34th FILM INDEPENDENT
SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Broadcast Live Exclusively on IFC,
Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET
AT&T returns as Premier Sponsor,
joining American Airlines, IFC and Subaru
“This year’s nominees reflect the bold originality that is the heart of independent film,” said 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.”
Suspiria 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 23, 2019. 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.
The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from over 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.
Winners of the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grant and Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 5, 2019.
Film Independent is proud to announce the return of our collaboration with AT&T, who joins once again as Premier Sponsor and Official Wireless & Video Services Partner. American Airlines joins for the fifth year and returns to fund the Bonnie Award, recognizing a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. And we welcome this year’s Official Automotive Partner, Subaru of America.
2019 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. 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
(Award given to the director and producer)
- 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: Oren Moverman, Laura Rister, Mynette Louie, Simone Pero, Lawrence Inglee, Sol Bondy, Regina K. Scully, Lynda Weinman, Reka Posta - 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
Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director and producer. 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 - S&ocaute;crates
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 Weissner
- 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
- 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
- Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade
- Christina Choe, Nancy
- Cory Finley, Thoroughbreds
- Jennifer Fox, The Tale
- Quinn Shephard (Writer/Story By), Laurie Shephard (Story By), Blame
- Ashley Connor, Madeline's Madeline
- Diego Garcia, Wildlife
- Benjamin Loeb, Mandy
- Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Suspiria
- Zak Mulligan, We the Animals
- 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
- Glenn Close, The Wife
- Toni Collette, Hereditary
- Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
- Regina Hall, Support the Girls
- Helena Howard, Madeline's Madeline
- Carey Mulligan, Wildlife
- John Cho, Searching
- Daveed Diggs, Blindspotting
- Ethan Hawke, First Reformed
- Christian Malheiros, Sócrates
- Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here
- 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
- 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
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 Fouina, Mia Goth, Jessica Harper, Dakota Johnson, Gala Moody, Chloë Grace Moretz, Fabrizia Sacchi, Renée Soutendijk, Tilda Swinton, Sylvie Testud, Angela Winkler
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 E. Rudolph - Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Director/Producer: Morgan Neville
Producers: Caryn Capotosto, Nicholas Ma
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
Recognizing a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.
- Debra Granik
- Tamara Jenkins
- Karyn Kusama
Honoring 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 & Kelly Williams
- Gabrielle Nadig
- Shrihari Sathe
Recognizing 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
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
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