Hansjörg Weissbrich won Best Editing for September 5.

For the fifth time in its history, the Spirit Awards also honored exceptional content in television. This year’s major winners in the TV categories were Baby Reindeer, which won three awards including Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series for Richard Gadd, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series for Nava Mau, and Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for Jessica Gunning; Shōgun, which won Best New Scripted Series; Hollywood Black, which won Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series; and How to Die Alone, which won Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.

The 17th annual Robert Altman Award, which was created in 2008 in honor of legendary film director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts, was awarded to His Three Daughters director Azazel Jacobs, alongside casting director Nicole Arbusto, as well as ensemble cast members Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr. and Jay O. Sanders.

Girls Will Be Girls was honored with the John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. Also celebrated were the previously announced honors including Sarah Friedland of Familiar Touch with the Someone to Watch Award, recognizing a filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition; Rachel Elizabeth Seed of A Photographic Memory with the Truer Than Fiction Award, presented to an emerging director of nonfiction features who has yet to receive significant recognition; and Sarah Winshall with the Producers Award, honoring emerging producers who demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films with limited resources.

The winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards are voted on by Film Independent Members. Membership is open to the public.

Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Premier Sponsor Lavazza Coffee, Principal Sponsor IMDbPro and Official Partners Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, FIJI Water and Miraval. Easterseals Disability Services is the accessibility partner. Hotel Casa del Mar and The Georgian are the Official Hotels. Pentagram is the Visual Branding Partner. Getty Images is the Official Photographer. Vision Media is the exclusive screening partner. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Caffeine Post, Cast & Crew, eTech Rentals, Illuminar and Town and Country Event Rentals are Official Providers.

Here is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

*=winner

BEST FEATURE

(Award given to the producer)

Anora*
Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan*

I Saw the TV Glow
Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys
Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing
Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

The Substance
Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner
 

BEST FIRST FEATURE

(Award given to director and producer)

Dìdi*
Director/Producer: Sean Wang*
Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters*

In the Summers
Director: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
Producers: Janek Ambros, Lynette Coll, Alexander Dinelaris, Cynthia Fernandez De La Cruz, Cristóbal Güell, Sergio Alberto Lira, Rob Quadrino, Jan Suter, Daniel Tantalean, Nando Vila, Slava Vladimirov, Stephanie Yankwitt

Janet Planet
Director/Producer: Annie Baker
Producers: Andrew Goldman, Dan Janvey, Derrick Tseng

The Piano Lesson
Director: Malcolm Washington
Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington

Problemista
Director/Producer: Julio Torres
Producers: Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone
 

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. (Award given to the writer, director, and producer)

Big Boys
Writer/Director/Producer: Corey Sherman
Producer: Allison Tate

Ghostlight
Writer/Director: Kelly O’Sullivan
Director/Producer: Alex Thompson
Producers: Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Chelsea Krant, Eddie Linker, Alex Wilson

Girls Will Be Girls*
Writer/Director/Producer: Shuchi Talati*
Producers: Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne*

Jazzy
Writer/Director/Producer: Morrisa Maltz
Writer/Producer: Lainey Shangreaux
Writers: Andrew Hajek, Vanara Taing
Producers: Miranda Bailey, Tommy Heitkamp, John Way, Natalie Whalen, Elliott Whitton

The People’s Joker
Writer/Director: Vera Drew
Writer: Bri LeRose
Producer: Joey Lyons
 

BEST DIRECTOR

Ali Abbasi
The Apprentice

Sean Baker*
Anora*

Brady Corbet
The Brutalist

Alonso Ruizpalacios
La Cocina

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow
 

BEST SCREENPLAY

Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Heretic

Jesse Eisenberg*
A Real Pain*

Megan Park
My Old Ass

Aaron Schimberg
A Different Man

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow
 

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joanna Arnow
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Annie Baker
Janet Planet

India Donaldson
Good One

Julio Torres
Problemista

Sean Wang*
Dìdi*

 

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Amy Adams
Nightbitch

Ryan Destiny
The Fire Inside

Colman Domingo
Sing Sing

Keith Kupferer
Ghostlight

Mikey Madison*
Anora*

Demi Moore
The Substance

Hunter Schafer
Cuckoo

Justice Smith
I Saw the TV Glow

June Squibb
Thelma

Sebastian Stan
The Apprentice
 

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Yura Borisov
Anora

Joan Chen
Dìdi

Kieran Culkin*
A Real Pain*

Danielle Deadwyler
The Piano Lesson

Carol Kane
Between the Temples

Karren Karagulian
Anora

Kani Kusruti
Girls Will Be Girls

Brigette Lundy-Paine
I Saw the TV Glow

Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin
Sing Sing

Adam Pearson
A Different Man
 

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Isaac Krasner
Big Boys

Katy O’Brian
Love Lies Bleeding

Mason Alexander Park
National Anthem

René Pérez Joglar
In the Summers

Maisy Stella*
My Old Ass*

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Dinh Duy Hung
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Jomo Fray*
Nickel Boys
*

Maria von Hausswolff
Janet Planet

Juan Pablo Ramírez
La Cocina

Rina Yang
The Fire Inside
 

BEST EDITING

Laura Colwell, Vanara Taing
Jazzy

Olivier Bugge Coutté, Olivia Neergaard-Holm
The Apprentice

Anne McCabe
Nightbitch

Hansjörg Weissbrich*
September 5

Arielle Zakowski
Dìdi
 

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast.

His Three Daughters
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Casting Director: Nicole Arbusto
Ensemble Cast: Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr., Jay O. Sanders
 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

(Award given to the director and producer)

Gaucho Gaucho
Directors/Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Producers: Christos Konstantakopoulos, Cameron O’Reilly, Matthew Perniciaro

Hummingbirds
Directors: Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
Co-Directors/Producers: Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Jillian Schlesinger
Producers: Leslie Benavides, Rivkah Beth Medow

No Other Land*
Directors/Producers: Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor*
Producers: Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning*

Patrice: The Movie
Director: Ted Passon
Producers: Kyla Harris, Innbo Shim, Emily Spivack

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Director: Johan Grimonprez
Producers: Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius
 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

(Award given to the director)

All We Imagine as Light
France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Director: Payal Kapadia

Black Dog
China
Director: Guan Hu

Flow*
Latvia, France, Belgium*
Director: Gints Zilbalodis*

Green Border
Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium
Director: Agnieszka Holland

Hard Truths
United Kingdom
Director: Mike Leigh
 

PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

The Producers Award, now in its 28th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Alex Coco

Sarah Winshall*

Zoë Worth
 

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 31st year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Nicholas Colia
Director of Griffin in Summer

Sarah Friedland*
Director of Familiar Touch*

Pham Thien An
Director of Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
 

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 30th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
Directors of Sugarcane

Carla Gutiérrez
Director of Frida

Rachel Elizabeth Seed*
Director of A Photographic Memory

 

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES

(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color
Executive Producers: Idris Elba, Johanna Woolford Gibbon, Jamilla Dumbuya, Jos Cushing, Khaled Gad, Matt Robins, Chris Muckle, Sean David Johnson, Simon Raikes
Co-Executive Producer: Annabel Hobley

Hollywood Black*
Executive Producers: Shayla Harris, Dave Sirulnick, Stacey Reiss, Jon Kamen, Justin Simien, Kyle Laursen, Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jeffrey Schwarz, Amy Goodman Kass, Michael Wright, Jill Burkhart*
Co-Executive Producers: David C. Brown, Laurens Grant*

Photographer
Executive Producers: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Pagan Harleman, Betsy Forhan
Co-Executive Producers: Anna Barnes, Brent Kunkle

Ren Faire
Executive Producers: Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Dani Bernfeld, Lance Oppenheim, David Gauvey Herbert, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Co-Executive Producers: Abigail Rowe, Christian Vasquez, Max Allman

Social Studies
Creator/Executive Producer: Lauren Greenfield
Executive Producers: Wallis Annenberg, Regina K. Scully, Andrea van Beuren, Frank Evers, Caryn Capotosto
 

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Baby Reindeer
Creator/Executive Producer: Richard Gadd
Executive Producers: Wim De Greef, Petra Fried, Matt Jarvis, Ed Macdonald

Diarra From Detroit
Creator/Executive Producer: Diarra Kilpatrick
Executive Producers: Kenya Barris, Miles Orion Feldsott, Darren Goldberg
Co-Executive Producers: Ester Lou, Mark Ganek

English Teacher
Creator/Executive Producer: Brian Jordan Alvarez
Executive Producers: Paul Simms, Jonathan Krisel, Dave King
Co-Executive Producers: Kathryn Dean, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn

Fantasmas
Creator/Executive Producer: Julio Torres
Executive Producers: Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Olivia Gerke, Alex Bach, Daniel Powell
Co-Executive Producer: Ali Herting

Shōgun*
Creators/Executive Producers: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Executive Producers: Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, Michaela Clavell
Co-Executive Producers: Shannon Goss, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich

 

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Brian Jordan Alvarez
English Teacher

Richard Gadd*
Baby Reindeer

Lily Gladstone
Under the Bridge

Kathryn Hahn
Agatha All Along

Cristin Milioti
The Penguin

Julianne Moore
Mary & George

Hiroyuki Sanada
Shōgun

Anna Sawai
Shōgun

Andrew Scott
Ripley

Julio Torres
Fantasmas
 

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Tadanobu Asano
Shōgun

Enrico Colantoni
English Teacher

Betty Gilpin
Three Women

Chloe Guidry
Under the Bridge

Moeka Hoshi
Shōgun

Stephanie Koenig
English Teacher

Patti LuPone
Agatha All Along

Nava Mau*
Baby Reindeer

Ruth Negga
Presumed Innocent

Brian Tee
Expats
 

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Jessica Gunning*
Baby Reindeer

Diarra Kilpatrick
Diarra From Detroit

Joe Locke
Agatha All Along

Megan Stott
Penelope

Hoa Xuande
The Sympathizer
 

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

How to Die Alone
Ensemble Cast: Melissa DuPrey, Jaylee Hamidi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Arkie Kandola, Elle Lorraine, Michelle McLeod, Chris “CP” Powell, Conrad Ricamora, Natasha Rothwell, Jocko Sims

2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Anora,’ ‘I Saw the TV Glow,’ ‘Shōgun’ are the top nominees

December 4, 2024

by Carla Hay

With five nominations each, Neon’s comedy/drama “Anora,” A24’s psychological drama “I Saw the TV Glow” and FX’s drama series “Shōgun” are the leading contenders for the 40th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will take place on February 22, on a beach in Santa Monica, California. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are presented by the non-profit Film Independent and voted for by Film Independent members. Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Aidy Bryant will host the ceremony for a second consecutive year. The YouTube channels for Film Independent and IMDb, as well as Film Independent’s social platforms, will livestream the event.

Written and directed by Sean Baker, “Anora” (starring Mikey Madison as the title character) is about a sex worker who marries the heir of a Russian billionaire, but her new husband’s family wants to get the marriage annulled. “I Saw the TV Glow” (written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun) stars Justice Smith as a man who became addicted to watching a TV show when he was a teenager and is still feeling the effects of this addiction. “Anora” and “I Saw the TV Glow” are each nominated in the categories of Best Feature, Best Director, Best Lead Performance and Best Supporting Performance, a category in which “Anora” has two nominations. “I Saw the TV Glow” is also nominated for Best Screenplay.

Nominated for Best New Scripted Series, “Shōgun” (set in 17th century Japan and based on James Clavell’s 1975 best-selling novel) is about the power struggles between a Japanese lord and a British sailor. The other nominations for “Shōgun” are Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series, where “Shōgun” has two nominations in each of these two categories.

