Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations this morning for the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Eva Mendes and Jeremy Renner served as presenters and 2011 Spirit Awards host Joel McHale was also on hand. Nominees for Best Feature include 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Winter’s Bone.
Please Give was selected for the Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
“The artistic side of independent film is stronger than ever, and its especially impressive to see the developed craft of extraordinary independent filmmakers who have only gotten better over the years. Past nominees such as Darren Aronofsky, Noah Baumbach, Danny Boyle, Lisa Cholodenko, Debra Granik, Nicole Holofcener and John Cameron Mitchell continue to create original and compelling films that move and amaze us,” said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson.
Selected from 220 submissions, this year’s winners will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. on the beach in Santa Monica. The 26th annual awards show will air exclusively that night on IFC at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Winners of the Filmmaker Grants will be highlighted during the Spirit Awards and announced at the 2011 Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch celebration on Saturday, January 15th at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.
On Wednesday, February 23, a selection of Spirit Award nominees will discuss their films and their craft at Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up, a 5-week series that features conversations with directors and their collaborators.
The Jameson FIND Your Audience Award, a new filmmaker grant, was established this year to help make it possible for one Spirit Award-nominated film to find a broader audience. Spirit Award-nominated films in need of expanding their marketing and distribution efforts will be considered. The award includes a $50,000 marketing and distribution grant, funded by Jameson Irish Whiskey. The grant was designed to meet independent filmmakers’ biggest challenge today: How to get their films out into the marketplace. A blue-ribbon committee will determine the winner.
2011 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
127 Hours – Producers: Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson
Black Swan – Producers: Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver
Greenberg – Producers: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin
The Kids Are All Right – Producers: Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Winter’s Bone – Producers: Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan
Danny Boyle – 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko – The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik – Winter’s Bone
John Cameron Mitchell – Rabbit Hole
BEST SCREENPLAY
Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko – The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini – Winter’s Bone
Nicole Holofcener – Please Give
David Lindsay-Abaire – Rabbit Hole
Todd Solondz – Life During Wartime
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
Everything Strange and New – Director: Frazer Bradshaw, Producers: A.D. Liano, Laura Techera Francia
Get Low – Director: Aaron Schneider, Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck
Night Catches Us – Director: Tanya Hamilton, Producers: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Ronald Simons
The Last Exorcism – Director: Daniel Stamm, Producers: Marc Abraham, Tom Bliss, Eric Newman, Eli Roth
Tiny Furniture – Director: Lena Dunham, Producers: Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Diane Bell – Obselidia
Lena Dunham – Tiny Furniture
Nik Fackler – Lovely, Still
Bob Glaudini – Jack Goes Boating
Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener – Monogamy
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 listed
Daddy Longlegs – Writer/Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott
Lbs. – Director: Matthew Bonifacio, Writer/Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti
Lovers of Hate – Writer/Director: Bryan Poyser, Producer: Megan Gilbride
Obselidia – Writer/Director: Diane Bell, Producers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin
The Exploding Girl – Writer/Director: Bradley Rust Gray, Producers: Karin Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right
Greta Gerwig – Greenberg
Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine
BEST MALE LEAD
Ronald Bronstein – Daddy Longlegs
Aaron Eckhart – Rabbit Hole
James Franco – 127 Hours
John C. Reilly – Cyrus
Ben Stiller – Greenberg
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Ashley Bell – The Last Exorcism
Dale Dickey – Winter’s Bone
Allison Janney – Life During Wartime
Daphne Rubin-Vega – Jack Goes Boating
Naomi Watts – Mother and Child
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone
Samuel L. Jackson – Mother and Child
Bill Murray – Get Low
John Ortiz – Jack Goes Boating
Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Adam Kimmel – Never Let Me Go
Matthew Libatique – Black Swan
Jody Lee Lipes – Tiny Furniture
Michael McDonough – Winter’s Bone
Harris Savides – Greenberg
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
Exit Through the Gift Shop – Director: Banksy
Marwencol – Director: Jeff Malmberg
Restrepo – Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger
Sweetgrass – Directors: Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor
Thunder Soul – Director: Mark Landsman
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
Kisses (Ireland) – Director: Lance Daly
Mademoiselle Chambon (France) – Director: Stéphane Brizé
Of Gods and Men (Morocco) – Director: Xavier Beauvois
The King’s Speech (United Kingdom) – Director: Tom Hooper
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand) – Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD The 17th annual Acura 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 funded by Acura.
Hossein Keshavarz – Dog Sweat
Laurel Nakadate – The Wolf Knife
Mike Ott – Littlerock
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD The 14th annual Piaget 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 funded by Piaget.
In-Ah Lee – Au Revoir Taipei
Adele Romanski – The Myth of the American Sleepover
Anish Savjani – Meek’s Cutoff
AVEENO® TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD The 16th annual AVEENO® 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 funded by AVEENO®.
Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor – Sweetgrass
Jeff Malmberg – Marwencol
Lynn True, Nelson Walker – Summer Pasture
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Please Give – Director: Nicole Holofcener, Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy, Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele
