LOS ANGELES --

Film Independent has unveiled nominations for the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Topping the field with five nods was We the Animals followed by three films with four apiece: Eighth Grade, First Reformed, and You Were Never Really Here.

Nominated for Best Feature distinction were: Eighth Grade, First Reformed, If Beale Street Could Talk, Leave No Trace and You Were Never Really Here.

The five nominations for We the Animals came for Best First Feature, Cinematography, Editing, Supporting Male, and the Someone to Watch Award.

Eighth Grade's four nods were for Best Feature, Female Lead, First Screenplay and Best Supporting Male. First Reformed scored its four noms for Best Director, Feature, Male Lead and Screenplay. And You Were Never Really Here earned nominations for Best Feature, Director, Editing and Male Lead. 

“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.
 
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 

BEST FIRST FEATURE
(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: 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 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

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 Weissner

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 and 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 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 (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 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

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