HOLLYWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 25: Actors Diego Luna (L) and Rosario Dawson, wearing Piaget Rose Dentelle earrings, speak onstage during the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Press Conference at the W Hollywood on November 25, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Piaget)
  • Awards

2015 Independent Spirit Award Nominations

The 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Press Conference at the W Hollywood on November 25, 2014 in Hollywood, California where the nominees were announced. Winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards ceremony.
Complete list of nominees below:
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer)* Executive Producers are not awarded.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
PRODUCERS: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole
Boyhood
PRODUCERS: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland
Love is Strange
PRODUCERS: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman,
Jay Van Hoy
Selma
PRODUCERS: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey
Whiplash
PRODUCERS: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, Michael Litvak
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
DIRECTOR: Ana Lily Amirpour
PRODUCERS: Justin Begnaud, Sina Sayyah
Dear White People
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Justin Simien
PRODUCERS: Effie T. Brown, Ann Le, Julia Lebedev,Angel Lopez, Lena Waithe
Nightcrawler
DIRECTOR: Dan Gilroy
PRODUCERS: Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy, Jake Gyllenhaal, David Lancaster, Michel Litvak
Obvious Child
DIRECTOR: Gillian Robespierre
PRODUCER: Elisabeth Holm
She’s Lost Control
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Anja Marquardt
PRODUCERS: Mollye Asher, Kiara C. Jones JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)* Executive Producers are not awarded.
Blue Ruin
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Jeremy Saulnier
PRODUCERS: Richard Peete, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani
It Felt Like Love
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Eliza Hittman
PRODUCERS: Shrihari Sathe, Laura Wagner
Land Ho!
WRITERS/DIRECTORS: Aaron Katz, Martha Stephens
PRODUCERS: Christina Jennings, Mynette Louie, Sara Murphy
Man From Reno
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Dave Boyle
WRITERS: Joel Clark, Michael Lerman
PRODUCER: Ko Mori
Test
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Chris Mason Johnson
PRODUCER: Chris Martin
BEST DIRECTOR
Damien ChazelleWhiplash
Ava DuvernaySelma
Alejandro G. IñárrituBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard LinklaterBoyhood
David ZellnerKumiko, The Treasure Hunter
BEST SCREENPLAY
Scott Alexander, Larry KaraszewskiBig Eyes
J.C. ChandorA Most Violent Year
Dan GilroyNightcrawler
Jim JarmuschOnly Lovers Left Alive
Ira Sachs, Mauricio ZachariasLove is Strange
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Desiree AkhavanAppropriate Behavior
Sara ColangeloLittle Accidents
Justin LaderThe One I Love
Anja MarquardtShe’s Lost Control
Justin SimienDear White People
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Darius KhondjiThe Immigrant
Emmanuel LubezkiBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Sean PorterIt Felt Like Love
Lyle VincentA Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Bradford YoungSelma
BEST EDITING
Sandra AdairBoyhood
Tom CrossWhiplash
John GilroyNightcrawler
Ron PataneA Most Violent Year
Adam WingardThe Guest
BEST MALE LEAD
André BenjaminJimi: All Is By My Side
Jake GyllenhaalNightcrawler
Michael KeatonBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
John LithgowLove Is Strange
David OyelowoSelma
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Marion CotillardThe Immigrant
Rinko KikuchiKumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Julianne MooreStill Alice
Jenny SlateObvious Child
Tilda SwintonOnly Lovers Left Alive
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Riz AhmedNightcrawler
Ethan HawkeBoyhood
Alfred MolinaLove is Strange
Edward NortonBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Patricia ArquetteBoyhood
Jessica ChastainA Most Violent Year
Carmen EjogoSelma
Andrea Suarez PazStand Clear Of The Closing Doors
Emma StoneBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Force Majeure (Sweden)
DIRECTOR: Ruben Östlund
Ida (Poland)
DIRECTOR: Pawel Pawlikowski
Leviathan (Russia)
DIRECTOR: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Mommy (Canada)
DIRECTOR: Xavier Dolan
Norte, The End Of History (Philippines)
DIRECTOR: Lav Diaz
Under The Skin (United Kingdom)
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Glazer
BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer)
20,000 Days On Earth
DIRECTORS: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
PRODUCERS: Dan Bowen, James Wilson
Citizenfour
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Laura Poitras
PRODUCERS: Mathilde Bonnefoy, Dirk Wilutzky
Stray Dog
DIRECTOR: Debra Granik
PRODUCER: Anne Rosellini
The Salt of ohe Earth
DIRECTORS: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders
PRODUCER: David Rosier
Virunga
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Orlando von Einsiedel
PRODUCER: Joanna Natasegara
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
Inherent Vice
DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson
CASTING DIRECTOR: Cassandra Kulukundis
ENSEMBLE CAST: Josh Brolin, Hong Chau, Martin Donovan, Jena Malone, Joanna Newsom, Joaquin Phoenix, Sasha Pieterse, Eric Roberts, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Serena Scott Thomas, Benicio del Toro, Katherine Waterston, Owen Wilson,Reese Witherspoon, Michael Kenneth Williams
SPECIAL DISTINCTION AWARD
Foxcatcher
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Bennett Miller
WRITERS: E. Max Frye, Dan FuttermanPRODUCER: Anthony Bregman, Megan Ellison, Jon Kilik
CAST: Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum
18th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
The 18th 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.
The finalists are:
Chad Burris
Elisabeth Holm
Chris Ohlson
20th ANNUAL LENSCRAFTERS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
The 20th annual Truer Than Fiction Award, sponsored by Lenscrafters, is presented to an emerging director of non-union features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by LensCrafters.
The finalists are:
Sara Dosa Director of The Last Season
Dan Krauss Director of The Kill Team
Darius Clark Monroe Director of Evolution of a Criminal
Amanda Rose Wilder Director of Approaching the Elephant
21st ANNUAL KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
The 21st 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.
The finalists are:
Ana Lily Amirpour<.b> Director of A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia Directors of H
Chris Eska Director of The Retrieval