2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Oscar Eve, or the 30th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards will air Saturday, February 21st at 2pm Pacific and 5pm Eastern on IFC.

Love the nods for Obvious Child and Jenny Slate, this is the platform for the film to be given the recognition that it deserves. Birdman and Michael Keaton, Boyhood, Foxcatcher and Julianne Moore in Still Alice have shown up on all the nomination lists so far and that bodes well for their Oscar chances.

BEST FEATURE
Birdman

Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash

BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Ava DuVernay, Selma 
Alejandro G Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
David Zellner Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

BEST SCREENPLAY
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, Big Eyes
JC Chandor, A Most Violent Year
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
Jim Jarmusch, Only Lovers Left Alive
Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, Love is Strange

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer) 
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
White People
Nightcrawler
Obvious Child
She’s Lost Control

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Desiree Akhavan, Appropriate Behavior
Sara Colangelo, Little Accidents
Justin Lader, The One I Love
Anja Marquardt, She’s Lost Control
Justin Simien, Dear White People

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director and producer) 
Blue Ruin
It Felt Like Love
Land Ho!
Man From Reno

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Marion Cotillard, The Immigrant
Rinko Kikuchi Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Jenny Slate, Obvious Child
Tilda Swinton, Only Lovers Left Alive

BEST MALE LEAD
André Benjamin, Jimi: All Is By My Side
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton, Birdman
John Lithgow, Love is Strange
David Oyelowo, Selma

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood 
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Carmen Ejogo, Selma
Andrea Suarez Paz, Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
Emma Stone, Birdman

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Riz Ahmed, Nightcrawler
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Alfred Molina, Love is Strange
Edward Norton Birdman
JK Simmons, Whiplash

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Darius Khondji, The Immigrant
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Sean Porter, It Felt Like Love
Lyle Vincent, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Bradford Young, Selma

BEST EDITING
Sandra Adair, Boyhood
Tom Cross, Whiplash
John Gilroy, Nightcrawler
Ron Patane, A Most Violent Year
Adam Wingard, The Guest

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 the Earth
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and Wim Wenders Producer: David Rosier, Virunga Director/Producer: Orlando von Einsiedel Producer: Joanna Natasegara

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director) 
Ruben Östlund, Force Majeure (Sweden)
Pawel Pawlikowski, Ida (Poland)
Andrey Zvyagintsev, Leviathan (Russia)
Xavier Dolan, Mommy (Canada)
Lav Diaz, Norte, the End of History (Philippines)
Jonathan Glazer, Under the Skin (United Kingdom)

ROBERT ALTMAN 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, Martin Donovan, Jena Malone, Joanna Newsom, Joaquin Phoenix, Eric Roberts, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short Serena Scott Thomas, Benicio Del Toro, Katherine Waterston, Michael Kenneth Williams, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon 

SPECIAL DISTINCTION AWARD
Foxcatcher
Director/Producer: Bennett Miller Producers: Anthony Bregman, Megan Ellison, Jon Kilik
Writers: E Max Frye, Dan Futterman
Actors: 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.
Chad Burris, Elisabeth Holm, Chris Ohlson

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 Since 1851.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Director: Ana Lily
Amirpour H, Directors: Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia
The Retrieval Director: Chris Eska

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-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by LensCrafters.
Approaching the Elephant, Director: Amanda Rose Wilder
Evolution of a Criminal, Director: Darius Clark Monroe
The Kill Team, Director: Dan Krauss
The Last Season, Director: Sara Dosa