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    Home » Film Independent Spirit Awards Launches Best International First Feature and Digital Creator Categories

    Film Independent Spirit Awards Launches Best International First Feature and Digital Creator Categories

    By SHOOTTuesday, August 18, 2026No Comments18 Views
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    Juan Devis, president of Film Independent (photo by Piper Ferguson)

    Berlinale added as a qualifying festival; nominations for the 2027 Spirit Awards to be announced on Dec. 2

    LOS ANGELES --

    Film Independent has instituted several updates for the 2027 Film Independent Spirit Awards, including the new Best International First Feature category, a new Digital Creator Award and the addition of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) as a qualifying festival. Submissions are now open through October for the 42nd annual Spirit Awards, taking place Saturday, March 6, 2027. The annual celebration of the best in independent film, groundbreaking television and independent storytelling serves as Film Independent’s primary fundraiser, supporting year-round programs that cultivate the careers of indie artists from production and funding through distribution and celebration.

    This year, the Spirit Awards will expand its eligibility criteria with the addition of the Berlin International Film Festival, known as Berlinale, as a qualifying festival, as well as the addition of the Best International First Feature category. Eligibility for Best International First Feature will be determined by international films for whom this is the director’s narrative feature debut. These additions reflect Film Independent’s continued commitment to recognizing independent filmmaking and creating pathways for distinctive work from storytellers around the world.

    Joining the Someone to Watch, Truer Than Fiction and Producers Award as one of the Emerging Filmmaker Awards, the 2027 Spirit Awards will also introduce a new Digital Creator Award category, expanding the celebration to independent storytellers creating original work for digital-first platforms and audiences. As with the other Emerging Filmmaker Awards, the winner will receive a $25,000 unrestricted grant. The Digital Creator Award was developed in partnership with Max Reisinger, CEO and co-founder of Creator Camp–a media company that supports the next generation of digital storytellers–who will collaborate with the Spirit Awards team on the award’s implementation.

    “Independent storytelling has never been confined to a single format, platform or geography and neither should the Spirit Awards. These new categories reflect the broader creative ecosystem we’re building at Film Independent–one that supports bold, original storytellers, from emerging digital creators to first-time international filmmakers,” said Juan Devis, Film Independent president. “They reaffirm our commitment to discovering and championing new voices throughout their creative journey, and a future for independent film as exciting as its past. As we gather at The Palladium next March, we’ll celebrate remarkable artists alongside the resilience, creativity and independent spirit of Los Angeles and the community that continues to inspire us.”

    Spirit Awards Submissions Deadlines:

    Film
    Early Deadline: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
    Regular Deadline: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
    Final Deadline: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
    Arts Circle, Filmmaker Pro, Secret Member, and Film Independent Fellows with Memberships Extended Deadline: Friday, October 2, 2026

    Television
    Regular Deadline: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
    Final Deadline: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
    Arts Circle, Filmmaker Pro, Secret Member, and Film Independent Fellows with Memberships Extended Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026

    Digital Creators
    Early Deadline: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
    Regular Deadline: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
    Final Deadline: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
    Arts Circle, Filmmaker Pro, Secret Member, and Film Independent Fellows with Memberships Extended Deadline: Friday, October 2, 2026

    The nominees for the 2027 Spirit Awards will be announced on Wednesday, December 2. Additionally, the Nominee Brunch, an annual highlight where all nominees are celebrated and Emerging Filmmaker Awards are presented, including the new Digital Creator Award, will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2027 once again at The London West Hollywood.

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    Category:News
    Tags:Film Independent Spirit Awards



    Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ Murder Trial Heads To Closing In Tupac Shakur’s 1996 Killing

    Friday, August 28, 2026

    The murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur is headed to closing arguments after the defense rested Thursday following testimony from three former Las Vegas police officers.

    Jurors are scheduled to return Monday for closing arguments before beginning deliberations in the only prosecution brought in the killing of the hip-hop icon. The presentation of evidence ended after nine days of testimony.

    Davis, 63, did not take the stand.

    Shakur was riding in a BMW on Sept. 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac pulled up next to it at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. The driver of the BMW, Marion "Suge" Knight, survived.

    Years later, Davis would say he procured the gun and his nephew, who has since died, fired the shots. Prosecutors say Davis orchestrated the killing, and he faces life in prison if convicted of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty.

    Defense attorney Michael Sanft has argued that Davis fabricated or embellished his accounts of the killing for money and notoriety and that investigators failed to independently corroborate his claims.

    Retired Las Vegas homicide detective Dan Long, the defense's final witness, testified that he tried unsuccessfully to verify several details Davis provided during a 2009 police interview.

    Davis told Long that his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, had gone to a Las Vegas hospital after being beaten by Shakur and others in a casino brawl hours before the rapper was fatally shot. Long said he was unable to find hospital records confirming Anderson was treated there.

    Long also tried... Read More

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