Coming close behind with four nominations each are Focus Features’ coming-of-age comedy/drama “Dìdi” and Netflix’s limited drama series “Baby Reindeer.” “Dìdi” is inspired by writer/director Sean Wang’s teenage years in Fremont, California. “Dìdi” also received nods in the categories of Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Supporting Performance and Best Editing. “Baby Reindeer” is inspired by a creator/executive producer Richard Gadd’s true story of being a stalking victim. “Baby Reindeer” is nominated for Best New Scripted Series, Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series.

Eligible films in most categories (unless otherwise noted) must have a production budget of no more than $25 million. TV nominations are determined by TV programs meeting Film Independent’s criteria of having an “independent spirit.”

Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

BEST FEATURE

(Award given to the producer)

Anora
Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow
Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys
Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing
Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

The Substance
Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner
 

BEST FIRST FEATURE

(Award given to director and producer)

Dìdi
Director/Producer: Sean Wang
Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters

In the Summers
Director: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
Producers: Janek Ambros, Lynette Coll, Alexander Dinelaris, Cynthia Fernandez De La Cruz, Cristóbal Güell, Sergio Alberto Lira, Rob Quadrino, Jan Suter, Daniel Tantalean, Nando Vila, Slava Vladimirov, Stephanie Yankwitt

Janet Planet
Director/Producer: Annie Baker
Producers: Andrew Goldman, Dan Janvey, Derrick Tseng

The Piano Lesson
Director: Malcolm Washington
Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington

Problemista
Director/Producer: Julio Torres
Producers: Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone
 

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. (Award given to the writer, director, and producer)

Big Boys
Writer/Director/Producer: Corey Sherman
Producer: Allison Tate

Ghostlight
Writer/Director: Kelly O’Sullivan
Director/Producer: Alex Thompson
Producers: Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Chelsea Krant, Eddie Linker, Alex Wilson

Girls Will Be Girls
Writer/Director/Producer: Shuchi Talati
Producers: Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne

Jazzy
Writer/Director/Producer: Morrisa Maltz
Writer/Producer: Lainey Shangreaux
Writers: Andrew Hajek, Vanara Taing
Producers: Miranda Bailey, Tommy Heitkamp, John Way, Natalie Whalen, Elliott Whitton

The People’s Joker
Writer/Director: Vera Drew
Writer: Bri LeRose
Producer: Joey Lyons
 

BEST DIRECTOR

Ali Abbasi
The Apprentice

Sean Baker
Anora

Brady Corbet
The Brutalist

Alonso Ruizpalacios
La Cocina

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow
 

BEST SCREENPLAY

Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Heretic

Jesse Eisenberg
A Real Pain

Megan Park
My Old Ass

Aaron Schimberg
A Different Man

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow
 

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joanna Arnow
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Annie Baker
Janet Planet

India Donaldson
Good One

Julio Torres
Problemista

Sean Wang
Dìdi
 

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Amy Adams
Nightbitch

Ryan Destiny
The Fire Inside

Colman Domingo
Sing Sing

Keith Kupferer
Ghostlight

Mikey Madison
Anora

Demi Moore
The Substance

Hunter Schafer
Cuckoo

Justice Smith
I Saw the TV Glow

June Squibb
Thelma

Sebastian Stan
The Apprentice
 

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Yura Borisov
Anora

Joan Chen
Dìdi

Kieran Culkin
A Real Pain

Danielle Deadwyler
The Piano Lesson

Carol Kane
Between the Temples

Karren Karagulian
Anora

Kani Kusruti
Girls Will Be Girls

Brigette Lundy-Paine
I Saw the TV Glow

Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin
Sing Sing

Adam Pearson
A Different Man
 

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Isaac Krasner
Big Boys

Katy O’Brian
Love Lies Bleeding

Mason Alexander Park
National Anthem

René Pérez Joglar
In the Summers

Maisy Stella
My Old Ass
 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Dinh Duy Hung
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Jomo Fray
Nickel Boys

Maria von Hausswolff
Janet Planet

Juan Pablo Ramírez
La Cocina

Rina Yang
The Fire Inside
 

BEST EDITING

Laura Colwell, Vanara Taing
Jazzy

Olivier Bugge Coutté, Olivia Neergaard-Holm
The Apprentice

Anne McCabe
Nightbitch

Hansjörg Weissbrich
September 5

Arielle Zakowski
Dìdi
 

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast.

His Three Daughters
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Casting Director: Nicole Arbusto
Ensemble Cast: Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr., Jay O. Sanders
 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

(Award given to the director and producer)

Gaucho Gaucho
Directors/Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Producers: Christos Konstantakopoulos, Cameron O’Reilly, Matthew Perniciaro

Hummingbirds
Directors: Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
Co-Directors/Producers: Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Jillian Schlesinger
Producers: Leslie Benavides, Rivkah Beth Medow

No Other Land
Directors/Producers: Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
Producers: Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning

Patrice: The Movie
Director: Ted Passon
Producers: Kyla Harris, Innbo Shim, Emily Spivack

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Director: Johan Grimonprez
Producers: Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius
 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

(Award given to the director)

All We Imagine as Light
France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Director: Payal Kapadia

Black Dog
China
Director: Guan Hu

Flow
Latvia, France, Belgium
Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Green Border
Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium
Director: Agnieszka Holland

Hard Truths
United Kingdom
Director: Mike Leigh
 

PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

The Producers Award, now in its 28th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Alex Coco

Sarah Winshall

Zoë Worth
 

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 31st year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Nicholas Colia
Director of Griffin in Summer

Sarah Friedland
Director of Familiar Touch

Pham Thien An
Director of Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
 

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 30th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
Directors of Sugarcane

Carla Gutiérrez
Director of Frida

Rachel Elizabeth Seed
Director of A Photographic Memory
 

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES

(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color
Executive Producers: Idris Elba, Johanna Woolford Gibbon, Jamilla Dumbuya, Jos Cushing, Khaled Gad, Matt Robins, Chris Muckle, Sean David Johnson, Simon Raikes
Co-Executive Producer: Annabel Hobley

Hollywood Black
Executive Producers: Shayla Harris, Dave Sirulnick, Stacey Reiss, Jon Kamen, Justin Simien, Kyle Laursen, Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jeffrey Schwarz, Amy Goodman Kass, Michael Wright, Jill Burkhart
Co-Executive Producers: David C. Brown, Laurens Grant

Photographer
Executive Producers: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Pagan Harleman, Betsy Forhan
Co-Executive Producers: Anna Barnes, Brent Kunkle

Ren Faire
Executive Producers: Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Dani Bernfeld, Lance Oppenheim, David Gauvey Herbert, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Co-Executive Producers: Abigail Rowe, Christian Vasquez, Max Allman

Social Studies
Creator/Executive Producer: Lauren Greenfield
Executive Producers: Wallis Annenberg, Regina K. Scully, Andrea van Beuren, Frank Evers, Caryn Capotosto
 

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Baby Reindeer
Creator/Executive Producer: Richard Gadd
Executive Producers: Wim De Greef, Petra Fried, Matt Jarvis, Ed Macdonald

Diarra From Detroit
Creator/Executive Producer: Diarra Kilpatrick
Executive Producers: Kenya Barris, Miles Orion Feldsott, Darren Goldberg
Co-Executive Producers: Ester Lou, Mark Ganek

English Teacher
Creator/Executive Producer: Brian Jordan Alvarez
Executive Producers: Paul Simms, Jonathan Krisel, Dave King
Co-Executive Producers: Kathryn Dean, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn

Fantasmas
Creator/Executive Producer: Julio Torres
Executive Producers: Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Olivia Gerke, Alex Bach, Daniel Powell
Co-Executive Producer: Ali Herting

Shōgun
Creators/Executive Producers: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Executive Producers: Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, Michaela Clavell
Co-Executive Producers: Shannon Goss, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich
 

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Brian Jordan Alvarez
English Teacher

Richard Gadd
Baby Reindeer

Lily Gladstone
Under the Bridge

Kathryn Hahn
Agatha All Along

Cristin Milioti
The Penguin

Julianne Moore
Mary & George

Hiroyuki Sanada
Shōgun

Anna Sawai
Shōgun

Andrew Scott
Ripley

Julio Torres
Fantasmas
 

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Tadanobu Asano
Shōgun

Enrico Colantoni
English Teacher

Betty Gilpin
Three Women

Chloe Guidry
Under the Bridge

Moeka Hoshi
Shōgun

Stephanie Koenig
English Teacher

Patti LuPone
Agatha All Along

Nava Mau
Baby Reindeer

Ruth Negga
Presumed Innocent

Brian Tee
Expats
 

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Jessica Gunning
Baby Reindeer

Diarra Kilpatrick
Diarra From Detroit

Joe Locke
Agatha All Along

Megan Stott
Penelope

Hoa Xuande
The Sympathizer
 

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

How to Die Alone
Ensemble Cast: Melissa DuPrey, Jaylee Hamidi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Arkie Kandola, Elle Lorraine, Michelle McLeod, Chris “CP” Powell, Conrad Ricamora, Natasha Rothwell, Jocko Sims

2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Past Lives,’ ‘The Holdovers,’ ‘American Fiction,’ ‘Beef’ among the top winners

February 25, 2024

The following is a press release from Film Independent:

Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, handed out top honors o February 25 at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Hosted by beloved comedian Aidy Bryant, the awards ceremony was broadcast live on IMDb’s YouTube channel, as well as Film Independent’s YouTube and X (Twitter) accounts. The Spirit Awards are Film Independent’s largest annual celebration, making year-round programming for filmmakers and film loving audiences possible while amplifying the voices of independent storytellers and celebrating their diversity, originality and uniqueness of vision.

This year’s ceremony, the 39th in Film Independent’s history, celebrated a wide variety of films, television shows and artists, with no individual film or show walking away with more than three awards.

In the film awards categories, Past Lives won for Best Feature and Best Director for Celine Song, while The Holdovers came away with the most awards of the night with three, including Best Supporting Performance for Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Best Breakthrough Performance for Dominic Sessa and Best Cinematography for Eigil Bryld. Among the other films and artists honored, American Fiction won Best Actor for Jeffrey Wright and Best Screenplay for Cord Jefferson; A Thousand and One won Best First Feature; Best First Screenplay went to May December, written by Samy Birch with story by Samy Birch and Alex Mechanik; Anatomy of a Fall won Best International Film; Four Daughters won Best Documentary; and Daniel Garber won Best Editing for How to Blow Up a Pipeline.

For the fourth time in its history, this year’s Spirit Awards also honored exceptional content in television. This year’s major winners in the TV categories were Beef, which won Best New Scripted Series and Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series for Ali Wong; Dear Mama, which won Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series; Nick Offerman of The Last of Us, who won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series; Jury Duty, which won Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series; and Keivonn Montreal Woodard of The Last of Us, who won the new this year Best Breakthrough in a New Scripted Series award.

The 16th annual Robert Altman Award, which was created in 2008 in honor of legendary film director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts, was awarded to Showing Up director Kelly Reichardt, alongside casting director Gayle Keller, as well as ensemble cast members André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.

Also celebrated were Fremont, with the John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000; Monica Sorelle of Mountains with the Someone to Watch Award, recognizing a filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition; Set Hernandez of unseen with the Truer Than Fiction Award, presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has yet to receive significant recognition; and Monique Walton with the Producers Award, honoring emerging producers who demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films with limited resources.

The winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards are voted on by Film Independent Members. Membership is open to the public.

Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Premier Sponsor Lavazza Coffee, Principal Sponsor IMDbPro and Official Partners Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, FIJI Water, Petite Fleur Champagne and Stella Artois. Easterseals Disability Services is the accessibility partner. Hotel Casa del Mar, Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows and The Georgian are the Official Hotels. Pentagram is the Visual Branding Partner. Getty Images is the Official Photographer. Vision Media is the exclusive screening partner. Caffeine Post, eTech Rentals, Illuminar and Town and Country Event Rentals are Official Providers.

Here is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

*=winner

 
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer.)

All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon

Passages
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd

Past Lives*
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon*

We Grown Now
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
 
 
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Director: Raven Jackson
Producers: Maria Altamirano, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Director: Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Producers: Gewan Brown, Amanda Freedman

Earth Mama
Director/Producer: Savanah Leaf
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Shirley O’Connor, Medb Riordan, Cody Ryder

A Thousand and One*
Director: A.V. Rockwell*
Producers: Julia Lebedev, Rishi Rajani, Eddie Vaisman, Lena Waithe, Brad Weston*

Upon Entry
Directors: Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Producers: Sergio Adrià, Carlos Juárez, Alba Sotorra, Carles Torras, Xosé Zapata
 
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer)

The Artifice Girl
Director/Writer: Franklin Ritch
Producers: Aaron B. Koontz, Ashleigh Snead

Cadejo Blanco
Director/Writer/Producer: Justin Lerner
Producers: Mauricio Escobar, Ryan Friedkin, Jack Patrick Hurley

Fremont*
Director/Writer: Babak Jalali*
Writer: Carolina Cavalli*
Producers: Rachael Fung, Chris Martin, Marjaneh Moghimi, George Rush, Sudnya Shroff, Laura Wagner
*

Rotting in the Sun
Director/Writer: Sebastián Silva
Writer: Pedro Peirano
Producer: Jacob Wasserman

The Unknown Country
Director/Writer/Producer: Morrisa Maltz
Writer: Lily Gladstone
Writers/Producers: Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Vanara Taing
Producers: Katherine Harper, Laura Heberton, Tommy Heitkamp
 
 
BEST DIRECTOR

Andrew Haigh
All of Us Strangers

Todd Haynes
May December

William Oldroyd
Eileen

Ira Sachs
Passages

Celine Song*
Past Lives*
 
 
BEST SCREENPLAY

David Hemingson
The Holdovers

Cord Jefferson*
American Fiction*

Laura Moss, Brendan J. O’Brien
Birth/Rebirth

Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott
Bottoms

Celine Song
Past Lives
 
 
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik*
May December*

Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt
Theater Camp

Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

Laurel Parmet
The Starling Girl

Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Upon Entry
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Jessica Chastain
Memory

Greta Lee
Past Lives

Trace Lysette
Monica

Natalie Portman
May December

Judy Reyes
Birth/Rebirth

Franz Rogowski
Passages

Andrew Scott
All of Us Strangers

Teyana Taylor
A Thousand and One

Jeffrey Wright*
American Fiction

Teo Yoo
Past Lives
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Erika Alexander
American Fiction

Sterling K. Brown
American Fiction

Noah Galvin
Theater Camp

Anne Hathaway
Eileen

Glenn Howerton
BlackBerry

Marin Ireland
Eileen

Charles Melton
May December

Da’Vine Joy Randolph*
The Holdovers*

Catalina Saavedra
Rotting in the Sun

Ben Whishaw
Passages
 
 
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Marshawn Lynch
Bottoms

Atibon Nazaire
Mountains

Tia Nomore
Earth Mama

Dominic Sessa*
The Holdovers*

Anaita Walizada
Fremont
 
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Katelin Arizmendi
Monica

Eigil Bryld*
The Holdovers*

Jomo Fray
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

Pablo Lozano
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

Pat Scola
We Grown Now
 
 
BEST EDITING

Santiago Cendejas, Gabriel Díaz, Sofía Subercaseaux
Rotting in the Sun

Stephanie Filo
We Grown Now

Daniel Garber*
How to Blow Up a Pipeline*

Jon Philpot
Theater Camp

Emanuele Tiziani
Upon Entry
 
 
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

Showing Up
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Casting Director: Gayle Keller
Ensemble Cast: André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez, Michelle Williams
 
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Bye Bye Tiberias
Director: Lina Soualem
Producer: Jean-Marie Nizan

Four Daughters*
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania*
Producer: Nadim Cheikhrouha*

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Directors/Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
Producer: Tommy Oliver

Kokomo City
Director: D. Smith
Producers: Bill Butler, Harris Doran

The Mother of All Lies
Director/Producer: Asmae El Moudir
 
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Anatomy of a Fall*
France*
Director: Justine Triet*

Godland
Denmark/Iceland
Director: Hlynur Pálmason

Mami Wata
Nigeria
Director: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi

Tótem
Mexico
Director: Lila Avilés

The Zone of Interest
United Kingdom, Poland, USA
Director: Jonathan Glazer
 
 
PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 27th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Rachael Fung

Graham Swon

Monique Walton*
 
 
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 30th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Joanna Arnow
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Laura Moss
Birth/Rebirth

Monica Sorelle*
Mountains*
 
 
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 29th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Set Hernandez*
unseen*

Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
Lakota Nation vs. United States

Sierra Urich
Joonam
 
 
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court
Executive Producers: Vinnie Malhotra, Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, Dawn Porter

Dear Mama*
Executive Producers: Lasse Järvi, Quincy ‘QD3’ Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles D. King, Peter Nelson, Adel ‘Future’ Nur, Jamal Joseph, Ted Skillman, Allen Hughes, Steve Berman, Marc Cimino, Jody Gerson, John Janick, Nicholas Ferrall, Nigel Sinclair*

Murder in Big Horn
Executive Producers: Matthew Galkin, Vinnie Malhotra
Co-Executive Producers: Lisa Kalikow, Joshua Levine

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
Executive Producers: Mindy Goldberg, Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Zach Heinzerling, Krista Parris, Daniel Barban Levin, Felicia Rosario
Co-Executive Producer: Julie Gaither

Wrestlers
Executive Producers: Greg Whiteley, Ryan O’Dowd
Co-Executive Producers: Alejandro Melendez, Adam Leibowitz
 
 
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Beef*
Creator/Executive Producer: Lee Sung Jin
Executive Producers: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Jake Schreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich
Co-Executive Producers: Alice Ju, Carrie Kemper

Dreaming Whilst Black
Creator/Executive Producer: Adjani Salmon
Creators: Maximilian Evans, Natasha Jatania, Laura Seixas
Executive Producers: Tanya Qureshi, Dhanny Joshi, Bal Samra, Thomas Stogdon

I’m a Virgo
Creator/Executive Producer: Boots Riley
Executive Producers: Tze Chun, Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, Jharrel Jerome, Rebecca Rivo
Co-Executive Producers: Marcus Gardley, Carver Karaszewski

Jury Duty
Creators/Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky
Executive Producers: David Bernad, Ruben Fleischer, Nicholas Hatton, Cody Heller, Todd Schulman, Jake Szymanski, Andrew Weinberg

Slip
Creator/Executive Producer: Zoe Lister-Jones
Executive Producers: Ro Donnelly, Dakota Johnson, Katie O’Connell Marsh, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Emma Corrin
A Murder at the End of the World

Dominique Fishback
Swarm

Betty Gilpin
Mrs. Davis

Jharrel Jerome
I’m a Virgo

Zoe Lister-Jones
Slip

Bel Powley
A Small Light

Bella Ramsey
The Last of Us

Ramón Rodríguez
Will Trent

Ali Wong*
Beef

Steven Yeun
Beef
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Murray Bartlett
The Last of Us

Billie Eilish
Swarm

Jack Farthing
Rain Dogs

Nick Offerman*
The Last of Us*

Adina Porter
The Changeling

Lewis Pullman
Lessons in Chemistry

Benny Safdie
The Curse

Luke Tennie
Shrinking

Olivia Washington
I’m a Virgo

Jessica Williams
Shrinking
 
 
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Clark Backo
The Changeling

Aria Mia Loberti
All the Light We Cannot See

Adjani Salmon
Dreaming Whilst Black

Keivonn Montreal Woodard*
The Last of Us*

Kara Young
I’m a Virgo
 
 
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Jury Duty*
Ensemble Cast: Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball, Pramode Kumar, Trisha LaFache, Mekki Leeper, James Marsden, Edy Modica, Kerry O’Neill, Rashida Olayiwola, Whitney Rice, Maria Russell, Ishmel Sahid, Ben Seaward, Ron Song, Evan Williams*

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms, and to foster a culture of inclusion. We support a global community of artists and audiences who embody diversity, innovation, curiosity and uniqueness of vision.

In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. Global Media Makers, a cultural exchange program produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, provides career-building opportunities for international film professionals. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents offers a robust program of unique cinematic experiences, including screenings, conversations, Live Reads and Bring the Noise musical events.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘American Fiction,’ ‘May December,’ ‘Past Lives’ are the top nominees

December 5, 2023

The following is a press release from Film Independent:

Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, announced this morning the nominations for the film and television categories at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Film Independent President Josh Welsh introduced the prerecorded video announcement, which featured guest presenters Joel Kim Booster (2023 Spirit Award nominee for Fire Island) and Natalie Morales (No Hard Feelings). American FictionMay December and Past Lives led the film nominations with five each, while I’m a Virgo and The Last of Us garnered the most nominations in the television categories. Watch the announcement here.

The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards, hosted by Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant, will take place on Sunday, February 25, 2024. The in-person show, held at the beach in Santa Monica, will be streamed live on the IMDb and Film Independent YouTube channels, and across other social platforms. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and celebrate creative independence, diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision in independent film and television.

This year will also pay special tribute to the 30th anniversary of Film Independent’s innovative and influential Artist Development program, which supports creative voices and diverse perspectives in film and television by giving filmmakers the resources they need to advance their projects and build sustainable careers. Artists who have received support from the Artist Development program include Elegance Bratton (The Inspector), Siân Heder (CODA), Justin Simien (Dear White People), Lulu Wang (The Farewell) and Chloé Zhao (Nomadland).

“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees who have benefited from the support of the Artist Development program. We can’t wait to celebrate the incredible work these artists have created and look forward to everything they have in store for us for years to come.”

The 2024 Best Feature nominees include All of Us StrangersAmerican FictionMay DecemberPassagesPast Lives and We Grown NowShowing Up, from director Kelly Reichardt, has been selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon a single film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman, known for populating his films with extraordinary ensemble casts.

On the television side, the 2024 Best New Scripted Series nominees include BeefDreaming Whilst BlackI’m a VirgoJury Duty and Slip. In the Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series category, the nominees are Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme CourtDear MamaMurder in Big HornStolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence and Wrestlers.

New to the television categories is Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series, honoring actors making themselves known to wider audiences through noteworthy character portrayals. The nominees include Clark Backo for The Changeling, Aria Mia Loberti for All the Light We Cannot See, Adjani Salmon for Dreaming Whilst Black, Keivonn Montreal Woodard for The Last of Us and Kara Young for I’m a Virgo.

Among this year’s nominees, ten have been previously supported by Film Independent’s Artist Development programs. They include Maria Altamirano (Best First Feature for All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt), Tze Chun (Best New Scripted Series for I’m a Virgo), Ruben Fleischer (Best New Scripted Series for Jury Duty), Jomo Fray (Best Cinematography for All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt), Raven Jackson (Best First Feature for All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt), Pamela Koffler (Best Feature for May December and Past Lives), Krista Parris (Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series for Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence), Kelly Reichardt (Robert Altman Award for Showing Up), Laura Wagner (John Cassavetes Award for Fremont) and Monique Walton (Producers Award).

