Film Independent has shifted to gender-neutral acting categories for the 2023 Spirit Awards. The acting categories encompass both film and television.
And in response to the rising cost of production, the organization has increased the budget cap for eligible films to $30 million, with the budget cap for the beloved John Cassavetes Award now $1 million. The Spirit Awards will be held on March 4, 2023. Submissions are now open.
“We’re thrilled to join the other festivals and award shows that are already moving to celebrate great acting without reference to gender. We’re also happy to welcome non-binary performers into the Spirit Awards without forcing them to choose to identify as male or female,” said Film Independent president Josh Welsh. “Additionally, it has been a long time since we substantially increased the budget limit for eligibility. This new cap allows us to continue to celebrate the same breadth of work that we have in the past.”
Honoring a longstanding commitment to inclusivity and representation, Film Independent is the most recent organization to implement non-gendered awards. Other awards to embrace non-gendered categories include The Grammys, The Gotham Awards, The British Independent Film Awards, and the MTV Movie & TV Awards. No longer defined by gender, awards in the lead and supporting film acting categories will instead be known as Best Lead Performance and Best Supporting Performance. Awards in the television acting categories will similarly be known as Best Lead Performance and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series.
Other category updates include new awards for Best Breakthrough Performance (film) and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series (television). All performance categories, excluding Breakthrough Performance, will feature up to 10 nominees. The modified performance categories are as follows:
SPIRIT AWARDS PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES – FILM
- Best Lead Performance (10 nominees)
- Best Supporting Performance (10 nominees)
- Best Breakthrough Performance (5 nominees) *new award
SPIRIT AWARDS PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES – TELEVISION
- Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series (10 nominees)
- Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series (10 nominees) *new award
Film Independent has also increased the budget cap for eligible films to $30 million to account for the rising cost of production. Over the years, the budget cap has increased incrementally from $20 million in 2006 to $22.5 million in 2019. The budget cap for The John Cassavetes Award, presented to a film’s writer, director and producer, also increased from $500K to $1 million.
In response to the continuing effects of COVID on filmmakers and the industry, Film Independent is once again waiving the theatrical run typically required for eligibility, ensuring more opportunities for independent filmmakers to be recognized and celebrated.
The Spirit Awards is the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which help cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote inclusion in the industry. Film nominations for the 2023 Spirit Awards will be announced virtually on November 22, 2022. Television nominations will be announced on December 13, 2022. The ceremony will take place on March 4, 2023.
Creativity unleashed: D&AD releases free annual showcase and trend analysis
D&AD has released its highly sought after Annual available for free as part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing creativity across different communities.
The organization is sharing full access to the D&AD Annual--a summary of the insights, strategies and campaigns that powered the best creative work at the D&AD Awards 2024--and the D&AD Trend Report which explores the themes from the Annual and how they might shape the future.
The D&AD Annual goes “behind the work” of this year’s award-winning creative campaigns across 32 categories and provides exclusive insider insights from the people who brought them to life. Judged by over 300 world-leading designers, advertising executives and skilled creatives, the D&AD Awards represent one of the annual high points of the creative calendar with all winners presented with a D&AD Pencil.
From how conspiracy theory tactics were co-opted to make skincare brand CeraVe go viral, to how Channel 4 worked with multiple directors to portray vignettes of British life, and Apple found inspiration in the transparency of glass to inform the design of their Vision OS, the D&AD Annual shines a light on all the 2024 shortlisted and winning work.
As part of the Annual, D&AD Voices also invites perspectives on major themes represented in the winning work; from the lucrative rise of women’s football penned by journalist and broadcaster Zing Tsjeng and an exploration of how to brand a cultural institution by Art Review’s Louise Benson, to unpacking the new generation of magazines with MagCulture, and climate advertising with Creatives for Climate. The D&AD Annual is available here.
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