The Independent Spirit Award Nominations Were Announced

The Independent Spirit Awards are not necessarily a perfect predictor of who the Academy will nominate for an Oscar but it’s perceived as a huge indicator. Current Oscar darlings Carol and Spotlight both received multiple nominations respectively but the shocker was Beasts of No Nation. Beasts of No Nation recieved five nominations including – Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Idris Elba), and Best Actor (Abraham Attah). This comes as no surprise as we have been singing the praises of not only Beasts Of No Nation but Abraham Attah as well. The other notable nomination was Bel Powley for her lead actress  in Diary Of A Teenage Girl. Are these nominations a precursor to Oscar glory for Beasts Of No Nation and Bel Powley? Only time will tell.

Here’s the list of nominees –

Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
“Anomalisa”
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Carol”
“Spotlight”
“Tangerine”

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 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 First Screenplay
Emma Donoghue, “Room”
Jesse Andrews, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh, Myna Joseph, “The Mend”
Jonas Carpignano, “Mediterranea”
Marielle Heller, “The Diary of a Teenage Girl”

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 Male Lead
Abraham Attah, “Beasts of No Nation”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Mississippi Grind”
Christopher Abbott, “James White”
Jason Segal, “The End of the Tour”
Koudous Seihon, “Mediterranea”

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”

Best Documentary
“(T)error”
“Best of Enemies”
“Heart of a Dog”
“Meru”
“The Look of Silence”
“The Russian Woodpecker”

Best Cinematography
Cary Joji Fukunaga, “Beasts of No Nation”
Ed Lachman, “Carol”
Joshua James Richards, “Songs My Brothers Taught Me”
Michael Gioulakis, “It Follows”
Reed Morano, “Meadowland”

Best Editing
Julo C. Perez IV, “It Follows”
Kristan Sprague, “Manos Sucias”
Nathan Nugent, “Room”
Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie, “Heaven Knows What”
Tom McArdle, “Spotlight”