Nominations for the 26th Film Independent Spirit Awards

The Independent Spirit Awards (originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Film Independent is a non-profit arts organization.  Our mission is to champion the cause of independent film and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision.

The Spirit Awards is open to feature films of at least 70 minutes, provided they have been made for no more than $20 million and played for a week in a commercial theater or been exhibited at one of six notable film festivals. Films must also be determined to be independent in the judgment of one of the Film Independent committees that determine nominees. Major studio films can be deemed independent if they are made with "economy of means" and deal with "original and provocative" subject matter.



This year's nominees include:
 
*BEST FEATURE
'127 Hours,' 'Black Swan,' 'Greenberg,' 'The Kids Are All Right,' 'Winter's Bone'

*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
'Everything Strange and New,' 'Get Low,' 'Night Catches Us,' 'The Last Exorcism,' 'Tiny Furniture,'

*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
'Daddy Longlegs,' 'Lbs.,' 'Lovers of Hate,' 'Obselidia,' 'The Exploding Girl'

*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
'Exit Through the Gift Shop, 'Marwencol,' 'Restrepo,' 'Sweetgrass,' 'Thunder Soul'

*BEST FOREIGN FILM
'Kisses,' 'Mademoiselle Chambon,' 'Of Gods and Men,' 'The King's Speech,' 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'

*ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Hossein Keshavarz, 'Dog Sweat;' Laurel Nakadate, 'The Wolf Knife;' Mike Ott, 'Littlerock'

*PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
In-Ah Lee, 'Au Revoir Taipei;' Adele Romanski, 'The Myth of the American Sleepover;' Anish Savjani, 'Meek's Cutoff'

*AVEENO TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, 'Sweetgrass;' Jeff Malmberg, 'Marwencol;' Lynn True, Nelson Walker, 'Summer Pasture'

*ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
'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


The 26th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held in Santa Monica on February 26, the Saturday afternoon before the Academy Awards. It will be hosted by actor and comic Joel McHale. IFC will be broadcasting the event that night at 10pm.