This year the Spirit Awards Film Nominating Committees selected nominees from over 27 different countries with budget ranges between $10,000 and $28 million, applying the following guidelines in determining nominees: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter and economy of means. Of all nominated writers, directors, producers and technical artists, 40% are women and 32% are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color). Among the nominated performers, 49% are women and 40% are BIPOC. And of all 2024 nominees, 42% are women and 34% are BIPOC.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 56% female, 3% Nonbinary, 3% Transgender, and 49% BIPOC; 29% identify as LGBTQ+ and 3% identify as people with disabilities (PWD).

Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Principal Sponsor IMDb and Official Sponsors Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and FIJI Water. Easterseals Disability Services is the accessibility partner. Hotel Casa del Mar is an Official Hotel. Getty Images is the Official Photographer. Vision Media is the exclusive screening partner.

Want to vote?

As always, winners are selected by Members of Film Independent. Members must be current as of December 18, 2023 to receive full voting benefits, including access to nominee screeners. To join Film Independent and vote on the Spirit Awards, please visit filmindependent.org/join to Join. Watch. Vote.

To learn more about attending the Spirit Awards and supporting Film Independent’s mission and programs, please contact Jennifer Murby at [email protected].

To learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kate Walker D’Angelo at [email protected].

To learn more about the Spirit Awards eligibility rules and regulations, please visit filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/faq.
 

2024 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

 
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer.)

All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon

Passages
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd

Past Lives
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon

We Grown Now
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
 
 
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Director: Raven Jackson
Producers: Maria Altamirano, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Director: Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Producers: Gewan Brown, Amanda Freedman

Earth Mama
Director/Producer: Savanah Leaf
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Shirley O’Connor, Medb Riordan, Cody Ryder

A Thousand and One
Director: A.V. Rockwell
Producers: Julia Lebedev, Rishi Rajani, Eddie Vaisman, Lena Waithe, Brad Weston

Upon Entry
Directors: Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Producers: Sergio Adrià, Carlos Juárez, Alba Sotorra, Carles Torras, Xosé Zapata
 
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer)

The Artifice Girl
Director/Writer: Franklin Ritch
Producers: Aaron B. Koontz, Ashleigh Snead

Cadejo Blanco
Director/Writer/Producer: Justin Lerner
Producers: Mauricio Escobar, Ryan Friedkin, Jack Patrick Hurley

Fremont
Director/Writer: Babak Jalali
Writer: Carolina Cavalli
Producers: Rachael Fung, Chris Martin, Marjaneh Moghimi, George Rush, Sudnya Shroff, Laura Wagner

Rotting in the Sun
Director/Writer: Sebastián Silva
Writer: Pedro Peirano
Producer: Jacob Wasserman

The Unknown Country
Director/Writer/Producer: Morrisa Maltz
Writer: Lily Gladstone
Writers/Producers: Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, Vanara Taing
Producers: Katherine Harper, Laura Heberton, Tommy Heitkamp
 
 
BEST DIRECTOR

Andrew Haigh
All of Us Strangers

Todd Haynes
May December

William Oldroyd
Eileen

Ira Sachs
Passages

Celine Song
Past Lives
 
 
BEST SCREENPLAY

David Hemingson
The Holdovers

Cord Jefferson
American Fiction

Laura Moss, Brendan J. O’Brien
Birth/Rebirth

Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott
Bottoms

Celine Song
Past Lives
 
 
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik
May December

Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt
Theater Camp

Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

Laurel Parmet
The Starling Girl

Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Upon Entry
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Jessica Chastain
Memory

Greta Lee
Past Lives

Trace Lysette
Monica

Natalie Portman
May December

Judy Reyes
Birth/Rebirth

Franz Rogowski
Passages

Andrew Scott
All of Us Strangers

Teyana Taylor
A Thousand and One

Jeffrey Wright
American Fiction

Teo Yoo
Past Lives
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Erika Alexander
American Fiction

Sterling K. Brown
American Fiction

Noah Galvin
Theater Camp

Anne Hathaway
Eileen

Glenn Howerton
BlackBerry

Marin Ireland
Eileen

Charles Melton
May December

Da’Vine Joy Randolph
The Holdovers

Catalina Saavedra
Rotting in the Sun

Ben Whishaw
Passages
 
 
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Marshawn Lynch
Bottoms

Atibon Nazaire
Mountains

Tia Nomore
Earth Mama

Dominic Sessa
The Holdovers

Anaita Walizada
Fremont
 
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Katelin Arizmendi
Monica

Eigil Bryld
The Holdovers

Jomo Fray
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

Pablo Lozano
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

Pat Scola
We Grown Now
 
 
BEST EDITING

Santiago Cendejas, Gabriel Díaz, Sofía Subercaseaux
Rotting in the Sun

Stephanie Filo
We Grown Now

Daniel Garber
How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Jon Philpot
Theater Camp

Emanuele Tiziani
Upon Entry
 
 
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

Showing Up
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Casting Director: Gayle Keller
Ensemble Cast: André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez, Michelle Williams
 
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Bye Bye Tiberias
Director: Lina Soualem
Producer: Jean-Marie Nizan

Four Daughters
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Producer: Nadim Cheikhrouha

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Directors/Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
Producer: Tommy Oliver

Kokomo City
Director: D. Smith
Producers: Bill Butler, Harris Doran

The Mother of All Lies
Director/Producer: Asmae El Moudir
 
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Anatomy of a Fall
France
Director: Justine Triet

Godland
Denmark/Iceland
Director: Hlynur Pálmason

Mami Wata
Nigeria
Director: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi

Tótem
Mexico
Director: Lila Avilés

The Zone of Interest
United Kingdom, Poland, USA
Director: Jonathan Glazer
 
 
PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 27th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Rachael Fung

Graham Swon

Monique Walton
 
 
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 30th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Joanna Arnow
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Laura Moss
Birth/Rebirth

Monica Sorelle
Mountains
 
 
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 29th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Set Hernandez
unseen

Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
Lakota Nation vs. United States

Sierra Urich
Joonam
 
 
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court
Executive Producers: Vinnie Malhotra, Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, Dawn Porter

Dear Mama
Executive Producers: Lasse Järvi, Quincy ‘QD3’ Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles D. King, Peter Nelson, Adel ‘Future’ Nur, Jamal Joseph, Ted Skillman, Allen Hughes, Steve Berman, Marc Cimino, Jody Gerson, John Janick, Nicholas Ferrall, Nigel Sinclair

Murder in Big Horn
Executive Producers: Matthew Galkin, Vinnie Malhotra
Co-Executive Producers: Lisa Kalikow, Joshua Levine

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
Executive Producers: Mindy Goldberg, Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Zach Heinzerling, Krista Parris, Daniel Barban Levin, Felicia Rosario
Co-Executive Producer: Julie Gaither

Wrestlers
Executive Producers: Greg Whiteley, Ryan O’Dowd
Co-Executive Producers: Alejandro Melendez, Adam Leibowitz
 
 
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Beef
Creator/Executive Producer: Lee Sung Jin
Executive Producers: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Jake Schreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich
Co-Executive Producers: Alice Ju, Carrie Kemper

Dreaming Whilst Black
Creator/Executive Producer: Adjani Salmon
Creators: Maximilian Evans, Natasha Jatania, Laura Seixas
Executive Producers: Tanya Qureshi, Dhanny Joshi, Bal Samra, Thomas Stogdon

I’m a Virgo
Creator/Executive Producer: Boots Riley
Executive Producers: Tze Chun, Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, Jharrel Jerome, Rebecca Rivo
Co-Executive Producers: Marcus Gardley, Carver Karaszewski

Jury Duty
Creators/Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky
Executive Producers: David Bernad, Ruben Fleischer, Nicholas Hatton, Cody Heller, Todd Schulman, Jake Szymanski, Andrew Weinberg

Slip
Creator/Executive Producer: Zoe Lister-Jones
Executive Producers: Ro Donnelly, Dakota Johnson, Katie O’Connell Marsh, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Emma Corrin
A Murder at the End of the World

Dominique Fishback
Swarm

Betty Gilpin
Mrs. Davis

Jharrel Jerome
I’m a Virgo

Zoe Lister-Jones
Slip

Bel Powley
A Small Light

Bella Ramsey
The Last of Us

Ramón Rodríguez
Will Trent

Ali Wong
Beef

Steven Yeun
Beef
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Murray Bartlett
The Last of Us

Billie Eilish
Swarm

Jack Farthing
Rain Dogs

Nick Offerman
The Last of Us

Adina Porter
The Changeling

Lewis Pullman
Lessons in Chemistry

Benny Safdie
The Curse

Luke Tennie
Shrinking

Olivia Washington
I’m a Virgo

Jessica Williams
Shrinking
 
 
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Clark Backo
The Changeling

Aria Mia Loberti
All the Light We Cannot See

Adjani Salmon
Dreaming Whilst Black

Keivonn Montreal Woodard
The Last of Us

Kara Young
I’m a Virgo
 
 
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Jury Duty
Ensemble Cast: Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball, Pramode Kumar, Trisha LaFache, Mekki Leeper, James Marsden, Edy Modica, Kerry O’Neill, Rashida Olayiwola, Whitney Rice, Maria Russell, Ishmel Sahid, Ben Seaward, Ron Song, Evan Williams
 

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms, and to foster a culture of inclusion. We support a global community of artists and audiences who embody diversity, innovation, curiosity and uniqueness of vision.

In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. Global Media Makers, a cultural exchange program produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, provides career-building opportunities for international film professionals. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents offers a robust program of unique cinematic experiences, including screenings, conversations, Live Reads and Bring the Noise musical events.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ is the top winner

March 4, 2023

Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh and James Hong in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (Photo by Allyson Riggs/A24)

With seven awards, including Best Feature, A24’s sci-fi genre-blending “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was the top winner at the 38th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were presented in Santa Monica, California, on March 4, 2023. Hasan Minhaj was the host of the show, which was livestreamed on IMDb’s YouTube channel. Nominees and winners are voted for by members of Film Independent.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominees:

*=winner

2023 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS FILM NOMINATIONS

 
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer.)

Bones and All
Producers: Timothée Chalamet, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Luca Guadagnino, David Kajganich, Lorenzo Mieli, Marco Morabito, Gabriele Moratti, Theresa Park, Peter Spears

Everything Everywhere All At Once*
Producers: Daniel Kwan, Mike Larocca, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang

Our Father, the Devil
Producers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono

Tár
Producers: Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan

Women Talking
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Frances McDormand
 
 
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

Aftersun*
Director: Charlotte Wells
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Emily the Criminal
Director: John Patton Ford
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes

The Inspection
Director: Elegance Bratton
Producers: Effie T. Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon

Murina
Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Producers: Danijel Pek, Rodrigo Teixeira

Palm Trees and Power Lines
Director/Producer: Jamie Dack
Producer: Leah Chen Baker
 
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer.)

The African Desperate
Writer/Director/Producer: Martine Syms
Writer/Producer: Rocket Caleshu
Producer: Vic Brooks

The Cathedral*
Writer/Director: Ricky D’Ambrose
Producer: Graham Swon

Holy Emy
Writer/Director: Araceli Lemos
Writer/Producer: Giulia Caruso
Producers: Mathieu Bompoint, Ki Jin Kim, Konstantinos Vassilaros

A Love Song
Writer/Director/Producer: Max Walker-Silverman
Producers: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey

Something in the Dirt
Writer/Director/Producer: Justin Benson
Director/Producer: Aaron Moorhead
Producer: David Lawson Jr.
 
