The nominees for the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced today by Film Independent, the non-profit group that supports independent filmmaking. As expected, Carol and Spotlight took most of the attention, but Beasts Of No Nation had a strong showing as well.
The Spirit Awards are a key part of the awards season, coming a day before the Oscars. This year, they will be held on Feb. 27 and airs live on IFC. Still, several films that are likely to be ignored by the Academy Awards earned nominations, like Charlie Kaufman’s animated film Anomalisa and Tangerine, a film about a transexual prostitute that was shot with an iPhone.
Surprisingly, Beasts Of No Nation scored several major awards, including Best Feature. The film, which stars Idris Elba, was made available on Netflix the same day it had a very limited release in theaters.
Here’s the full list of nominees:
Best Cinematography
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation
Ed Lachman, Carol
Joshua James Richards, Songs My Brother Taught Me
Michael Gioulakis, It Follows
Reed Morano, Meadowland
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, Anomalisa
David Robert Mitchell, It Follows
Sean Baker, Tangerine
Todd Haynes, Carol
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Best Documentary
(T)error
Heart of a Dog
Meru
The Look of Silence
The Russian Woodpecker
Best Editing
Julio C. Perez IV, It Follows
Kristan Sprague, Manos Sucias
Nathan Nugent, Room
Ronald Bronstein & Benny Safdie, Heaven Knows What
Tom McArdle, Spotlight
Best Feature
Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine
Best Female Lead
Bel Powley, The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Brie Larson, Room
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Tangerine
Rooney Mara, Carol
Best First Feature
James White
Manos Sucias
Mediterranea
Songs My Brothers Taught Me
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Best First Screenplay
Emma Donoghue, Room
Jesse Andrews, Me & Earl & The Dying Girl
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh & Myna Joseph, The Mend
Jonas Carpignano, Mediterranea
Marielle Heller, The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Best International Film
A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence
Embrace of the Serpent
Girlhood
Mustang
Son of Saul
Best Male Lead
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn, Mississippi Grind
Christopher Abbott, James White
Jason Segel, The End of the Tour
Koudous Seihon, Mediterranea
Best Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman, Anomalisa
Donald Margulies, The End of the Tour
Phyllis Nagy, Carol
S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best Supporting Female
Cynthia Nixon, James White
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anomalisa
Marin Ireland, Glass Chin
Mya Taylor, Tangerine
Robin Bartlett, H.
Best Supporting Male
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Kevin Corrigan, Results
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Paul Dano, Love & Mercy
Richard Jenkins, Bone Tomahawk
John Cassavetes Award
Advantageous
Chrismas, Again
Heaven Knows What
Krisha
Out of My Hand
Robert Altman Award
Spotlight (Winner)
Kiehl’s Someone To Watch Award (grant)
Chloe Zhao
Felix Thompson
Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck
Piaget Producers Award (grant)
Darren Dean
Mel Eslyn
Rebecca Green & Laura D. Smith
Truer Than Fiction (grant)
Alex Sichel & Elizabeth Giamatti
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Hemal Trivedi & Mohammed Ali Naqvi