33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This morning, Film Independent announced the nominations for the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards and revealed that director Ava DuVernay (Selma, 13th, A Wrinkle in Time) will be this year's Honorary Chair. Past Honorary Chairs include David Oyelowo, Jessica Chastain, Kerry Washington, Ang Lee and Martin Scorsese. The Spirit 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 the Jeremy Hotel in West Hollywood, with actors Lily Collins and Tessa Thompson presenting the nominations. Nominees for Best Feature included Call Me by Your Name, The Florida Project, Get Out, Lady Bird and The Rider.

"This year's nominations reflect the range and vitality of artist-driven, independent film," said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. "Diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision are the hallmarks of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and the films this year powerfully embody all those qualities." 

"We are so happy to have Ava DuVernay as our Spirit Awards Honorary Chair," added Welsh, "Ava is a remarkable filmmaker – a writer, director and producer we have celebrated at the Spirit Awards and the LA Film Festival. More than that, she is a leader and a powerful voice for change, in the industry and beyond."

Mudbound 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, March 3, 2018. The awards ceremony co-hosted by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney 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 6, 2018, at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from 400 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, [email protected].

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Albina Oks, Director of Corporate Sponsorship, [email protected].

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/

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, receive DVD screeners of select nominees by mail and digital screeners online. Members must be current by December 7, 2017 to receive full voting benefits.

Join today at filmindependent.org/join

2018 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

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

Call Me by Your Name         
Producers: Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, Howard Rosenman

The Florida Project  
Producers: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou

Get Out         
Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele

Lady Bird      
Producers: Eli Bush, Evelyn O'Neill, Scott Rudin

The Rider      
Producers: Mollye Asher, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Chloé Zhao

BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)

Columbus
Director: Kogonada
Producers: Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Aaron Boyd, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz

Ingrid Goes West
Director: Matt Spicer
Producers: Jared Ian Goldman, Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels, Aubrey Plaza, Tim White, Trevor White

Menashe
Director/Producer: Joshua Z. Weinstein
Producers: Yoni Brook, Traci Carlson, Daniel Finkelman, Alex Lipschultz

Oh Lucy!
Director/Producer: Atsuko Hirayanagi
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Yukie Kito, Han West

Patti Cake$
Director: Geremy Jasper
Producers: Chris Columbus, Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Noah Stahl, 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.)

Dayveon      
Writer/Director/Producer: Amman Abbasi
Writer: Steven Reneau
Producers: Lachion Buckingham, Alexander Uhlmann

A Ghost Story         
Writer/Director: David Lowery
Producers: Adam Donaghey, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston

Life and nothing more       
Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza
Producers: Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos

Most Beautiful Island         
Writer/Director/Producer: Ana Asensio
Producers: Larry Fessenden, Noah Greenberg, Chadd Harbold, Jenn Wexler

The Transfiguration           
Writer/Director: Michael O'Shea
Producer: Susan Leber

BEST DIRECTOR

Sean Baker
The Florida Project   

Jonas Carpignano
A Ciambra    

Luca Guadagnino
Call Me by Your Name         

Jordan Peele
Get Out         

Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Good Time    

Chloé Zhao
The Rider      

BEST SCREENPLAY

Greta Gerwig
Lady Bird        

Azazel Jacobs
The Lovers     

Martin McDonagh
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri    

Jordan Peele
Get Out          

Mike White
Beatriz at Dinner

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Kris Avedisian
Story By: Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman
Donald Cried  

Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani
The Big Sick  

Ingrid Jungermann
Women Who Kill

Kogonada
Columbus       

David Branson Smith, Matt Spicer
Ingrid Goes West

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Thimios Bakatakis
The Killing of a Sacred Deer  

Elisha Christian
Columbus       

Hélène Louvart
Beach Rats    

Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Call Me by Your Name          

Joshua James Richards
The Rider

BEST EDITING        

Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie
Good Time

Walter Fasano
Call Me by Your Name          

Alex O'Flinn
The Rider

Gregory Plotkin
Get Out          

Tatiana S. Riegel
I, Tonya          

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Salma Hayek
Beatriz at Dinner        

Frances McDormand
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie
I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan
Lady Bird        

Shinobu Terajima
Oh Lucy!        

Regina Williams
Life and nothing more

BEST MALE LEAD

Timothée Chalamet
Call Me by Your Name

Harris Dickinson
Beach Rats    

James Franco
The Disaster Artist

Daniel Kaluuya
Get Out          

Robert Pattinson
Good Time     

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Holly Hunter
The Big Sick

Allison Janney
I, Tonya          

Laurie Metcalf
Lady Bird                    

Lois Smith
Marjorie Prime

Taliah Lennice Webster
Good Time

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Nnamdi Asomugha
Crown Heights                       

Armie Hammer
Call Me by Your Name          

Barry Keoghan
The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Sam Rockwell
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri    

Benny Safdie
Good Time

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD - Given to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast

Mudbound                                        
Director: Dee Rees
Casting Directors: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram
Ensemble Cast: Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

The Departure          
Director/Producer: Lana Wilson

Faces Places
Directors: Agnés Varda, JR
Producer: Rosalie Varda

Last Men in Aleppo  
Director: Feras Fayyad
Producers: Kareem Abeed, Søeren Steen Jespersen, Stefan Kloos

Motherland   
Director/Producer: Ramona S. Diaz
Producer: Rey Cuerdo

Quest
Director: Jonathan Olshefski
Producer: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

BPM (Beats Per Minute)      
France
Director: Robin Campillo

A Fantastic Woman 
Chile
Director: Sebastián Lelio

I Am Not a Witch      
Zambia
Director: Rungano Nyoni

Lady Macbeth           
U.K.
Director: William Oldroyd

Loveless        
Russia
Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev

BONNIE AWARD – 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 inaugural Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.

So Yong Kim
Lynn Shelton
Chloé Zhao

JEEP TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 23rd annual Truer Than Fiction Award, funded by the Jeep brand, 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 funded by the Jeep brand.

Shevaun Mizrahi
Director of Distant Constellation       

Jonathan Olshefski
Director of Quest       

Jeff Unay
Director of The Cage Fighter

KIEHL'S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 24th annual Someone to Watch Award, funded 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.

Amman Abbasi
Director of Dayveon

Justin Chon
Director of Gook        

Kevin Phillips
Director of Super Dark Times           

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 21st annual Producers Award, funded 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.

Giulia Caruso & Ki Jin Kim
Ben LeClair
Summer Shelton

In addition, Visit Seattle will fund the Seattle Story Award, which is still open for nominations. The winning filmmaker will exhibit innovation, diversity and uniqueness of vision while having a history of transforming perspectives through rich stories. The recipient will receive a $25,000 cash grant to create a short film inspired by Seattle's independent spirit. This film will premiere during the Spirit Awards broadcast.

BY DISTRIBUTOR

44 NOMINATED FILMS

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
Now in its 33rd 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 American Airlines, AT&T, IFC and the Jeep brand, as well as Principal Sponsors Piaget and Visit Seattle. FIJI Water is the Official Water. WireImage is the Official Photographer.  

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is a nonprofit arts organization that champions independent 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.

In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, 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. For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

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Contact: Alia Quart Khan, Film Independent
Tel: 310.432.1287 or [email protected]

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Tel: 323.645.6800 or [email protected]

SOURCE The Film Independent Spirit Awards

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