#FIRSTLOOK: SUNDANCE AND 2020 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS COVERAGE

It is with great pleasure to let you know that we’ll be returning to Santa Monica Pier once again this February for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards!  We’re partnering with our friends at Hollywood Suite from the Blue Carpet to provide you some star-studded coverage of the final Awards Show of the season before the Academy Awards! We’re super-excited to be in Hollywood again for some of that Awards Season excitement!

The Independent Spirit Awards take place Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 5:00 PM ET and air on Hollywood Suite in Canada and on IFC in the U.S.

Nominees are comprised of a mixed group of A-List and emerging talent and we’re thrilled some of our favourites like HUSTLERS, UNCUT GEMS, THE FAREWELL and MARRIAGE STORY get the love they deserved here.

 

See the Nominees:

BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer)

A HIDDEN LIFE
Producers: Elisabeth Bentley, Dario Bergesio, Grant Hill, Josh Jeter

CLEMENCY
Producers: Timur Bekbosunov, Julian Cautherley, Bronwyn Cornelius, Peter Wong

THE FAREWELL
Producers: Anita Gou, Daniele Melia, Andrew Miano, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Lulu Wang, Chris Weitz, Jane Zheng

MARRIAGE STORY
Producers: Noah Baumbach, David Heyman

UNCUT GEMS
Producers: Eli Bush, Sebastian Bear McClard, Scott Rudin

 

BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)

BOOKSMART
Director: Olivia Wilde

Producers: Chelsea Barnard, David Distenfeld, Jessica Elbaum, Megan Ellison, Katie Silberman

THE CLIMB
Director: Michael Angelo Covino

Producers: Noah Lang, Kyle Marvin

DIANE
Director: Kent Jones

Producers: Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Caroline Kaplan, Oren Moverman

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Director/Producer: Joe Talbot

Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Khaliah Neal, Christina Oh

THE MUSTANG
Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Producer: Ilan Goldman

SEE YOU YESTERDAY
Director: Stefon Bristol

Producer: Spike Lee

 

BEST DIRECTOR
Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse

Alma Har’el, Honey Boy

Julius Onah, Luce

Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems

Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems

Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers

 

BEST SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story

Jason Begue, Shawn Snyder, To Dust

Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems

Chinonye Chukwu, Clemency

Tarell Alvin McCraney, High Flying Bird

 

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Fredrica Bailey, Stefon Bristol, See You Yesterday

Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, Driveways

Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down

Jocelyn Deboer, Dawn Luebbe, Greener Grass

Andrew Patterson, Craig W. Sanger, The Vast of Night

 

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director and producer)

BURNING CANE
Writer/Director/Producer: Phillip Youmans

Producers: Ojo Akinlana, Jakob Johnson, Karen Kaia Livers, Mose Mayer,

Wendell Pierce, Isaac Web, Cassandra Youmans

COLEWELL
Writer/Director: Tom Quinn

Producers: Joshua Blum, Alexandra Byer, Craig Shilowich, Matthew Thurm

GIVE ME LIBERTY
Writer/Director/Producer: Kirill Mikhanovsky

Writer/Producer: Alice Austen

Producers: Val Abel, Wally Hall, Michael Manasseri, George Rush, Sergey Shtern

PREMATURE
Writer/Director/Producer: Rashaad Ernesto Green

Writer: Zora Howard

Producers: Darren Dean, Joy Ganes

WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY
Writer/Director/Producer: Madeleine Olnek

Producers: Anna Margarita Albelo, Casper Andreas, Max Rifkind-Barron

 

BEST MALE LEAD
Chris Galust, Give Me Liberty

Kelvin Harrison Jr., Luce

Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse

Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems

Matthias Schoenaerts, The Mustang

 

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Karen Allen, Colewell

Hong Chau, Driveways

Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell

Mary Kay Place, Diane

Renée Zellweger, Judy

Alfre Woodard, Clemency

 

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse

Noah Jupe, Honey Boy

Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy

Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Wendell Pierce, Burning Cane

 

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers

Taylor Russell, Waves

Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell

Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, Give Me Liberty

Octavia Spencer, Luce

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Todd Banhazl, Hustlers

Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse

Natasha Braier, Honey Boy

Chananun Chotrungroj, The Third Wife

Pawel Pogorzelski, Midsommar

 

BEST EDITING
Julie Béziau, The Third Wife

Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems

Tyler L. Cook, Sword of Trust

Louise Ford, The Lighthouse

Kirill Mikhanovsky, Give Me Liberty

 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
INVISIBLE LIFE (Brazil)
Director: Karim Aïnouz

LES MISÉRABLES (France)
Director: Ladj Ly

PARASITE (South Korea)
Director: Bong Joon-ho

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (France)
Director: Céline Sciamma

RETABLO (Peru)
Director: Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio L.

THE SOUVENIR (United Kingdom)
Director: Joanna Hogg

BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer)

AMERICAN FACTORY
Director/Producers: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert

Producers: Julia Parker Benello, Jeff Reichert

APOLLO 11
Director/Producer: Todd Douglas Miller

Producers: Evan Krauss, Thomas Baxley Peterson

FOR SAMA
Director: Edward Watts

Director/Producer: Waad al-Kateab

HONEYLAND
Director: Tamara Kotevska

Director/Producer: Ljubo Stefanov

Producer: Atanas Georgiev

ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS
Director/Producer: Gabrielle Brady

Producers: Gizem Acarla, Samm Haillay, Alex Kelly, Alexander Wadouh

 

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)

MARRIAGE STORY
Director: Noah Baumbach

Casting Directors: Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler

Ensemble Cast: Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Adam Driver, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Merritt Wever

 

BONNIE AWARD SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES
(Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo joined American Airlines in 1973 at age 24, becoming the first female pilot to fly for a major U.S. airline. In her honor, the 3rd annual Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.)

Marielle Heller

Kelly Reichardt

Lulu Wang

 

PRODUCERS AWARD
(The Producers Award, now in its 23rd year, 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.)

Mollye Asher

Krista Parris

Ryan Zacarias

 

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD, PRESENTED BY BULLEIT FONTIER WHISKEY
(The Someone to Watch Award Presented By Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, now in its 26th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

PREMATURE
Director: Rashaad Ernesto Green

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Director: Joe Talbot

THE THIRD WIFE
Director: Ash Mayfair

 

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
(The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 25th year, 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.)

17 BLOCKS
Director: Davy Rothbart

AMÉRICA
Directors: Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside

BLACK MOTHER
Director: Khalik Allah

JADDOLAND
Director: Nadia Shihab

 

Above this, our Amanda Gilmore heads to Park City later this week to attend the Sundance Film Festival, delivering you highlights and reviews from some of the hottest Films to come out of the Festival!

 

Stay tuned to our Social Media for live coverage:

Instagram: @mrwillwong

Twitter: @mrwillw | @gilmoreamanda

Facebook: mrwillwongblog

 

Also be sure to follow Hollywood Suite’s coverage:

Twitter: @hollywoodsuite

Cameron Maitland: @camfess

 

(Photo credit: Film Independent)