 
BEST DIRECTOR

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert*
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking

Halina Reijn
Bodies Bodies Bodies
 
 
BEST SCREENPLAY

Lena Dunham
Catherine Called Birdy

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert*
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking
 
 
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joel Kim Booster
Fire Island

Jamie Dack, Audrey Findlay; Story by Jamie Dack
Palm Trees and Power Lines

K.D. Dávila
Emergency

Sarah DeLappe, Story by Kristen Roupenian
Bodies Bodies Bodies

John Patton Ford*
Emily the Criminal
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Cate Blanchett
Tár

Dale Dickey
A Love Song

Mia Goth
Pearl

Regina Hall
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Paul Mescal
Aftersun

Aubrey Plaza
Emily the Criminal

Jeremy Pope
The Inspection

Andrea Riseborough
To Leslie

Taylor Russell
Bones and All

Michelle Yeoh*
Everything Everywhere All At Once
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Jamie Lee Curtis
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Brian Tyree Henry
Causeway

Nina Hoss
Tár

Brian d’Arcy James
The Cathedral

Ke Huy Quan*
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Trevante Rhodes
Bruiser

Theo Rossi
Emily the Criminal

Mark Rylance
Bones and All

Jonathan Tucker
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Gabrielle Union
The Inspection
 
 
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Frankie Corio
Aftersun

Gracija Filipović
Murina

Stephanie Hsu*
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Lily McInerny
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Daniel Zolghadri
Funny Pages
 
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Florian Hoffmeister*
Tár

Hélène Louvart
Murina

Gregory Oke
Aftersun

Eliot Rockett
Pearl

Anisia Uzeyman
Neptune Frost
 
 
BEST EDITING

Ricky D’Ambrose
The Cathedral

Dean Fleischer Camp, Nick Paley
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Blair McClendon
Aftersun

Paul Rogers*
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Monika Willi
Tár
 
 
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

Women Talking
Director: Sarah Polley
Casting Directors: John Buchan, Jason Knight
Ensemble Cast: Shayla Brown, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Kira Guloien, Kate Hallett, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Sheila McCarthy, Frances McDormand, Michelle McLeod, Liv McNeil, Ben Whishaw, August Winter
 
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

All That Breathes
Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen
Producers: Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed*
Director/Producer: Laura Poitras
Producers: Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons

A House Made of Splinters
Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producers: Monica Hellström

Midwives
Director/Producer: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Producers: Mila Aung-Thwin, Ulla Lehmann, Bob Moore

Riotsville, U.S.A.
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot
 
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Corsage
Austria/Luxembourg/France/Belgium/Italy/England
Director: Marie Kreutzer

Joyland*
Pakistan/USA
Director: Saim Sadiq

Leonor Will Never Die
Philippines
Director: Martika Ramirez Escobar

Return to Seoul
Cambodia
Director: Davy Chou

Saint Omer
France
Director: Alice Diop
 
 
PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 26th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Liz Cardenas

Tory Lenosky*

David Grove Churchill Viste
 
 
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 29th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Adamma Ebo
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Nikyatu Jusu*
Nanny

Araceli Lemos
Holy Emy
 
 
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 28th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Isabel Castro
Mija

Reid Davenport*
I Didn’t See You There

Rebeca Huntt
Beba
 

2023 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS TELEVISION NOMINATIONS

 
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Children of the Underground
Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Ted Gesing, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Kate Barry
Co-Executive Producer: Julie Gaither

Mind Over Murder
Executive Producers: Marc Smerling, Nanfu Wang, Max Heckman, Chad Mumm, Mark W. Olsen, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?
Executive Producers: Nick Boak, Andrew Renzi, Andrew D. Corkin, Theo James, Andrew Fried, Jordan Wynn, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma
Co-Executive Producer: Jeremiah Murphy

The Rehearsal*
Creator/Executive Producer: Nathan Fielder
Executive Producers: Dave Paige, Dan McManus, Christie Smith
Co-Executive Producers: Carrie Kemper, Eric Notarnicola

We Need to Talk About Cosby
Executive Producers: W. Kamau Bell, Andrew Fried, Katie A. King, Vinnie Malhotra, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn
Co-Executive Producer: Geraldine L. Porras
 
 
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

The Bear*
Creator/Executive Producer: Christopher Storer
Executive Producers: Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, Hiro Murai
Co-Executive Producer: Rene Gube

Pachinko
Creator/Executive Producer: Soo Hugh
Executive Producers: Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, Theresa Kang-Lowe, Richard Middleton, Justin Chon, Kogonada
Co-Executive Producers: Dani Gorin, Sebastian Lee, David Kim, Ethan Kuperberg

The Porter
Creators/Executive Producers: Marsha Greene, Annmarie Morais, Arnold Pinnock
Creator/Co-Executive Producer: Bruce Ramsay
Creator: Aubrey Nealon
Executive Producers: Ian Dimerman, Jennifer Kawaja, Charles Officer, R.T. Thorne, Aml Ameen, Bruno Dubé, Alfre Woodard, Rose Catherine Pinkney, Devin Griffin
Co-Executive Producers: Elise Cousineau, Andrea Glinski, Steve Cochrane, Daphne Park

Severance
Creator/Executive Producer: Dan Erickson
Executive Producers: Ben Stiller, Nicholas Weinstock, Jackie Cohn, Mark Friedman, Andrew Colville, Chris Black, John Cameron
Co-Executive Producers: Jill Footlick, Kari Drake

Station Eleven
Creator/Executive Producer: Patrick Somerville
Executive Producers: Jessica Rhoades, Scott Steindorff, Dylan Russell, Scott Delman, Jeremy Podeswa, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson
Co-Executive Producers: David Nicksay, Nick Cuse
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Aml Ameen
The Porter

Mohammed Amer
Mo

Quinta Brunson*
Abbott Elementary

Bridget Everett
Somebody Somewhere

KaMillion
Rap Sh!t

Melanie Lynskey
Yellowjackets

Himesh Patel
Station Eleven

Sue Ann Pien
As We See It

Adam Scott
Severance

Ben Whishaw
This Is Going to Hurt
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Danielle Deadwyler
Station Eleven

Ayo Edebiri*
The Bear

Jeff Hiller
Somebody Somewhere

Gbemisola Ikumelo
A League of Their Own

Janelle James
Abbott Elementary

Ebon Moss-Bachrach
The Bear

Frankie Quiñones
This Fool

Sheryl Lee Ralph
Abbott Elementary

Molly Shannon
I Love That For You

Tramell Tillman
Severance
 
 
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Pachinko
Ensemble Cast: Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Inji Jeong, Minha Kim, Kaho Minami, Lee Minho, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Anna Sawai, Jimmi Simpson, Yuh-jung Youn

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.

In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Weekly Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. Global Media Makers, a cultural exchange program produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, provides career-building opportunities for international film professionals. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents delivers monthly, unique cinematic experiences to Members in Los Angeles and beyond.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ is the top nominee

December 13, 2022

Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (Photo by Allyson Riggs/A24)

The following is a combination of press releases from Film Independent:

Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, announced this morning the nominations for the film categories at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Film Independent President Josh Welsh introduced the prerecorded video announcements, which featured guest presenters Raúl Castillo (2019 Spirit Award nominee for We Are Animals), and Taylour Paige (2022 Spirit Award winner for Zola). You can watch the nominations here, which include the previously announced category updates.

“We couldn’t be more honored to celebrate this year’s exciting film nominees,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “As the Film Independent Spirit Awards evolve with our changing industry, including embracing non-gendered categories, we look to these artists to lead us into the future. And as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Artist Development programs, we are incredibly proud to have Film Independent Fellows Siân Heder and Chloé Zhao return as our honorary co-chairs.”

The 2023 Best Feature nominees included Bones and All, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Tár, Women Talking and Our Father, the Devil. Everything Everywhere All At Once led all films with eight total nominations, including Best Director for Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, and acting nominations for stars Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu. Tár received seven nominations including Best Director for Todd Field and acting nominations for Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss.

New to the nominations this year is the Best Breakthrough Performance category, honoring actors making themselves known to wider audiences through noteworthy character portrayals. The nominees include, in addition to Stephanie Hsu, Frankie Corio of Aftersun, Gracija Filipović of Murina, Lily McInerny of Palm Trees and Power Lines and Daniel Zolghadri of Funny Pages.

Also new this year is a switch to gender neutral acting awards, with the separate lead and supporting actor and actress categories being replaced by the ten-nominee Best Lead and Best Supporting Performance awards.

Women Talking, from director Sarah Polley, was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon a single film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman, known for populating his films with extraordinary ensemble casts.

In addition to the film nominees, Academy Award-winning filmmakers and previous Film Independent Fellows Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals) and Siân Heder (Coda, Tallulah) were announced as the honorary co-chairs of the 38th Spirit Awards. Both co-chairs were also recognized at the 2021 Spirit Awards, where Chloé Zhao won Best Director, Best Editing and Best Feature for Nomadland, and Siân Heder was nominated for Best New Scripted Series for Little America. Previous honorary chairs include Kristen Stewart, Shaka King and Ava DuVernay.

Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, announced this morning the television nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Film Independent President Josh Welsh introduced the prerecorded video announcement, which featured guest presenter Asia Kate Dillon (Billions, Orange Is the New Black, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum). You can watch the nomination announcement here, which follows the previously announced film category nominations and includes the newly updated award categories.

The 2023 Best New Scripted Series nominees included The Bear, Pachinko, The Porter, Severance and Station Eleven. Of the scripted series nominees, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Severance and Station Eleven led the way with three nominations each.

In the Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series category, the nominees were made up of Children of the Underground; Mind Over Murder; Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?; The Rehearsal and We Need to Talk About Cosby.

“As the television landscape continues to evolve, and independent artists expand the idea of how stories can be told, we’re proud to be changing with them,” said Josh Welsh, president of Film Independent. “With our new categories and gender-neutral acting awards, we hope to better reflect the diversity of incredible work being created by these talented artists.”

New this year, as with the film nominees, is a switch to gender neutral acting awards, with the best actor and actress categories being replaced by a ten-nominee Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series award. In addition to this change, a Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series award has been added to honor performances outside of the leading roles.

Celebrating creative independence, diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the 38th Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2023. The in-person show, held on the beach in Santa Monica, will be streamed internationally across multiple online and digital platforms. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.

This year the Spirit Awards Television Nominating Committees selected nominees applying the following guidelines: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means. The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of creators, writers, directors, producers, actors, critics, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. Of all nominated television creators, executive producers and co-executive producers, 37% are women and 26% are BIPOC. Of all nominated television performers, 47% are women and 67% are BIPOC. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 50% female, 6% Nonbinary, 3% Transgender, and 61% BIPOC; 32% identify as LGBTQ+ and 8% identify as people with disabilities (PWD).

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by the Official Spirit, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey; Official Water, FIJI Water; and IMDb. The Official Hotel is Hotel Casa del Mar. Getty Images is the Official Photographer.

Celebrating creative independence, diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the 38th Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2023. The in-person show, held on the beach in Santa Monica, will be streamed internationally across multiple online and digital platforms. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.

This year the Spirit Awards Film Nominating Committees selected nominees from over 25 different countries, applying the following guidelines in determining nominees: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means. The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. Of all nominated writers and directors, 61% are women and 34% are BIPOC. Of all nominated actors, 70% are women and 27% are BIPOC. And of all 2023 nominees, 51% are women and 33% are BIPOC. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 50% female, 6% Nonbinary, 3% Transgender, and 61% BIPOC; 32% identify as LGBTQ+ and 8% identify as people with disabilities (PWD).

