2022 FILM INDEPENDENT
SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
Broadcast Exclusively on IFC
Sunday, March 6, 2022
LOS ANGELES (December 14, 2021) – This morning, Film Independent announced nominations for the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Film Independent President Josh Welsh introduced the prerecorded video announcements, which featured guest presenters Beanie Feldstein (The Humans, Impeachment: American Crime Story), Regina Hall (Nine Perfect Strangers, Girls Trip) and Naomi Watts (Penguin Bloom, upcoming The Watcher). Watch here:
Best Feature nominees include A Chiara, C’mon C’mon, The Lost Daughter, The Novice, and @zola. Also announced, for the second year, were the nominees of five TV awards. Nominees in the Best New Scripted Series category include Blindspotting, It’s a Sin, Reservation Dogs, The Underground Railroad, and We Are Lady Parts.
Mass 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.
Celebrating creative independence, original, provocative subject matter, diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on Sunday, March 6, 2022, positioning it squarely in the corridor leading into Oscar voting. Returning to its home on the Santa Monica beach, the in-person show will be broadcast exclusively on IFC. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for the nonprofit Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.
“Congratulations to this year’s nominees – visual storytellers who have made the most original, daring and provocative film and television shows of the year,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “The Spirit Awards once again plants its flag on the beach at Santa Monica, and on IFC. We’re thrilled to be back and celebrating art that continues to inspire, enlighten and entertain us.”
Blake Callaway, GM of IFC, said, “The Spirit Awards is a standout event in any year. After being away for more than a year, IFC is ready to bring audiences back to the beach celebrating the best of film and television.”
This year the Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from over 15 different countries, applying the following guidelines in determining nominees: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means. 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. Of all nominated writers and directors, 44% are women and 38% are BIPOC. Of all nominated actors, 60% are BIPOC. And of all 2022 nominees, 46% are women and 32% are BIPOC. This year, the Spirit Awards nominating committees are 63% women, 5% Nonbinary and 56% BIPOC.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Premier Sponsor IFC; Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and Seedlip, the Official Spirits; and FIJI Water, the Official Water.
2022 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
FILM CATEGORIES
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
- A Chiara
Producers: Jonas Carpignano, Paolo Carpignano, Jon Coplon, Ryan Zacarias - C'mon C'mon
Producers: Chelsea Barnard, Andrea Longacre-White, Lila Yacoub - The Lost Daughter
Producers: Charles Dorfman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Osnat Handelsman Keren, Talia Kleinhendler - The Novice
Producers: Ryan Hawkins, Kari Hollend, Steven Sims, Zack Zucker - @zola
Producers: Kara Baker, Dave Franco, Elizabeth Haggard, David Hinojosa, Vince Jolivette, Christine Vachon, Gia Walsh
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)
- Holler
Director: Nicole Riegel
Producers: Adam Cobb, Rachel Gould, Katie Mcneill, Jamie Patricof, Christy Spitzer Thornton - Queen of Glory
Director: Nana Mensah
Producers: Baff Akoto, Anya Migdal, Kelley Robins Hicks, Jamund Washington - 7 Days
Director: Roshan Sethi
Producers: Liz Cardenas, Mel Eslyn - Test Pattern
Director/Producer: Shatara Michelle Ford
Producers: Pin-Chun Liu, Yu-Hao Su - Wild Indian
Director/Producer: Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr.
Producers: Thomas Mahoney, Eric Tavitian
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.
- Cryptozoo
Writer/Director: Dash Shaw
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Kyle Martin, Jane Samborski, Bill Way - Jockey
Writer/Director/Producer: Clint Bentley
Writer/Producer: Greg Kwedar
Producer: Nancy Schafer - Shiva Baby
Writer/Director/Producer: Emma Seligman
Producers: Kieran Altmann, Katie Schiller, Lizzie Shapiro - Sweet Thing
Writer/Director: Alexandre Rockwell
Producers: Louis Anania, Haley Anderson, Kenan Baysal - This Is Not a War Story
Writer/Director/Producer: Talia Lugacy
Producers: Noah Lang, Julian West
BEST DIRECTOR
- Janicza Bravo, @zola
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
- Lauren Hadaway, The Novice
- Mike Mills, C'mon C'mon
- Ninja Thyberg, Pleasure
BEST SCREENPLAY
- Nikole Beckwith, Together Together
- Janicza Bravo & Jeremy O. Harris, @zola
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
- Mike Mills, C'mon C'mon
- Todd Stephens, Swan Song
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
- Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr., Wild Indian
- Matt Fifer, story by Sheldon D. Brown, Cicada
- Shatara Michelle Ford, Test Pattern
- Fran Kranz, Mass
- Michael Sarnoski, story by Vanessa Block & Michael Sarnoski, Pig
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Ante Cheng & Matthew Chuang, Blue Bayou
- Lol Crawley, The Humans
- Tim Curtin, A Chiara
- Edu Grau, Passing
- Ari Wegner, @zola
BEST EDITING
- Affonso Gonçalves, A Chiara
- Ali Greer, The Nowhere Inn
- Lauren Hadaway, Nathan Nugent, The Novice
- Joi McMillon, @zola
- Enrico Natale, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
BEST FEMALE LEAD
- Isabelle Fuhrman, The Novice
- Brittany S. Hall, Test Pattern
- Patti Harrison, Together Together
- Taylour Paige, @zola
- Kali Reis, Catch the Fair One
BEST MALE LEAD
- Clifton Collins Jr., Jockey
- Frankie Faison, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
- Michael Greyeyes, Wild Indian
- Udo Kier, Swan Song
- Simon Rex, Red Rocket
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
- Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
- Amy Forsyth, The Novice
- Ruth Negga, Passing
- Revika Reustle, Pleasure
- Suzanna Son, Red Rocket
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
- Colman Domingo, @zola
- Meeko Gattuso, Queen of Glory
- Troy Kotsur, CODA
- Will Patton, Sweet Thing
- Chaske Spencer, Wild Indian
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
- Mass
Director: Fran Kranz
Casting Directors: Henry Russell Bergstein, Allison Estrin
Ensemble Cast: Kagen Albright, Reed Birney, Michelle N. Carter, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Breeda Wool
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Award given to the director and producer.
