The 2011 Independent Spirit Award Nominations
11.30.2010 | By Mack Chico |
LOS ANGELES (November 30, 2010) – Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations this morning for the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Eva Mendes and Jeremy Renner served as presenters and 2011 Spirit Awards host Joel McHale was also on hand. Nominees for Best Feature include 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Winter’s Bone.
Please Give was selected for the Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
“The artistic side of independent film is stronger than ever, and it’s especially impressive to see the developed craft of extraordinary independent filmmakers who have only gotten better over the years. Past nominees such as Darren Aronofsky, Noah Baumbach, Danny Boyle, Lisa Cholodenko, Debra Granik, Nicole Holofcener and John Cameron Mitchell continue to create original and compelling films that move and amaze us.” said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson.
Selected from 220 submissions, this year’s winners will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. on the beach in Santa Monica. The 26th annual awards show will air exclusively that night on IFC at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Winners of the Filmmaker Grants will be highlighted during the Spirit Awards and announced at the 2011 Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch celebration on Saturday, January 15th at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.
On Wednesday, February 23, a selection of Spirit Award nominees will discuss their films and their craft at Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up, a 5-week series that features conversations with directors and their collaborators.
The Jameson FIND Your Audience Award, a new filmmaker grant, was established this year to help make it possible for one Spirit Award-nominated film to find a broader audience. Spirit Award-nominated films in need of expanding their marketing and distribution efforts will be considered. The award includes a $50,000 marketing and distribution grant, funded by Jameson Irish Whiskey. The grant was designed to meet independent filmmakers’ biggest challenge today: How to get their films out into the marketplace. A blue-ribbon committee will determine the winner.
2011 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
| 127 Hours | Producers: Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson |
| Black Swan | Producers: Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver |
| Greenberg | Producers: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin |
| The Kids Are All Right | Producers: Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg |
| Winter’s Bone | Producers: Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini |
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 (Award given to the director and producer)
| Everything Strange and New | Director: Frazer Bradshaw
Producers: A.D. Liano, Laura Techera Francia |
| Get Low | Director: Aaron Schneider Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck |
| Night Catches Us | Director: Tanya Hamilton Producers: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Ronald Simons |
| The Last Exorcism | Director: Daniel Stamm Producers: Marc Abraham, Tom Bliss, Eric Newman, Eli Roth |
| Tiny Furniture | Director: Lena Dunham Producers: Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering |
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 – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not listed
| Daddy Longlegs | Writer/Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott |
| Lbs. | Director: Matthew Bonifacio
Writer/Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti |
| Lovers of Hate | Writer/Director: Bryan Poyser
Producer: Megan Gilbride |
| Obselidia | Writer/Director: Diane Bell
Producers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin |
| The Exploding Girl | Writer/Director: Bradley Rust Gray
Producers: Karin Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim |
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 (Award given to the director)
| Exit Through the Gift Shop | Director: Banksy |
| Marwencol | Director: Jeff Malmberg |
| Restrepo | Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger |
| Sweetgrass | Directors: Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor |
| Thunder Soul | Director: Mark Landsman |
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
| Kisses (Ireland) |
Director: Lance Daly |
| Mademoiselle Chambon (France) |
Director: Stéphane Brizé |
| Of Gods and Men (Morocco) |
Director: Xavier Beauvois |
| The King’s Speech
(United Kingdom) |
Director: Tom Hooper |
| Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand) |
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul |
ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 17th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Acura.
| Hossein Keshavarz | Dog Sweat |
| Laurel Nakadate | The Wolf Knife |
| Mike Ott | Littlerock |
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 14th annual Piaget Producers Award 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.
| In-Ah Lee | Au Revoir Taipei |
| Adele Romanski | The Myth of the American Sleepover |
| Anish Savjani | Meek’s Cutoff |
AVEENO® TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 16th annual AVEENO® Truer Than Fiction Award 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 funded by AVEENO®.
| Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor | Sweetgrass |
| Jeff Malmberg | Marwencol |
| Lynn True, Nelson Walker | Summer Pasture |
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
| 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 |