Spirit Awards nominations in television-specific categories will be announced separately on Tuesday, December 13.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by the Official Spirit, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, and the Official Water, FIJI Water. Getty Images is the Official Photographer.

Want to vote?

As always, winners are selected by Members of Film Independent. Members must be current as of December 20 to receive full voting benefits, including access to nominee screeners. To join Film Independent and vote on the Spirit Awards, please visit filmindependent.org/join.

To learn more about the Spirit Awards eligibility rules and regulations, please visit filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/faq.


2023 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS FILM NOMINATIONS

 
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer.)

Bones and All
Producers: Timothée Chalamet, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Luca Guadagnino, David Kajganich, Lorenzo Mieli, Marco Morabito, Gabriele Moratti, Theresa Park, Peter Spears

Everything Everywhere All At Once
Producers: Daniel Kwan, Mike Larocca, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang

Our Father, the Devil
Producers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono

Tár
Producers: Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan

Women Talking
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Frances McDormand
 
 
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

Aftersun
Director: Charlotte Wells
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Emily the Criminal
Director: John Patton Ford
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes

The Inspection
Director: Elegance Bratton
Producers: Effie T. Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon

Murina
Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Producers: Danijel Pek, Rodrigo Teixeira

Palm Trees and Power Lines
Director/Producer: Jamie Dack
Producer: Leah Chen Baker
 
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer.)

The African Desperate
Writer/Director/Producer: Martine Syms
Writer/Producer: Rocket Caleshu
Producer: Vic Brooks

The Cathedral
Writer/Director: Ricky D’Ambrose
Producer: Graham Swon

Holy Emy
Writer/Director: Araceli Lemos
Writer/Producer: Giulia Caruso
Producers: Mathieu Bompoint, Ki Jin Kim, Konstantinos Vassilaros

A Love Song
Writer/Director/Producer: Max Walker-Silverman
Producers: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey

Something in the Dirt
Writer/Director/Producer: Justin Benson
Director/Producer: Aaron Moorhead
Producer: David Lawson Jr.
 
 
BEST DIRECTOR

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking

Halina Reijn
Bodies Bodies Bodies
 
 
BEST SCREENPLAY

Lena Dunham
Catherine Called Birdy

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking
 
 
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joel Kim Booster
Fire Island

Jamie Dack, Audrey Findlay; Story by Jamie Dack
Palm Trees and Power Lines

K.D. Dávila
Emergency

Sarah DeLappe, Story by Kristen Roupenian
Bodies Bodies Bodies

John Patton Ford
Emily the Criminal
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Cate Blanchett
Tár

Dale Dickey
A Love Song

Mia Goth
Pearl

Regina Hall
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Paul Mescal
Aftersun

Aubrey Plaza
Emily the Criminal

Jeremy Pope
The Inspection

Andrea Riseborough
To Leslie

Taylor Russell
Bones and All

Michelle Yeoh
Everything Everywhere All At Once
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Jamie Lee Curtis
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Brian Tyree Henry
Causeway

Nina Hoss
Tár

Brian d’Arcy James
The Cathedral

Ke Huy Quan
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Trevante Rhodes
Bruiser

Theo Rossi
Emily the Criminal

Mark Rylance
Bones and All

Jonathan Tucker
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Gabrielle Union
The Inspection
 
 
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Frankie Corio
Aftersun

Gracija Filipović
Murina

Stephanie Hsu
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Lily McInerny
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Daniel Zolghadri
Funny Pages
 
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Florian Hoffmeister
Tár

Hélène Louvart
Murina

Gregory Oke
Aftersun

Eliot Rockett
Pearl

Anisia Uzeyman
Neptune Frost
 
 
BEST EDITING

Ricky D’Ambrose
The Cathedral

Dean Fleischer Camp, Nick Paley
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Blair McClendon
Aftersun

Paul Rogers
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Monika Willi
Tár
 
 
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

Women Talking
Director: Sarah Polley
Casting Directors: John Buchan, Jason Knight
Ensemble Cast: Shayla Brown, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Kira Guloien, Kate Hallett, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Sheila McCarthy, Frances McDormand, Michelle McLeod, Liv McNeil, Ben Whishaw, August Winter
 
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

All That Breathes
Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen
Producers: Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Director/Producer: Laura Poitras
Producers: Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons

A House Made of Splinters
Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producers: Monica Hellström

Midwives
Director/Producer: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Producers: Mila Aung-Thwin, Ulla Lehmann, Bob Moore

Riotsville, U.S.A.
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot
 
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Corsage
Austria/Luxembourg/France/Belgium/Italy/England
Director: Marie Kreutzer

Joyland
Pakistan/USA
Director: Saim Sadiq

Leonor Will Never Die
Philippines
Director: Martika Ramirez Escobar

Return to Seoul
Cambodia
Director: Davy Chou

Saint Omer
France
Director: Alice Diop
 
 
PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 26th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Liz Cardenas

Tory Lenosky

David Grove Churchill Viste
 
 
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 29th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Adamma Ebo
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Nikyatu Jusu
Nanny

Araceli Lemos
Holy Emy
 
 
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 28th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Isabel Castro
Mija

Reid Davenport
I Didn’t See You There

Rebeca Huntt
Beba
 

2023 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS TELEVISION NOMINATIONS

 
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Children of the Underground
Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Ted Gesing, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Kate Barry
Co-Executive Producer: Julie Gaither

Mind Over Murder
Executive Producers: Marc Smerling, Nanfu Wang, Max Heckman, Chad Mumm, Mark W. Olsen, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?
Executive Producers: Nick Boak, Andrew Renzi, Andrew D. Corkin, Theo James, Andrew Fried, Jordan Wynn, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma
Co-Executive Producer: Jeremiah Murphy

The Rehearsal
Creator/Executive Producer: Nathan Fielder
Executive Producers: Dave Paige, Dan McManus, Christie Smith
Co-Executive Producers: Carrie Kemper, Eric Notarnicola

We Need to Talk About Cosby
Executive Producers: W. Kamau Bell, Andrew Fried, Katie A. King, Vinnie Malhotra, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn
Co-Executive Producer: Geraldine L. Porras
 
 
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

The Bear
Creator/Executive Producer: Christopher Storer
Executive Producers: Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, Hiro Murai
Co-Executive Producer: Rene Gube

Pachinko
Creator/Executive Producer: Soo Hugh
Executive Producers: Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, Theresa Kang-Lowe, Richard Middleton, Justin Chon, Kogonada
Co-Executive Producers: Dani Gorin, Sebastian Lee, David Kim, Ethan Kuperberg

The Porter
Creators/Executive Producers: Marsha Greene, Annmarie Morais, Arnold Pinnock
Creator/Co-Executive Producer: Bruce Ramsay
Creator: Aubrey Nealon
Executive Producers: Ian Dimerman, Jennifer Kawaja, Charles Officer, R.T. Thorne, Aml Ameen, Bruno Dubé, Alfre Woodard, Rose Catherine Pinkney, Devin Griffin
Co-Executive Producers: Elise Cousineau, Andrea Glinski, Steve Cochrane, Daphne Park

Severance
Creator/Executive Producer: Dan Erickson
Executive Producers: Ben Stiller, Nicholas Weinstock, Jackie Cohn, Mark Friedman, Andrew Colville, Chris Black, John Cameron
Co-Executive Producers: Jill Footlick, Kari Drake

Station Eleven
Creator/Executive Producer: Patrick Somerville
Executive Producers: Jessica Rhoades, Scott Steindorff, Dylan Russell, Scott Delman, Jeremy Podeswa, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson
Co-Executive Producers: David Nicksay, Nick Cuse
 
 
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Aml Ameen
The Porter

Mohammed Amer
Mo

Quinta Brunson
Abbott Elementary

Bridget Everett
Somebody Somewhere

KaMillion
Rap Sh!t

Melanie Lynskey
Yellowjackets

Himesh Patel
Station Eleven

Sue Ann Pien
As We See It

Adam Scott
Severance

Ben Whishaw
This Is Going to Hurt
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Danielle Deadwyler
Station Eleven

Ayo Edebiri
The Bear

Jeff Hiller
Somebody Somewhere

Gbemisola Ikumelo
A League of Their Own

Janelle James
Abbott Elementary

Ebon Moss-Bachrach
The Bear

Frankie Quiñones
This Fool

Sheryl Lee Ralph
Abbott Elementary

Molly Shannon
I Love That For You

Tramell Tillman
Severance
 
 
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Pachinko
Ensemble Cast: Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Inji Jeong, Minha Kim, Kaho Minami, Lee Minho, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Anna Sawai, Jimmi Simpson, Yuh-jung Youn

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.

In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Weekly Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. Global Media Makers, a cultural exchange program produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, provides career-building opportunities for international film professionals. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents delivers monthly, unique cinematic experiences to Members in Los Angeles and beyond.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

2022 Independent Spirit Award: ‘The Lost Daughter’ is the top winner

March 6, 2022

“The Lost Daughter” director/writer/producer Maggie Gyllenhaal at the 27th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, on March 6, 2022. (Photo courtesy of IFC)

With three awards, including Best Feature, the Netflix drama “The Lost Daughter” was the top winner at the 27th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were presented in Santa Monica, California, on March 6, 2022. Husband and wife Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally hosted the show, which was televised in the U.S. on IFC and streamed exclusively on AMC+. Members of Film Independent vote for the awards, which go to movies not released by major movie studios and have production budgets of less than $22.5 million.

“The Lost Daughter” (starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Jessie Buckley) is about a middle-aged British woman (played by Colman) who goes on a vacation in Greece and becomes haunted by memories of how she mothered her daughters when her daughters were children. The movie is based on Elena Ferrante’s 2006 novel of the same name. “The Lost Daughter” screenwriter/director Maggie Gyllenhaal won the Spirit Award for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

A24’s stripper comedy/drama “Zola” went into the ceremony with the most nominations (seven) and ended up winning two Spirit Awards: Best Female Lead (for Taylour Paige) and Best Editing (for Joi McMillon).

