The nominees for the Film Independent Spirit Awards represent everything that’s thriving in an off-the-beaten-path yet essential corner of the industry. Hollywood—and, by extension, the arts today—need the visionaries below in order to continue challenging and advancing the craft of filmmaking.
Presented the day before the Academy Awards by one of Los Angeles’ most active nonprofit organizations, the Spirit Awards provide insight into the filmmakers of tomorrow and a refreshing take on the definition of an awards contender. Unlike the Oscars, films without a theatrical release that have screened at prestigious festivals are eligible; a loose budget ceiling of $20 million is enforced; and films must be classified as American-made. Spirit Award nominees provide insight into which projects might be on voters’ minds during Hollywood’s most exciting season. In four of the last five years, Film Independent members have chosen the same best picture champion as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: “12 Years a Slave,” “Birdman,” “Spotlight,” and “Moonlight.”
Announced with due ceremony by Gemma Chan and Molly Shannon at the W Hollywood on Nov. 16, the nominees for the 34th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards singled out 2018’s best of the best. We’ve rounded up the full list below to put some of today’s most inspired indie films on your radar. Want to vote on future Spirit Awards? Become a Film Independent member!
You can tune in to the ceremony Feb. 23, 2019, to be held on the beach in Santa Monica, California. The event will be broadcast exclusively on IFC and hosted by one of last year’s Spirit Award winners: Aubrey Plaza. “I am truly honored and delighted to host the Spirit Awards this year,” she announced. “It’s a dream come true to host a show that celebrates my greatest loves—independent film, the people who make them possible, and live television!”
READ: Everything You’d Ever Need to Know About the Film Independent Spirit Awards
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producers. Executive producers are not awarded.)
“Eighth Grade”
Producers: Eli Bush, Scott Rudin, Christopher Storer, Lila Yacoub
“First Reformed”
Producers: Jack Binder, Greg Clark,
Gary Hamilton, Victoria Hill,
David Hinojosa, Frank Murray,
Deepak Sikka, Christine Vachon
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
Producers: Dede Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner, Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski
“Leave No Trace”
Producers: Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Anne Rosellini
“You Were Never Really Here”
Producers: Rosa Attab, Pascal Caucheteux, Rebecca O’Brien, Lynne Ramsay, James Wilson
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producers)
“Hereditary”
Director: Ari Aster
Producers: Kevin Frakes, Lars Knudsen, Buddy Patrick
“Sorry to Bother You”
Director: Boots Riley
Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jonathan Duffy, Charles D. King, George Rush, Forest Whitaker, Kelly Williams
“The Tale”
Director/Producer: Jennifer Fox
Producers: Sol Bondy, Lawrence Inglee, Mynette Louie, Oren Moverman, Simone Pero, Reka Posta, Laura Rister, Regina K. Scully, Lynda Weinman
“We the Animals”
Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Producers: Andrew Goldman, Christina D. King, Paul Mezey, Jeremy Yaches
“Wildlife”
Director/Producer: Paul Dano
Producers: Andrew Duncan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker, Oren Moverman, Ann Ruark,
Alex Saks
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producers. Executive producers are not awarded.)
“A Bread Factory”
Writer/Director/Producer: Patrick Wang
Producers: Daryl Freimark, Matt Miller
“En el Séptimo Día”
Writer/Director/Producer: Jim McKay
Producers: Alex Bach, Lindsey Cordero, Caroline Kaplan, Michael Stipe
“Never Goin’ Back”
Writer/Director: Augustine Frizzell
Producers: Liz Cardenas, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston
“Sócrates”
Writer/Director/Producer: Alex Moratto
Writer: Thayná Mantesso
Producers: Ramin Bahrani, Jefferson Paulino, Tammy Weiss
“Thunder Road”
Writer/Director: Jim Cummings
Producers: Natalie Metzger, Zack Parker, Benjamin Wiessner
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Toni Collette, “Hereditary”
Elsie Fisher, “Eighth Grade”
Regina Hall, “Support the Girls”
Helena Howard, “Madeline’s Madeline”
Carey Mulligan, “Wildlife”
BEST MALE LEAD
John Cho, “Searching”
Daveed Diggs, “Blindspotting”
Ethan Hawke, “First Reformed”
Christian Malheiros, “Sócrates”
Joaquin Phoenix, “You Were Never Really Here”
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Kayli Carter, “Private Life”
Tyne Daly, “A Bread Factory”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, “Leave No Trace”
J. Smith-Cameron, “Nancy”
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Raúl Castillo, “We the Animals”
Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Josh Hamilton, “Eighth Grade”
John David Washington, “Monsters and Men”
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast)
“Suspiria”
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Casting Directors: Avy Kaufman, Stella Savino
Ensemble Cast: Malgosia Bela, Ingrid Caven, Lutz Ebersdorf, Elena Fokina, Mia Goth, Jessica Harper, Dakota Johnson, Gala Moody, Chloë Grace Moretz, Renée Soutendijk, Tilda Swinton, Sylvie Testud, Angela Winkler
BEST DIRECTOR
Debra Granik, “Leave No Trace”
Barry Jenkins, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Tamara Jenkins, “Private Life”
Lynne Ramsay, “You Were Never Really Here”
Paul Schrader, “First Reformed”
BEST SCREENPLAY
Richard Glatzer (Writer/Story by), Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Wash Westmoreland, “Colette”
Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Tamara Jenkins, “Private Life”
Boots Riley, “Sorry to Bother You”
Paul Schrader, “First Reformed”
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Bo Burnham, “Eighth Grade”
Christina Choe, “Nancy”
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbreds”
Jennifer Fox, “The Tale”
Quinn Shephard (Writer/Story by), Laurie Shephard (Story by), “Blame”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ashley Connor, “Madeline’s Madeline”
Diego Garcia, “Wildlife”
Benjamin Loeb, “Mandy”
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, “Suspiria”
Zak Mulligan, “We the Animals”
BEST EDITING
Joe Bini, “You Were Never Really Here”
Keiko Deguchi, Brian A. Kates, Jeremiah Zagar, “We the Animals”
Luke Dunkley, Nick Fenton, Chris Gill, Julian Hart, “American Animals”
Anne Fabini, Alex Hall, Gary Levy, “The Tale”
Nick Houy, “Mid90s”
BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer)
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening”
Director/Producer: RaMell Ross
Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Su Kim
“Minding the Gap”
Director/Producer: Bing Liu
Producer: Diane Quon
“Of Fathers and Sons”
Director: Talal Derki
Producers: Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, Tobias N. Siebert
“On Her Shoulders”
Director: Alexandria Bombach
Producers: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams
“Shirkers”
Director/Producer: Sandi Tan
Producers: Jessica Levin, Maya Rudolph
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Director/Producer: Morgan Neville
Producers: Caryn Capotosto, Nicholas Ma
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
(Award given to the director)
“Burning” (South Korea)
Director: Lee Chang-Dong
“The Favourite” (United Kingdom)
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
“Happy as Lazzaro” (Italy)
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
“Roma” (Mexico)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
“Shoplifters” (Japan)
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
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 second annual Bonnie Award recognizes a midcareer female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.)
Debra Granik
Tamara Jenkins
Karyn Kusama
PRODUCERS AWARD
(The 22nd annual Producers 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.)
Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams
Gabrielle Nadig
Shrihari Sathe
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
(The 25th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
Alex Moratto, director, “Sócrates”
Ioana Uricaru, director, “Lemonade”
Jeremiah Zagar, director, “We the Animals”
For the full list of Film Independent Spirit Award nominees, visit backstage.com/magazine.