We the Animals topped the list of the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominees, picking up five nominations including Best First Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. Eighth Grade, You Were Never Really Here, and First Reformed followed close behind with four nominations each.
The coming of age tale Eighth Grade earned nominations in the Best Feature, Female Lead, Supporting Male, and Best First Screenplay categories. First Reformed starring Ethan Hawke was recognized with nominations in the Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Male Lead categories. And You Were Never Really Here with Joaquin Phoenix scored Best Feature, Best Director, Best Editing, and Male Lead nominations.
“This year’s nominees reflect the bold originality that is the heart of independent film,” stated Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “At a time when huge tent-pole franchises threaten to dominate our film culture, this year’s films and filmmakers offer something completely different – something vital, uncompromising, and needed. The nominees also show that, when it comes to diversity and inclusion, independent film is leading the way for the rest of the industry.”
The 2019 Spirit Awards recognizing the best in 2018 independent films will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2019 on the beach in Santa Monica.
2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations:
- BEST FEATURE
Eighth Grade
First Reformed
If Beale Street Could Talk
Leave No Trace
You Were Never Really Here - BEST FIRST FEATURE
Hereditary – Director: Ari Aster
Sorry to Bother You – Director: Boots Riley
The Tale – Director/Producer: Jennifer Fox
We the Animals – Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Wildlife – Director/Producer: Paul Dano - JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000.
A Bread Factory
En el Séptimo Día
Never Goin’ Back
Sócrates
Thunder Road - 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
Colette – Richard Glatzer, Rebecca Lenkiewicz & Wash Westmoreland
Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Private Life – Tamara Jenkins
Sorry to Bother You – Boots Riley
First Reformed – Paul Schrader - BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Eighth Grade – Bo Burnham
Nancy – Christina Choe
Thoroughbreds – Cory Finley
The Tale – Jennifer Fox
Blame – Quinn Shephard (Writer/Story By), Laurie Shephard (Story By) - BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Madeline’s Madeline – Ashley Connor
Wildlife – Diego Garcia
Mandy – Benjamin Loeb
Suspiria – Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
We the Animals – Zak Mulligan - BEST EDITING
You Were Never Really Here – Joe Bini
We the Animals – Keiko Deguchi, Brian A. Kates, Jeremiah Zagar
American Animals – Luke Dunkley, Nick Fenton, Chris Gill, Julian Hart
The Tale – Anne Fabini, Alex Hall, Gary Levy
Mid90s – Nick Houy - 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 DOCUMENTARY
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
On Her Shoulders
Shirkers
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? - BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Burning
The Favourite
Happy as Lazzaro
Roma
Shoplifters - 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 Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career 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 of Sócrates
– Ioana Uricaru – Director of Lemonade
– Jeremiah Zagar – Director of We the Animals - TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 24th 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.
– Alexandria Bombach – Director of On Her Shoulders
– Bing Liu – Director of Minding the Gap
– RaMell Ross – Director of Hale County This Morning, This Evening