- Ascension
Director/Producer: Jessica Kingdon
Producers: Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell - Flee
Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Producers: Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen - In the Same Breath
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
Producers: Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn, Jialing Zhang - Procession
Director: Robert Greene
Producers: Susan Bedusa, Bennett Elliott, Douglas Tirola - Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Producers: David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Award given to the director.
- Compartment No. 6 (Finland/Russia)
Director: Juho Kuosmanen - Drive My Car (Japan)
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi - Parallel Mothers (Madres Paralelas) (Spain)
Director: Pedro Almodóvar - Pebbles (India)
Director: P S Vinothraj - Petite Maman (France)
Director: Céline Sciamma - Prayers for the Stolen (Mexico)
Director: Tatiana Huezo
PRODUCERS AWARD
The Producers Award, now in its 25th year, 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.
- Brad Becker-Parton
- Pin-Chun Liu
- Lizzie Shapiro
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 28th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
- Alex Camilleri, director of Luzzu
- Gillian Wallace Horvat, director of I Blame Society
- Michael Sarnoski, director of Pig
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 27th year, 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.
- Jessica Beshir, director of Faya Dayi
- Debbie Lum, director of Try Harder!
- Angelo Madsen Minax, director of North by Current
TELEVISION CATEGORIES
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
- Black and Missing
Series By/Executive Producers: Soledad O’Brien, Geeta Gandbhir
Executive Producers: Jo Honig, Patrick Conway, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez - The Choe Show
Creator/Exec Producer: David Choe
Executive Producers: Matt Revelli, Christopher C. Chen, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson - The Lady and the Dale
Executive Producers: Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Allen Bain, Andre Gaines, Nick Cammilleri, Alana Carithers, Zackary Drucker, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller - Nuclear Family
Series By: Ry Russo-Young
Executive Producers: Liz Garbus, Julie Gaither, Jon Bardin, Leah Holzer, Peter Saraf, Alex Turtletaub, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Lauren Haber, Maria Zuckerman, Christine Connor, Ryan Heller, Barbara Dobkin, Eric Dobkin, Andrea Van Beuren, Joe Landauer - Philly D.A.
Creators: Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicole Salazar
Produced By: Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
Executive Producers: Dawn Porter, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Ryan Chanatry, Gena Konstantinakos, Jeff Seelbach, Patty Quillin Co-Executive Producers: Nion McEvoy, Leslie Berriman
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
- Blindspotting
Creators/Executive Producers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs
Executive Producers: Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Ken Lee, Tim Palen, Emily Gerson Saines, Seith Mann - It’s a Sin
Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Peter Hoar, Nicola Shindler - Reservation Dogs
Creators/Executive Producers: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi
Executive Producer: Garrett Basch - The Underground Railroad
Creator/Executive Producer: Barry Jenkins
Executive Producers: Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Colson Whitehead, Richard Heus, Jacqueline Hoyt - We Are Lady Parts
Creator: Nida Manzoor
Executive Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Surian Fletcher-Jones, Mark Freeland
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
- Deborah Ayorinde, THEM: Covenant
- Jasmine Cephas Jones, Blindspotting
- Thuso Mbedu, The Underground Railroad
- Jana Schmieding, Rutherford Falls
- Anjana Vasan, We Are Lady Parts
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
- Olly Alexander, It’s a Sin
- Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus
- Michael Greyeyes, Rutherford Falls
- Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
- Ashley Thomas, THEM: Covenant
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
- Reservation Dogs
Ensemble Cast: Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Paulina Alexis, Sarah Podemski, Zahn McClarnon, Lil Mike, FunnyBone
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