Here is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

*=winner

FILM CATEGORIES

 
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

A Chiara
Producers: Jonas Carpignano, Paolo Carpignano, Jon Coplon, Ryan Zacarias

C’mon C’mon
Producers: Chelsea Barnard, Andrea Longacre-White, Lila Yacoub

The Lost Daughter*
Producers: Charles Dorfman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Osnat Handelsman Keren, Talia Kleinhendler

The Novice
Producers: Ryan Hawkins, Kari Hollend, Steven Sims, Zack Zucker

Zola
Producers: Kara Baker, Dave Franco, Elizabeth Haggard, David Hinojosa, Vince Jolivette, Christine Vachon, Gia Walsh
 
 
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

7 Days*
Director: Roshan Sethi
Producers: Liz Cardenas, Mel Eslyn

Holler
Director: Nicole Riegel
Producers: Adam Cobb, Rachel Gould, Katie Mcneill, Jamie Patricof, Christy Spitzer Thornton

Queen of Glory
Director: Nana Mensah
Producers: Baff Akoto, Anya Migdal, Kelley Robins Hicks, Jamund Washington

Test Pattern
Director/Producer: Shatara Michelle Ford
Producers: Pin-Chun Liu, Yu-Hao Su

Wild Indian
Director/Producer: Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr.
Producers: Thomas Mahoney, Eric Tavitian
 
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Cryptozoo
Writer/Director: Dash Shaw
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Kyle Martin, Jane Samborski, Bill Way

Jockey
Writer/Director/Producer: Clint Bentley
Writer/Producer: Greg Kwedar
Producer: Nancy Schafer

Shiva Baby*
Writer/Director/Producer: Emma Seligman
Producers: Kieran Altmann, Katie Schiller, Lizzie Shapiro

Sweet Thing
Writer/Director: Alexandre Rockwell
Producers: Louis Anania, Haley Anderson, Kenan Baysal

This is Not a War Story
Writer/Director/Producer: Talia Lugacy
Producers: Noah Lang, Julian West
 
 
BEST DIRECTOR

Janicza Bravo
Zola

Maggie Gyllenhaal*
The Lost Daughter

Lauren Hadaway
The Novice

Mike Mills
C’mon C’mon

Ninja Thyberg
Pleasure
 
 
BEST SCREENPLAY

Nikole Beckwith
Together Together

Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris
Zola

Maggie Gyllenhaal*
The Lost Daughter

Mike Mills
C’mon C’mon

Todd Stephens
Swan Song
 
 
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr.
Wild Indian

Matt Fifer; Story by Sheldon D. Brown
Cicada

Shatara Michelle Ford
Test Pattern

Fran Kranz
Mass

Michael Sarnoski; Story by Vanessa Block, Michael Sarnoski
Pig

 
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Ante Cheng, Matthew Chuang
Blue Bayou

Lol Crawley
The Humans

Tim Curtin
A Chiara

Edu Grau*
Passing*

Ari Wegner
Zola
 
 
BEST EDITING

Affonso Gonçalves
A Chiara

Ali Greer
The Nowhere Inn

Lauren Hadaway, Nathan Nugent
The Novice

Joi McMillon*
Zola

Enrico Natale
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
 
 
BEST FEMALE LEAD

Isabelle Fuhrman
The Novice

Brittany S. Hall
Test Pattern

Patti Harrison
Together Together

Taylour Paige*
Zola

Kali Reis
Catch the Fair One
 
 
BEST MALE LEAD

Clifton Collins Jr.
Jockey

Frankie Faison
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Michael Greyeyes
Wild Indian

Udo Kier
Swan Song

Simon Rex*
Red Rocket
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Jessie Buckley
The Lost Daughter

Amy Forsyth
The Novice

Ruth Negga*
Passing

Revika Reustle
Pleasure

Suzanna Son
Red Rocket
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Colman Domingo
Zola

Meeko Gattuso
Queen of Glory

Troy Kotsur*
CODA

Will Patton
Sweet Thing

Chaske Spencer
Wild Indian
 
 
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

Mass
Director: Fran Kranz
Casting Directors: Henry Russell Bergstein, Allison Estrin
Ensemble Cast: Kagen Albright, Reed Birney, Michelle N. Carter, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Breeda Wool
 
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Ascension
Director/Producer: Jessica Kingdon
Producers: Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell

Flee
Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Producers: Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen

In the Same Breath
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
Producers: Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn, Jialing Zhang

Procession
Director: Robert Greene
Producers: Susan Bedusa, Bennett Elliott, Douglas Tirola

Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)*
Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Producers: David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel

 
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Compartment No. 6
Finland/Russia
Director: Juho Kuosmanen

Drive My Car*
Japan
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Parallel Mothers
Spain
Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Pebbles
India
Director: P S Vinothraj

Petite Maman
France
Director: Céline Sciamma

Prayers for the Stolen
Mexico
Director: Tatiana Huezo
 
 
PRODUCERS AWARD – The Producers Award, now in its 24th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Brad Becker-Parton

Pin-Chun Liu

Lizzie Shapiro*
 
 
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 27th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Alex Camilleri*
Director of Luzzu

Gillian Wallace Horvat
Director of I Blame Society

Michael Sarnoski
Director of Pig
 
 
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 26th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Jessica Beshir*
Director of Faya Dayi

Debbie Lum
Director of Try Harder!

Angelo Madsen Minax
Director of North By Current
 

TELEVISON CATEGORIES

 
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Black and Missing*
Series By/Executive Producers: Soledad O’Brien, Geeta Gandbhir
Executive Producers: Jo Honig, Patrick Conway, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

The Choe Show
Creator/Exec Producer: David Choe
Executive Producers: Matt Revelli, Christopher C. Chen, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson

The Lady and The Dale
Executive Producers: Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Allen Bain, Andre Gaines, Nick Cammilleri, Alana Carithers, Zackary Drucker, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller

Nuclear Family
Series By: Ry Russo-Young
Executive Producers: Liz Garbus, Julie Gaither, Jon Bardin, Leah Holzer, Peter Saraf, Alex Turtletaub, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Lauren Haber, Maria Zuckerman, Christine Connor, Ryan Heller, Barbara Dobkin, Eric Dobkin, Andrea Van Beuren, Joe Landauer

Philly D.A.
Creators: Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicole Salazar
Produced By: Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
Executive Producers: Dawn Porter, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Ryan Chanatry, Gena Konstantinakos, Jeff Seelbach, Patty Quillin
Co-Executive Producers: Nion McEvoy, Leslie Berriman
 
 
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Blindspotting
Creators/Executive Producers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs
Executive Producers: Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Ken Lee, Tim Palen, Emily Gerson Saines, Seith Mann

It’s a Sin
Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Peter Hoar, Nicola Shindler

Reservation Dogs*
Creators/Executive Producers: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi
Executive Producer: Garrett Basch

The Underground Railroad
Creator/Executive Producer: Barry Jenkins
Executive Producers: Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Colson Whitehead, Richard Heus, Jacqueline Hoyt

We Are Lady Parts
Creator: Nida Manzoor
Executive Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Surian Fletcher-Jones, Mark Freeland
 
 
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Thuso Mbedu*
The Underground Railroad

Anjana Vasan
We Are Lady Parts

Jana Schmieding
Rutherford Falls

Jasmine Cephas Jones
Blindspotting

Deborah Ayorinde
THEM: Covenant
 
 
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Lee Jung-jae*
Squid Game

Olly Alexander
It’s a Sin

Michael Greyeyes
Rutherford Falls

Murray Bartlett
The White Lotus

Ashley Thomas
THEM: Covenant
 
 
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Reservation Dogs
Ensemble Cast: Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Paulina Alexis, Sarah Podemski, Zahn McClarnon, Lil Mike, FunnyBone

2022 Film Indepedent Spirit Awards: ‘Zola’ is the top nominee

December 14, 2021

Nicholas Braun, Riley Keough, Taylour Paige and Colman Domingo in “Zola” (Photo courtesy of A24)

The following is a press release from Film Independent:

Film Independent has announced nominations for the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Film Independent President Josh Welsh introduced the prerecorded video announcements, which featured guest presenters Beanie Feldstein (The HumansImpeachment: American Crime Story), Regina Hall (Nine Perfect StrangersGirls Trip) and Naomi Watts (Penguin Bloom, upcoming The Watcher). Watch here: bit.ly/spiritawards2022 (case sensitive).

Best Feature nominees include A ChiaraC’mon C’monThe Lost DaughterThe Novice and Zola. [Editor’s note: Zola is the top nominee, with seven nods.] Also announced, for the second year, were the nominees of five TV awards. Nominees in the Best New Scripted Series category include BlindspottingIt’s a SinReservation DogsThe Underground Railroad and We Are Lady Parts.

Mass was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts.

Celebrating creative independence, original, provocative subject matter, diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on Sunday, March 6, 2022, positioning it squarely in the corridor leading into Oscar voting. Returning to its home on the Santa Monica beach, the in-person show will be broadcast exclusively on IFC. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for the nonprofit Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.

“Congratulations to this year’s nominees – visual storytellers who have made the most original, daring and provocative film and television shows of the year,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “The Spirit Awards once again plants its flag on the beach at Santa Monica, and on IFC. We’re thrilled to be back and celebrating art that continues to inspire, enlighten and entertain us.”

Blake Callaway, GM of IFC, said, “The Spirit Awards is a standout event in any year. After being away for more than a year, IFC is ready to bring audiences back to the beach celebrating the best of film and television.”

This year the Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from over 15 different countries, applying the following guidelines in determining nominees: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means. The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. Of all nominated writers and directors, 44% are women and 38% are BIPOC. Of all nominated actors, 60% are BIPOC. And of all 2022 nominees, 46% are women and 32% are BIPOC. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 63% women, 5% Nonbinary and 56% BIPOC.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Premier Sponsor IFC; Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and Seedlip, the Official Spirits; and FIJI Water, the Official Water.

Want to vote? As always, winners are selected by Members of Film Independent. Members must be current by December 21 to receive full voting benefits, including access to nominee screeners. To join Film Independent and vote on the Spirit Awards, please visit filmindependent.org/join.

To learn more about supporting Film Independent’s mission and programs, contact Kate Walker D’Angelo at [email protected].

To learn more about the Spirit Awards eligibility rules and regulations please visit filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/faq.
 

2022 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

FILM CATEGORIES

 
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

A Chiara
Producers: Jonas Carpignano, Paolo Carpignano, Jon Coplon, Ryan Zacarias

C’mon C’mon
Producers: Chelsea Barnard, Andrea Longacre-White, Lila Yacoub

The Lost Daughter
Producers: Charles Dorfman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Osnat Handelsman Keren, Talia Kleinhendler

The Novice
Producers: Ryan Hawkins, Kari Hollend, Steven Sims, Zack Zucker

Zola
Producers: Kara Baker, Dave Franco, Elizabeth Haggard, David Hinojosa, Vince Jolivette, Christine Vachon, Gia Walsh
 
 
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

7 Days
Director: Roshan Sethi
Producers: Liz Cardenas, Mel Eslyn

Holler
Director: Nicole Riegel
Producers: Adam Cobb, Rachel Gould, Katie Mcneill, Jamie Patricof, Christy Spitzer Thornton

Queen of Glory
Director: Nana Mensah
Producers: Baff Akoto, Anya Migdal, Kelley Robins Hicks, Jamund Washington

Test Pattern
Director/Producer: Shatara Michelle Ford
Producers: Pin-Chun Liu, Yu-Hao Su

Wild Indian
Director/Producer: Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr.
Producers: Thomas Mahoney, Eric Tavitian
 
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Cryptozoo
Writer/Director: Dash Shaw
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Kyle Martin, Jane Samborski, Bill Way

Jockey
Writer/Director/Producer: Clint Bentley
Writer/Producer: Greg Kwedar
Producer: Nancy Schafer

Shiva Baby
Writer/Director/Producer: Emma Seligman
Producers: Kieran Altmann, Katie Schiller, Lizzie Shapiro

Sweet Thing
Writer/Director: Alexandre Rockwell
Producers: Louis Anania, Haley Anderson, Kenan Baysal

This is Not a War Story
Writer/Director/Producer: Talia Lugacy
Producers: Noah Lang, Julian West
 
 
BEST DIRECTOR

Janicza Bravo
Zola

Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Lost Daughter

Lauren Hadaway
The Novice

Mike Mills
C’mon C’mon

Ninja Thyberg
Pleasure
 
 
BEST SCREENPLAY

Nikole Beckwith
Together Together

Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris
Zola

Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Lost Daughter

Mike Mills
C’mon C’mon

Todd Stephens
Swan Song
 
 
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr.
Wild Indian

Matt Fifer; Story by Sheldon D. Brown
Cicada

Shatara Michelle Ford
Test Pattern

Fran Kranz
Mass

Michael Sarnoski; Story by Vanessa Block, Michael Sarnoski
Pig
 
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Ante Cheng, Matthew Chuang
Blue Bayou

