Nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards have just been announced, and we’re beginning to see a pattern in the tea leaves. The best feature nominees echo the Gotham Awards nominations, except replace The Weinstein Company’s The Master with Music Box Films’ Keep the Lights On.
The winners will be announced at their live telecast on IFC Feb. 23, the day before the Oscars telecast on ABC.
David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook is tied with Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom for five nominations. Russell’s film received nominations for film, director, and leads Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Anderson’s film is in the running, as we mentioned, for best feature, screenplay, Bruce Willis in a supporting role, and Robert Yeoman’s cinematography.
Beasts of the Southern Wild, courtesy of Fox Searchlight, is nominated for best feature, director, for adorable child star Quvenzhane Wallis, and for cinematographer Ben Richardson.
Tied with four nominations each is Keep the Lights On, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere.
Female leads are a strong field with Emayatzy Corinealdi, who won in that category last night for Middle of Nowhere, and a terrific Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who starred in Smashed. Linda Cardellini is also in the running with Return, a little-seen film about a female soldier who returns from duty and struggles to find her place in everyday life.
Best male lead has six nominees, with Jack Black (Bernie), which should insure a fun evening, Cooper, John Hawkes (The Sessions), Thure Lindhardt (Keep the Lights On), and Wendell Pierce (Four). Matthew McConaughey, who is having a very busy year, has been nominated twice, for best male lead for the bloody Killer Joe and he is also nominated in the supporting category for his performance as a stripper in Magic Mike.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards honors films ” made with an economy of means” (think cheap) – ” by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience. ”
Awards are given in these categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award.
The Filmmaker Grants include the Piaget Producers Award, Someone to Watch Award, Stella Artois Truer Than Fiction Award and Jameson FIND Your Audience Award.
Here’s the complete list of 28th annual Film Independent Spirit Award nominees:
BEST FEATURE
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Bernie”
“Keep the Lights On”
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, “Moonrise Kingdom”
Julia Loktev, “The Loneliest Planet”
David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Ira Sachs, “Keep the Lights On”
Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
BEST SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, “Moonrise Kingdom”
Zoe Kazan, “Ruby Sparks”
Martin McDonagh, “Seven Psychopaths”
David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Ira Sachs, “Keep the Lights On”
BEST FIRST FEATURE
“Fill the Void”
“Gimme the Loot”
“Safety Not Guaranteed”
“Sound of My Voice”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Rama Burshtein, “Fill the Void”
Derek Connolly, “Safety Not Guaranteed”
Christopher Ford, “Robot & Frank”
Rashida Jones & Will McCormack, “Celeste and Jesse Forever”
Jonathan Lisecki, “Gayby”
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
“Breakfast with Curtis,” writer-director-producer: Laura Colella
“Middle of Nowhere,” writer-director-producer: Ava DuVernay; producers: Howard Barish, Paul Garnes,
“Mosquita y Mari,” writer-director: Aurora Guerrero; producer: Chad Burris
“Starlet,” writerdirector: Sean Baker; producers: Blake Ashman-Kipervaser, Kevin Chinoy, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Francesca Silvestri
“The Color Wheel,” writer-director-producer: Alex Ross Perry; writer: Carlen Altman
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Linda Cardellini, “Return”
Emayatzy Corinealdi, “Middle of Nowhere”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Quvenzhané Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, “Smashed”
BEST MALE LEAD
Jack Black, “Bernie”
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
John Hawkes, “The Sessions”
Thure Lindhardt, “Keep the Lights On”
Matthew McConaughey, “Killer Joe”
Wendell Pierce, “Four”
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Sam Rockwell, “Seven Psychopaths”
Michael Pena, “End of Watch”
Bruce Willis, “Moonrise Kingdom”
David Oyelowo, “Middle of Nowhere”
Matthew McConaughey, “Magic Mike”
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Rosemarie DeWitt, “Your Sister’s Sister”
Ann Dowd, “Compliance”
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Brit Marling, “Sound of My Voice”
Lorraine Toussaint, “Middle of Nowhere”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Yoni Brook, “Valley of Saints”
Lol Crawley, “Here”
Ben Richardson, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Roman Vasyanov, “End of Watch”
Robert Yeoman, “Moonrise Kingdom”
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“How to Survive a Plague,” director: David France; producers: David France, Howard Gertler
“Marina Abramoviæ: The Artist is Present,” director: Matthew Akers; producers: Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre
“The Central Park Five,” directors-producers: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
“The Invisible War,” director: Kirby Dick; producers: Tanner King Barklow, Amy Ziering
“The Waiting Room,” director-producer: Peter Nicks; producers: Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
“Amour”
“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia”
“Rust and Bone”
“Sister”
“War Witch”
16th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
This award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
“Nobody Walks,” producer: Alicia Van Couvering
“Prince Avalanche,” producer: Derrick Tseng
“Stones in the Sun,” producer: Mynette Louie
19th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
This award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
“Pincus,” director: David Fenster
“Gimme the Loot,” director: Adam Leon
“Electrick Children,” director: Rebecca Thomas
18th ANNUAL STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
This award is presented to an emerging director of nonfiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
“Leviathan,” directors: Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel
“The Waiting Room,” director: Peter Nicks
“Only the Young,” director: Jason Tippet & Elizabeth Mims
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