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Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA, announced nominations for the 2017 Spirit Awards this morning. The Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at W Hollywood, with actors Jenny Slate and Edgar Ramirez presenting the nominations. Nominees for Best Feature included American Honey, Chronic, Jackie, Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight.

"Now more than ever, the voices of independent artists play a critically important role in our culture,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “The films we celebrate at this year’s Spirit Awards embody the diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision that we champion all year long."

Moonlight 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 25, 2017. 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.

Winners of the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants and Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.

“The Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants enable us to not only recognize great work but also to provide much needed direct financial support to filmmakers,” said Josh Welsh. “We’re so appreciative of our grant funders, Kiehl’s Since 1851 and Piaget. Through their funding of the Producers Award, Piaget has been a steadfast supporter of film artists for the last decade.”

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from 382 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.

2017 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST FEATURE

(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

American Honey

Producers: Thomas Benski, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Lucas Ochoa, Pouya Shahbazian, Alice Weinberg

Chronic

Producers: Michel Franco, Gina Kwon, Gabriel Ripstein, Moisés Zonana

 Jackie

Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, Ari Handel, Juan de Dios Larraín, Mickey Liddell

Manchester by the Sea

Producers: Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Kimberly Steward, Kevin J. Walsh

Moonlight

Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski

BEST FIRST FEATURE

(Award given to the director and producer)

The Childhood of a Leader

Director: Brady Corbet

Producers: Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chris Coen, Ron Curtis,

Helena Danielsson, Mona Fastvold, István Major

The Fits

Director/Producer: Anna Rose Holmer

Producer: Lisa Kjerulff

Other People

Director: Chris Kelly

Producers: Sam Bisbee, Adam Scott, Naomi Scott

Swiss Army Man

Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Producers: Miranda Bailey, Lawrence Inglee, Lauren Mann, Amanda Marshall, Eyal Rimmon, Jonathan Wang

The Witch

Director: Robert Eggers

Producers: Daniel Bekerman, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Jodi Redmond, Rodrigo Teixeira

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.

Free In Deed

Writer/Director: Jake Mahaffy

Producers: Mike Bowes, Mike S. Ryan, Brent Stiefel

Hunter Gatherer

Writer/Director: Josh Locy

Producers: Michael Covino, April Lamb, Sara Murphy, Isaiah Smallman

Lovesong

Writer/Director: So Yong Kim

Writer/Producer: Bradley Rust Gray

Producers: David Hansen, Alex Lipschultz, Johnny Mac

Nakom

Writer/Director/Producer: TW Pittman

Director/Producer: Kelly Daniela Norris

Writer/Producer: Isaac Adakudugu     

Producer: Giovanni Ximénez

Spa Night

Writer/Director: Andrew Ahn

Producers: David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas

BEST DIRECTOR

Andrea Arnold  American Honey

Barry Jenkins  Moonlight

Pablo Larraín  Jackie

Jeff Nichols  Loving

Kelly Reichardt  Certain Women

BEST SCREENPLAY

Barry Jenkins Story By Tarell Alvin McCraney    Moonlight

Kenneth Lonergan  Manchester by the Sea

Mike Mills  20th Century Women

Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias  Little Men

Taylor Sheridan  Hell or High Water

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Robert Eggers  The Witch

Chris Kelly Other People

Adam Mansbach  Barry

Stella Meghie  Jean of the Joneses

Craig Shilowich  Christine

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Ava Berkofsky  Free In Deed

Lol Crawley The Childhood of a Leader

Zach Kuperstein The Eyes of My Mother

James Laxton Moonlight

Robbie Ryan American Honey

BEST EDITING         

Matthew Hannam  Swiss Army Man

Jennifer Lame  Manchester by the Sea

Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders  Moonlight

Jake Roberts  Hell or High Water

Sebastián Sepúlveda  Jackie

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Annette Bening  20th Century Women

Isabelle Huppert  Elle

Sasha Lane American Honey

Ruth Negga Loving

Natalie Portman Jackie

Best Male Lead

Casey Affleck Manchester by the Sea

David Harewood Free In Deed

Viggo Mortensen Captain Fantastic

Jesse Plemons Other People

Tim Roth Chronic

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Edwina Findley Free In Deed

Paulina Garcia Little Men

Lily Gladstone Certain Women

Riley Keough American Honey

Molly Shannon Other People

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Ralph Fiennes A Bigger Splash

Ben Foster  Hell or High Water

Lucas Hedges  Manchester by the Sea

Shia LaBeouf  American Honey

Craig Robinson   Morris from America

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD - (Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)

Moonlight

Director: Barry Jenkins

Casting Director: Yesi Ramirez

Ensemble Cast: Mahershala Ali, Patrick Decile, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

13th

Director/Producer: Ava DuVernay

Producers: Spencer Averick, Howard Barish

Cameraperson

Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson

Producer: Marilyn Ness

I Am Not Your Negro           

Director/Producer: Raoul Peck

Producers: Rémi Grellety, Hérbert Peck         

O.J.: Made in America

Director/Producer: Ezra Edelman

Producers: Nina Krstic, Tamara Rosenberg, Caroline Waterlow

Sonita

Director: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami

Producer: Gerd Haag

Under the Sun

Director: Vitaly Mansky

Producer: Natalya Manskaya

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Aquarius

(Brazil)

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho             

Chevalier       

(Greece)

Director: Athina Tsangari

My Golden Days

(France)

Director: Arnaud Desplechin

Toni Erdmann

(Germany and Romania)

Director: Maren Ade

Under the Shadow  

(Iran and U.K.)

Director: Babak Anvari

20th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 20th annual Producers Award, sponsored by Piaget, 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 funded by Piaget.

Lisa Kjerulff

Jordana Mollick

Melody C. Roscher & Craig Shilowich

23rd ANNUAL KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 23rd annual Someone to Watch Award, sponsored by Kiehl’s Since 1851, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.  The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851.

Andrew Ahn 

Director of Spa Night

Claire Carré

Director of Embers     

Anna Rose Holmer

Director of The Fits

Ingrid Jungermann

Director of Women Who Kill

22nd TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 22nd 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.

Kristi Jacobson

Director of Solitary      

Sara Jordenö

Director of Kiki

Nanfu Wang

Director of Hooligan Sparrow

BY DISTRIBUTOR

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
Now in its 32nd year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers whose films embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors Piaget, American Airlines, Jeep brand, IFC, and Principal Sponsor AT&T, as well as Breyers Gelato Indulgences. FIJI Water is the Official Water. WireImage is the Official Photographer. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Albina Oks, Director of Corporate Sponsorship, 310.432.1252.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is the non-profit arts organization that champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.

Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the LA Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and Film Independent at LACMA, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.  

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

About IFC
IFC is the home of offbeat, unexpected comedies. Series like Portlandia, Documentary Now!, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Stan Against Evil and 2017’s Brockmire air alongside fan-favorite movies and comedic cult TV shows. IFC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc., and available across multiple platforms. IFC is Always On Slightly Off.