Lol Crawley
The Humans

Tim Curtin
A Chiara

Edu Grau
Passing

Ari Wegner
Zola
 
 
BEST EDITING

Affonso Gonçalves
A Chiara

Ali Greer
The Nowhere Inn

Lauren Hadaway, Nathan Nugent
The Novice

Joi McMillon
Zola

Enrico Natale
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
 
 
BEST FEMALE LEAD

Isabelle Fuhrman
The Novice

Brittany S. Hall
Test Pattern

Patti Harrison
Together Together

Taylour Paige
Zola

Kali Reis
Catch the Fair One
 
 
BEST MALE LEAD

Clifton Collins Jr.
Jockey

Frankie Faison
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Michael Greyeyes
Wild Indian

Udo Kier
Swan Song

Simon Rex
Red Rocket
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Jessie Buckley
The Lost Daughter

Amy Forsyth
The Novice

Ruth Negga
Passing

Revika Reustle
Pleasure

Suzanna Son
Red Rocket
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Colman Domingo
Zola

Meeko Gattuso
Queen of Glory

Troy Kotsur
CODA

Will Patton
Sweet Thing

Chaske Spencer
Wild Indian
 
 
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

Mass
Director: Fran Kranz
Casting Directors: Henry Russell Bergstein, Allison Estrin
Ensemble Cast: Kagen Albright, Reed Birney, Michelle N. Carter, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Breeda Wool
 
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Ascension
Director/Producer: Jessica Kingdon
Producers: Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell

Flee
Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Producers: Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen

In the Same Breath
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
Producers: Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn, Jialing Zhang

Procession
Director: Robert Greene
Producers: Susan Bedusa, Bennett Elliott, Douglas Tirola

Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Producers: David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel
 
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Compartment No. 6
Finland/Russia
Director: Juho Kuosmanen

Drive My Car
Japan
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Parallel Mothers
Spain
Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Pebbles
India
Director: P S Vinothraj

Petite Maman
France
Director: Céline Sciamma

Prayers for the Stolen
Mexico
Director: Tatiana Huezo
 
 
PRODUCERS AWARD – The Producers Award, now in its 24th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Brad Becker-Parton

Pin-Chun Liu

Lizzie Shapiro
 
 
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 27th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Alex Camilleri
Director of Luzzu

Gillian Wallace Horvat
Director of I Blame Society

Michael Sarnoski
Director of Pig
 
 
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 26th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Jessica Beshir
Director of Faya Dayi

Debbie Lum
Director of Try Harder!

Angelo Madsen Minax
Director of North By Current
 

TELEVISON CATEGORIES

 
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Black and Missing
Series By/Executive Producers: Soledad O’Brien, Geeta Gandbhir
Executive Producers: Jo Honig, Patrick Conway, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

The Choe Show
Creator/Exec Producer: David Choe
Executive Producers: Matt Revelli, Christopher C. Chen, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson

The Lady and The Dale
Executive Producers: Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Allen Bain, Andre Gaines, Nick Cammilleri, Alana Carithers, Zackary Drucker, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller

Nuclear Family
Series By: Ry Russo-Young
Executive Producers: Liz Garbus, Julie Gaither, Jon Bardin, Leah Holzer, Peter Saraf, Alex Turtletaub, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Lauren Haber, Maria Zuckerman, Christine Connor, Ryan Heller, Barbara Dobkin, Eric Dobkin, Andrea Van Beuren, Joe Landauer

Philly D.A.
Creators: Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicole Salazar
Produced By: Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
Executive Producers: Dawn Porter, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Ryan Chanatry, Gena Konstantinakos, Jeff Seelbach, Patty Quillin
Co-Executive Producers: Nion McEvoy, Leslie Berriman
 
 
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Blindspotting
Creators/Executive Producers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs
Executive Producers: Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Ken Lee, Tim Palen, Emily Gerson Saines, Seith Mann

It’s a Sin
Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Peter Hoar, Nicola Shindler

Reservation Dogs
Creators/Executive Producers: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi
Executive Producer: Garrett Basch

The Underground Railroad
Creator/Executive Producer: Barry Jenkins
Executive Producers: Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Colson Whitehead, Richard Heus, Jacqueline Hoyt

We Are Lady Parts
Creator: Nida Manzoor
Executive Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Surian Fletcher-Jones, Mark Freeland
 
 
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Thuso Mbedu
The Underground Railroad

Anjana Vasan
We Are Lady Parts

Jana Schmieding
Rutherford Falls

Jasmine Cephas Jones
Blindspotting

Deborah Ayorinde
THEM: Covenant
 
 
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Lee Jung-jae
Squid Game

Olly Alexander
It’s a Sin

Michael Greyeyes
Rutherford Falls

Murray Bartlett
The White Lotus

Ashley Thomas
THEM: Covenant
 
 
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Reservation Dogs
Ensemble Cast: Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Paulina Alexis, Sarah Podemski, Zahn McClarnon, Lil Mike, FunnyBone

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In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Weekly Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. Global Media Makers, a cultural exchange program produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, provides career-building opportunities for international film professionals. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents delivers monthly, unique cinematic experiences to Members in Los Angeles and beyond.
 

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2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ is the top nominee

January 26, 2021

by Carla Hay

With seven nods, including Best Feature, the abortion drama “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” is the top nominee for the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards. For the first time, the Spirit Awards show will not be held the day before the Academy Awards. Instead, the Spirit Awards ceremony will take place on April 22, with a live telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on IFC and AMC+. The 2021 Academy Awards will take place on April 25. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both ceremonies are expected to be mostly virtual. Also for the first time, there are television categories at the Spirit Awards. The Netflix limited drama series “Unorthodox” and the Apple TV+ docudrama series “Little America” lead the way in these TV categories, with three nominations each.

Eligible movies were those released in 2020 that had a production budget of no more than $22.5 million. Therefore, several critically acclaimed 2020 movies with budgets higher than $22.5 million were not eligible, including the Netflix films “Da 5 Bloods,””Mank” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

As for what defines an “independent” TV show for the Spirit Awards, Film Independent president John Welsh told Variety in a September 2020 interview that it would depend on a TV show’s “aesthetic, original provocative subject matter, unique voice and diversity. The types of work that we celebrate on the film side, and TV side, they’re going to look very similar. … Somehow these singular voices are finding their way into television and making a mark on the culture. We are remiss if we don’t celebrate that.”

Here is the complete list of nominees for the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

First Cow

Producers: Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington, Dany Wolf

Minari

Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh

 Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Producers: Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski

 Nomadland

Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

I Carry You With Me

Director/Producer: Heidi Ewing

Producers: Edher Campos, Mynette Louie, Gabriela Maire

The Forty-Year-Old Version

Director/Producer: Radha Blank

Producers: Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jordan Fudge, Rishi Rajani, Jennifer Semler, Lena Waithe

Miss Juneteenth

Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples

Producers: Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Jeanie Igoe, James M. Johnston, Theresa Steele Page, Neil Creque Williams

Nine Days

Director: Edson Oda

Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Matthew Linder, Laura Tunstall, Datari Turner

Sound of Metal

Director: Darius Marder

Producers: Bill Benz, Kathy Benz, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

The Killing of Two Lovers

Writer/Director/Producer: Robert Machoian

Producers: Scott Christopherson, Clayne Crawford

La Leyenda Negra

Writer/Director: Patricia Vidal Delgado

Producers: Alicia Herder, Marcel Perez

Lingua Franca

Writer/Director/Producer: Isabel Sandoval

Producers: Darlene Catly Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo

Residue

Writer/Director: Merawi Gerima

Saint Frances

Director/Producer: Alex Thompson

Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan

Producers: James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Raphael Nash, Roger Welp

BEST DIRECTOR

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari

Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Kelly Reichardt, First Cow

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST SCREENPLAY

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari

Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Mike Makowsky, Bad Education

Alice Wu, The Half of It

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Kitty Green, The Assistant

Noah Hutton, Lapsis

Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth

Andy Siara, Palm Springs

James Sweeney, Straight Up

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Jay Keitel, She Dies Tomorrow

Shabier Kirchner, Bull

Michael Latham, The Assistant

Hélène Louvart, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Joshua James Richards, Nomadland

BEST EDITING

Andy Canny, The Invisible Man

Scott Cummings, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Merawi Gerima, Residue

Enat Sidi, I Carry You With Me

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth

Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Julia Garner, The Assistant

Frances McDormand, Nomadland

Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

BEST MALE LEAD

Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Adarsh Gourav, The White Tiger

Rob Morgan, Bull

Steven Yeun, Minari

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Alexis Chikaeze, Miss Juneteenth

Yeri Han, Minari

Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit

Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Yuh-jung Youn, Minari

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Orion Lee, First Cow

Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

Glynn Turman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Benedict Wong, Nine Days

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

One Night in Miami…

Director: Regina King

Casting Directors: Kimberly R. Hardin

Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

BEST DOCUMENTARY(Award given to the director and producer)

Collective

Director/Producer: Alexander Nanau

Producers: Hanka Kastelicová, Bernard Michaux, Bianca Oana

Crip Camp

Directors/Producers: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham

Producer: Sara Bolder

Dick Johnson is Dead

Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson

Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness

The Mole Agent

Director: Maite Alberdi

Producer: Marcela Santibáñez

Time

Director/Producer: Garrett Bradley

Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Bacurau

Brazil

Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho

The Disciple

India

Director: Chaitanya Tamhane

Night of the Kings

Ivory Coast

Director: Philippe Lacôte

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time

Hungary

Director: Lili Horvát

Quo Vadis, Aida?

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Director: Jasmila Žbanić

PRODUCERS AWARD – The Producers Award, now in its 24th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Kara Durrett

Lucas Joaquin

Gerry Kim

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 27th year,  recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

David Midell

Director of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Ekwa Msangi

Director of Farewell Amor

Annie Silverstein

Director of Bull

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 26th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Cecilia Aldarondo

Director of Landfall

Elegance Bratton

Director of Pier Kids

Elizabeth Lo

Director of Stray

TV CATEGORIES

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children

Executive Producers: Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett, Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius

City So Real

Produced by: Zak Piper, Steve James

Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, Jolene Pinder

Immigration Nation

Executive Producers: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson

Co-Executive Producers: Andrey Alistratov, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber

Love Fraud

Executive Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing, Amy Goodman Kass, Vinnie Malhotra, Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman

We’re Here

Creators/Executive Producers: Stephen Warren, Johnnie Ingram

Executive Producers: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Peter LoGreco

Co-Executive Producers: Erin Haglund, Sabrina Mar

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

I May Destroy You

Creator/Executive Producer: Michaela Coel

Executive Producers: Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni

Little America

Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Joshuah Bearman, Joshua Davis, Arthur Spector, Alan Yang, Siân Heder, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon

Small Axe

Executive Producers: Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner, Steve McQueen

A Teacher

Creator/Executive Producer: Hanna Fidell

Executive Producers: Michael Costigan, Kate Mara, Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst

Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski

Unorthodox

Creator/Executive Producer: Anna Winger

Creator: Alexa Karolinski

Executive Producer: Henning Kamm

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Elle Fanning, The Great

Shira Haas, Unorthodox

Abby McEnany, Work in Progress

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Never Have I Ever

Jordan Kristine Seamón, We Are Who We Are

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Conphidance, Little America

Adam Ali, Little America

Nicco Annan, P-Valley

Amit Rahav, Unorthodox

Harold Torres, Zero, Zero, Zero

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

I May Destroy You

Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Wruche Opia, Stephen Wight

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