32ND FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Contact: Alia Quart Khan, Film Independent
Tel: 310.432.1287 or aqkhan@filmindependent.org
Ryan Collins, Ginsberg/Libby
Tel: 323.645.6800 or ryan.collins@ginsberglibby.com
32nd FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
$75,000 IN GRANTS TO BE AWARDED TO FILMMAKERS,
INCLUDING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
SPIRIT AWARDS TO BE BROADCAST LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON IFC,
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (November 22, 2016) – Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA, announced nominations for the 2017 Spirit Awards this morning. The Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at W Hollywood, with actors Jenny Slate and Edgar Ramirez presenting the nominations. Nominees for Best Feature included American Honey, Chronic, Jackie, Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight.
“Now more than ever, the voices of independent artists play a critically important role in our culture,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “The films we celebrate at this year’s Spirit Awards embody the diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision that we champion all year long.”
Moonlight 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.
Winners, who are selected by Film Independent Members, will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 25, 2017. The awards ceremony will be held on the beach in Santa Monica, just north of the Santa Monica Pier. The show will broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT/ 5:00 pm ET.
Winners of the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants and Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.
“The Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants enable us to not only recognize great work but also to provide much needed direct financial support to filmmakers,” said Josh Welsh. “We’re so appreciative of our grant funders, Kiehl’s Since 1851 and Piaget. Through their funding of the Producers Award, Piaget has been a steadfast supporter of film artists for the last decade.”
The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from 382 submissions this year and applied the following guidelines in determining the nominations: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost and individual compensation) and percentage of financing from independent sources. 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.
To learn more about table sales, attendance and donations please contact Jennifer Murby, Associate Director of Institutional Giving, jmurby@filmindependent.org.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Albina Oks, Director of Corporate Sponsorship, aoks@filmindependent.org.
For more information on submission guidelines, voting, media and publicist credentials, and the history of the Spirit Awards, please visit spiritawards.com.
To download the Film Independent Spirit Awards logo and laurels, click here.
Media Credential Applications: filmindependent.org/press/credentials.
Want to vote?
Film Independent Members vote to determine the winners at the Spirit Awards. Members can attend free Nominee Screening Series in Los Angeles and New York, receive DVD screeners of select nominees by mail and digital screeners online. Members must be current by December 6, 2016 to receive full voting benefits.
Join today at filmindependent.org/membership.
2017 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST FEATURE – Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.
American Honey
Producers: Thomas Benski, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Lucas Ochoa, Pouya Shahbazian, Alice Weinberg
Chronic
Producers: Michel Franco, Gina Kwon, Gabriel Ripstein, Moisés Zonana
Jackie
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, Ari Handel, Juan de Dios Larraín, Mickey Liddell
Manchester by the Sea
Producers: Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Kimberly Steward, Kevin J. Walsh
Moonlight
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski
BEST FIRST FEATURE – Award given to the director and producer.
The Childhood of a Leader
Director: Brady Corbet
Producers: Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chris Coen, Ron Curtis,
Helena Danielsson, Mona Fastvold, István Major
The Fits
Director/Producer: Anna Rose Holmer
Producer: Lisa Kjerulff
Other People
Director: Chris Kelly
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Adam Scott, Naomi Scott
Swiss Army Man
Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Producers: Miranda Bailey, Lawrence Inglee, Lauren Mann, Amanda Marshall, Eyal Rimmon, Jonathan Wang
The Witch
Director: Robert Eggers
Producers: Daniel Bekerman, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Jodi Redmond, Rodrigo Teixeira
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.
