The nominees have been announced for the 2016 Independent Spirit Awards, a bellweather for the Oscars and awards dedicated to independent American filmmaking. Irish/Canadian drama Room has picked up three nominations, with Brie Larson up for Female Lead; Emma Donoghue up for Best First Screenplay; and Nathan Nugent nominated for Best Editing.
Todd Haynes’ Carol leads the field with 6 nominations, with Beasts of No Nation receiving 5, while Spotlight, Tangerine, and Anomalisa garnered four each. All 5 of these films compete for Best Feature. Spotlight has already won the Robert Altman Award for its ensemble cast.
Room sees writer Emma O’Donoghue adapt her own best-selling novel, which is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. To him the room is his world, but his mother knows different having been held there for 7 years. The film stars Brie Larson (Short Term 12, The Spectacular Now), Jacob Tremblay (The Smurfs 2, Somnia), Joan Allen (The Bourne Supremacy, Nixon) and William H. Macy (Shameless, Magnolia). The film also features Sean Bridgers (Rectify), Tom McCamus (The Samaritan) and Megan Park (What If).
Room is an Element Pictures and No Trace Camping production, in association with Telefilm Canada, Film4, and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. It will be released in Irish cinemas on January 15th.
The winners will be announced on February 27th, the day before the Academy Awards, in a tent on Santa Monica Beach.
Best Feature
Anomalisa
Beasts Of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine
Best First Feature
James White
Manos Sucias
Mediterranea
Songs My Brother Taught Me
The Diary Of A Teenage Girl
Best International Film
A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence
Embrace Of The Serpent
Girlhood
Mustang
Son Of Saul
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 Female Lead
Bel Bowley — Diary Of A Teenage Girl
Brie Larson — Room
Cate Blanchett — Carol
Katana Kiki Rodriguez — Tangerine
Rooney Mara — Carol
Best Male Lead
Abraham Attah — Beasts Of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn — Mississippi Grind
Christopher Abbott — James White
Jason Segel — 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 First Screenplay
Emma Donoghue — Room
Jesse Andrews — Me And Earl And The Dying Girl
John Magary, Russell Harbagh, Myna Joseph — The Mend
Jonas Carpignano — Mediterranea
Marielle Heller — The Diary Of A Teenage Girl
Best Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman — Anomalisa
Donald Marguiles — The End Of The Tour
Phyllis Nagy — Carol
S. Craig Zahler — Bone Tomahawk
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer — Spotlight
Best Cinematography
Cary Joji Fukunaga — Beasts Of No Nation
Ed Lachman — Carol
Joshua James Richards — Songs My Brother Taught Me
Michael Giolakis — It Follows
Reed Morano — Meadowland
Best Documentary
(T)error
Best Of Enemies
Heart Of A Dog
Meru
The Look Of Silence
The Russian Woodpecker
Best Editing
Julio C. Perez IV — It Follows
Kristan Sprague — Manos Sucias
Nathan Nugent — Room
Ronald Bronstein and Benny Sadie — Heaven Knows What
Tom McArdle — Spotlight
John Cassavetes Award
Advantageous
Christmas, Again
Heaven Knows What
Krisha
Out Of My Hand
Robert Altman Award
Spotlight