Wouldn’t you know it, the Film Independent Spirit Awards are back. Believe it or not: the current year’s event perceiving the best in indie film denotes the honors’ 35th commemoration.
Initially started as an easygoing industry lunch get-together tucked into the lounge area of a little West Hollywood diner, the Spirit Awards have consistently rose in noticeable quality and eminence, developing to its present state—to a more pleasant lunch inside a tent a couple of miles West, in Santa Monica.
The Spirit Awards are, actually, phenomenally one of a kind among Hollywood entertainment pageants—a throughout the day festivity of indie film in astonishing area that goes about as the essentially pledge drive for Film Independent’s all year schedule of occasions, global projects, producer instruction and craftsman programs.
Of course, a few things never show signs of change—like the way that Spirit Award victors are decided on solely by Film Independent Members. Join by Dec 5 to get screeners and full Spirit Award Member benefits. What’s more, as of early today, you have some additional motivating force…
The 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award candidates were reported, November 21, at The LINE LA in Los Angeles—displayed by Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Joker) and Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll) and perceiving one more gigantic gathering of free storytellers. The 2020 Spirit Awards occur February 8, 2020, communicate live on IFC. Phew! So here are this year’s candidates
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer)
A HIDDEN LIFE
Producers: Elisabeth Bentley, Dario Bergesio, Grant Hill, Josh Jeter
CLEMENCY
Producers: Timur Bekbosunov, Julian Cautherley, Bronwyn Cornelius, Peter Wong
THE FAREWELL
Producers: Anita Gou, Daniele Melia, Andrew Miano, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Lulu Wang, Chris Weitz, Jane Zheng
MARRIAGE STORY
Producers: Noah Baumbach, David Heyman
UNCUT GEMS
Producers: Eli Bush, Sebastian Bear McClard, Scott Rudin
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)
BOOKSMART
Director: Olivia Wilde
Producers: Chelsea Barnard, David Distenfeld, Jessica Elbaum, Megan Ellison, Katie Silberman
THE CLIMB
Director: Michael Angelo Covino
Producers: Noah Lang, Kyle Marvin
DIANE
Director: Kent Jones
Producers: Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Caroline Kaplan, Oren Moverman
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Director/Producer: Joe Talbot
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Khaliah Neal, Christina Oh
THE MUSTANG
Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
Producer: Ilan Goldman
SEE YOU YESTERDAY
Director: Stefon Bristol
Producer: Spike Lee
BEST DIRECTOR
Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse
Alma Har’el, Honey Boy
Julius Onah, Luce
Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems
Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers
BEST SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Jason Begue, Shawn Snyder, To Dust
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems
Chinonye Chukwu, Clemency
Tarell Alvin McCraney, High Flying Bird
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Fredrica Bailey, Stefon Bristol, See You Yesterday
Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, Driveways
Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down
Jocelyn Deboer, Dawn Luebbe, Greener Grass
James Montague, Craig W. Sanger, The Vast of Night
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director and producer)
BURNING CANE
Writer/Director/Producer: Phillip Youmans
Producers: Ojo Akinlana, Jakob Johnson, Karen Kaia Livers, Mose Mayer,
Wendell Pierce, Isaac Web, Cassandra Youmans
COLEWELL
Writer/Director: Tom Quinn
Producers: Joshua Blum, Alexandra Byer, Craig Shilowich, Matthew Thurm
GIVE ME LIBERTY
Writer/Director/Producer: Kirill Mikhanovsky
Writer/Producer: Alice Austen
Producers: Val Abel, Wally Hall, Michael Manasseri, George Rush, Sergey
Shtern
PREMATURE
Writer/Director/Producer: Rashaad Ernesto Green
Writer: Zora Howard
Producers: Darren Dean, Joy Ganes
WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY
Writer/Director/Producer: Madeleine Olnek
Producers: Anna Margarita Albelo, Casper Andreas, Max Rifkind-Barron
BEST MALE LEAD
Chris Galust, Give Me Liberty
Kelvin Harrison Jr., Luce
Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Matthias Schoenaerts, The Mustang
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Karen Allen, Colewell
Hong Chau, Driveways
Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell
Mary Kay Place, Diane
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Alfre Woodard, Clemency
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
Noah Jupe, Honey Boy
Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Wendell Pierce, Burning Cane
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Taylor Russell, Waves
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell
Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, Give Me Liberty
Octavia Spencer, Luce
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Todd Banhazl, Hustlers
Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
Natasha Braier, Honey Boy
Chananun Chotrungroj, The Third Wife
Pawel Pogorzelski, Midsommer
BEST EDITING
Julie Béziau, The Third Wife
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems
Tyler L. Cook, Sword of Trust
Louise Ford, The Lighthouse
Kirill Mikhanovsky, Give Me Liberty
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
INVISIBLE LIFE (Brazil)
Director: Karim Aïnouz
LES MISÉRABLES (France)
Director: Ladj Ly
PARASITE (South Korea)
Director: Bong Joon-ho
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (France)
Director: Céline Sciamma
RETABLO (Peru)
Director: Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio L.
THE SOUVENIR (United Kingdom)
Director: Joanna Hogg
BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer)
AMERICAN FACTORY
Director/Producers: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert
Producers: Julia Parker Benello, Jeff Reichert
APOLLO 11
Director/Producer: Todd Douglas Miller
Producers: Evan Krauss, Thomas Baxley Peterson
FOR SAMA
Director: Edward Watts
Director/Producer: Waad al-Kateab
HONEYLAND
Director: Tamara Kotevska
Director/Producer: Ljubo Stefanov
Producer: Atanas Georgiev
ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS
Director/Producer: Gabrielle Brady
Producers: Gizem Acarla, Samm Haillay, Alex Kelly, Alexander Wadouh
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
MARRIAGE STORY
Director: Noah Baumbach
Casting Directors: Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler
Ensemble Cast: Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Adam Driver, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Merritt Wever
BONNIE AWARD SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES
(Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo joined American Airlines in 1973 at age 24, becoming the first female pilot to fly for a major U.S. airline. In her honor, the 3rd annual Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.)
Marielle Heller
Kelly Reichardt
Lulu Wang
PRODUCERS AWARD
(The Producers Award, now in its 23rd year, 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.)
Mollye Asher
Krista Parris
Ryan Zacarias
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
(The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 26th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
PREMATURE
Director: Rashaad Ernesto Green
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Director: Joe Talbot
THE THIRD WIFE
Director: Ash Mayfair
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
(The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 25th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
17 BLOCKS
Director: Davy Rothbart
AMÉRICA
Directors: Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside
BLACK MOTHER
Director: Khalik Allah
JADDOLAND
Director: Nadia Shihab
“At a time when the film business is undergoing such change and challenges, it’s important to loudly celebrate the work itself–the films!–and to recognize 2019 as a year of bold, audacious and accomplished filmmaking,” said President of Film Independent Josh Welsh. “That’s what the Spirit Awards are all about.”