Free In Deed
Writer/Director: Jake Mahaffy
Producers: Mike Bowes, Mike S. Ryan, Brent Stiefel
Hunter Gatherer
Writer/Director: Josh Locy
Producers: Michael Covino, April Lamb, Sara Murphy, Isaiah Smallman
Lovesong
Writer/Director: So Yong Kim
Writer/Producer: Bradley Rust Gray
Producers: David Hansen, Alex Lipschultz, Johnny Mac
Nakom
Writer/Director/Producer: TW Pittman
Director/Producer: Kelly Daniela Norris
Writer/Producer: Isaac Adakudugu
Producer: Giovanni Ximénez
Spa Night
Writer/Director: Andrew Ahn
Producers: David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas
BEST DIRECTOR
Andrea Arnold
American Honey
Barry Jenkins
Moonlight
Pablo Larraín
Jackie
Jeff Nichols
Loving
Kelly Reichardt
Certain Women
BEST SCREENPLAY
Barry Jenkins
Story By Tarell Alvin McCraney
Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan
Manchester by the Sea
Mike Mills
20th Century Women
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias
Little Men
Taylor Sheridan
Hell or High Water
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Robert Eggers
The Witch
Chris Kelly
Other People
Adam Mansbach
Barry
Stella Meghie
Jean of the Joneses
Craig Shilowich
Christine
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ava Berkofsky
Free In Deed
Lol Crawley
The Childhood of a Leader
Zach Kuperstein
The Eyes of My Mother
James Laxton
Moonlight
Robbie Ryan
American Honey
BEST EDITING
Matthew Hannam
Swiss Army Man
Jennifer Lame
Manchester by the Sea
Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders
Moonlight
Jake Roberts
Hell or High Water
Sebastián Sepúlveda
Jackie
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Annette Bening
20th Century Women
Isabelle Huppert
Elle
Sasha Lane
American Honey
Ruth Negga
Loving
Natalie Portman
Jackie
BEST MALE LEAD
Casey Affleck
Manchester by the Sea
David Harewood
Free In Deed
Viggo Mortensen
Captain Fantastic
Jesse Plemons
Other People
Tim Roth
Chronic
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Edwina Findley
Free In Deed
Paulina Garcia
Little Men
Lily Gladstone
Certain Women
Riley Keough
American Honey
Molly Shannon
Other People
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Ralph Fiennes
A Bigger Splash
Ben Foster
Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges
Manchester by the Sea
Shia LaBeouf
American Honey
Craig Robinson
Morris from America
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
Moonlight
Director: Barry Jenkins
Casting Director: Yesi Ramirez
Ensemble Cast: Mahershala Ali, Patrick Decile, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders
BEST DOCUMENTARY – Award given to the director and producer.
13th
Director/Producer: Ava DuVernay
Producers: Spencer Averick, Howard Barish
Cameraperson
Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson
Producer: Marilyn Ness
I Am Not Your Negro
Director/Producer: Raoul Peck
Producers: Rémi Grellety, Hébert Peck
O.J.: Made in America
Director/Producer: Ezra Edelman
Producers: Deirdre Fenton, Libby Geist, Nina Krstic, Erin Leyden, Tamara Rosenberg, Connor Schell, Caroline Waterlow
Sonita
Director: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami
Producer: Gerd Haag
Under the Sun
Director: Vitaly Mansky
Producer: Natalya Manskaya
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM – Award given to the director.
Aquarius
(Brazil)
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Chevalier
(Greece)
Director: Athina Tsangari
My Golden Days
(France)
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Toni Erdmann
(Germany and Romania)
Director: Maren Ade
Under the Shadow
(Iran and U.K.)
Director: Babak Anvari
20th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 20th annual Producers Award, sponsored by Piaget, 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 funded by Piaget.
Lisa Kjerulff
Jordana Mollick
Melody C. Roscher & Craig Shilowich
23rd ANNUAL KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 23rd annual Someone to Watch Award, sponsored by Kiehl’s Since 1851, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851.
Andrew Ahn
Director of Spa Night
Claire Carré
Director of Embers
Anna Rose Holmer
Director of The Fits
Ingrid Jungermann
Director of Women Who Kill
22nd TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 22nd annual Truer Than Fiction Award 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.
Kristi Jacobson
Director of Solitary
Sara Jordenö
Director of Kiki
Nanfu Wang
Director of Hooligan Sparrow
ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
Now in its 32nd year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers whose films 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.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors Piaget, American Airlines, Jeep brand, IFC, and Principal Sponsor AT&T, as well as Breyers Gelato Indulgences. FIJI Water is the Official Water. WireImage is the Official Photographer. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Albina Oks, Director of Corporate Sponsorship, aoks@filmindependent.org or 310.432.1252.
ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is the non-profit arts organization that champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.
Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the LA Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and Film Independent at LACMA, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.
With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.
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