Features, Films, Women Directors, Women Writers

Indie Spirit Award Nominations: “Lady Bird,” “The Rider,” and More

“Lady Bird”

The 2018 Independent Spirit Award nominations are in. Two of five Best Feature nominees are women-directed: Greta Gerwig’s universally adored “Lady Bird,” a coming-of-age story about a Sacramento-based teen, and Chloé Zhao’s “The Rider,” an award-winning portrait of a cowboy coping with the aftermath of a near-fatal rodeo accident.

Gerwig scored a Best Screenplay nod for “Lady Bird” — making her the only woman in this category — but her name was notably absent from the Best Director nominees. Zhao is the sole female filmmaker included in that category.

Atsuko Hirayanagi’s “Oh Lucy!” received a nod for Best First Feature. The comedy about a lonely office worker is the only woman-directed film up for that award.

Female filmmakers fared well in the Best Documentary category, where three of five films are helmed or co-helmed by women: Lana Wilson’s “The Departure,” Agnés Varda’s “Faces Places,” which she collaborated on with JR, and Ramona S. Diaz’s “Motherland.”

One title we are thrilled to see get some much-deserved attention is Rungano Nyoni’s “I Am Not a Witch,” which is the only film directed by a woman up for the Best International Film award. The drama follows a little girl who is accused of witchcraft by locals in her rural Zambian village.

The Robert Altman Award will go to the “Mudbound” team. Co-written and directed by Dee Rees, the Oscar hopeful is set in post-WWII south and follows two vets as they return home to Mississippi. Strangely the critical darling received no other recognition, and many are — understandably — wondering why it didn’t get more nods.

New this year, the Bonnie Award recognizes a mid-career female director with a $50,000 grant. The inaugural nominees are Zhao, So Yong Kim (“Lovesong”), and Lynn Shelton (“Laggies”).

Check out all of the women up for Independent Spirit Awards below. The event will take place March 3 and be broadcast live exclusively on IFC.

BEST FEATURE

(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Lady Bird

Producers: Eli Bush, Evelyn O’Neill, Scott Rudin

The Rider

Producers: Mollye Asher, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Chloé Zhao

BEST FIRST FEATURE

(Award given to the director and producer)

Oh Lucy!

Director/Producer: Atsuko Hirayanagi

Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Yukie Kito, Han West

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 awarded.)

Most Beautiful Island

Writer/Director/Producer: Ana Asensio

Producers: Larry Fessenden, Noah Greenberg, Chadd Harbold, Jenn Wexler

BEST DIRECTOR

Chloé Zhao

The Rider

BEST SCREENPLAY

Greta Gerwig

Lady Bird

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani

The Big Sick

Ingrid Jungermann

Women Who Kill

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Hélène Louvart

Beach Rats

BEST EDITING

Tatiana S. Riegel

I, Tonya

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Salma Hayek

Beatriz at Dinner

Frances McDormand

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie

I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan

Lady Bird

Shinobu Terajima

Oh Lucy!

Regina Williams

Life and nothing more

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Holly Hunter

The Big Sick

Allison Janney

I, Tonya

Laurie Metcalf

Lady Bird

Lois Smith

Marjorie Prime

Taliah Lennice Webster

Good Time

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD — Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

Mudbound

Director: Dee Rees

Casting Directors: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram

Ensemble Cast: Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

The Departure

Director/Producer: Lana Wilson

Faces Places

Directors: Agnés Varda, JR

Producer: Rosalie Varda

Motherland

Director/Producer: Ramona S. Diaz

Producer: Rey Cuerdo

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

I Am Not a Witch

Zambia

Director: Rungano Nyoni

BONNIE AWARD — 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 inaugural Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.

So Yong Kim

Lynn Shelton

Chloé Zhao

JEEP TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD — The 23rd annual Truer Than Fiction Award, funded by the Jeep brand, 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 the Jeep brand.

Shevaun Mizrahi

Director of Distant Constellation

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD — The 21st annual Producers Award, funded 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.

Giulia Caruso (and Ki Jin Kim)

Summer Shelton

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