2021 Film independent spirit awards: nominees

By @nadreviews

Film Independent have announced their nominees recognizing the best of independent film. ✨ 
Eliza Hittman's Never Rarely Sometimes Always earned a total of 7 nominations. The film features a show stopping debut performance by Sidney Flanigan, who is nominated for Best Female Lead. Lee Isaac Chung's Minari is not far behind with 6 nominations, including well-deserved recognition for Yeri Han and Yuh-jung Youn in the Best Supporting Female category. 

Check out the full list of nominees below! The 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Thursday April 22nd at 10pm (ET) on the @IFC Twitter page and streaming on AMC Plus.

Film

Best Screenplay
Mike Makowsky, Bad Education
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Alice Wu, The Half of It
Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Best Cinematography
Michael Latham, The Assistant
Shabier Kirchner, Bull
Helene Louvart, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Joshua James Richards, Nomadland
Jay Keitel, She Dies Tomorrow

Best Documentary
Collective
Crip Camp
Dick Johnson Is Dead
The Mole Agent
Time

Best First Feature
I Carry You With Me
The Forty Year Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
Sound of Metal

Best Supporting Male
Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee, First Cow
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
Glynn Turman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Benedict Wong, Nine Days

Best Male Lead
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Adarsh Gourav, The White Tiger
Rob Morgan, Bull
Steven Yeun, Minari

John Cassavetes Award
The Killing of Two Lovers
La Leyenda Negra
Lingua Franca
Residue
Saint Frances

Robert Altman Award (awarded to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble)
One Night in Miami
Director, Regina King
Casting director, Kimberly R. Hardin
Ensemble cast, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr., Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge

Best First Screenplay
Kitty Green, The Assistant
Noah Hutton, Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara, Palm Springs
James Sweeney, Straight Up

Best Editing
Enat Sidi, I Carry You With Me
Andy Canny, The Invisible Man
Scott Cummings, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Merawi Gerima, Residue

Best International Film
Bacurau
The Disciple
Night of the Kings
Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Quo Vadis, Aida?

Best Supporting Female
Alexis Chikaeze, Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han, Minari
Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit
Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn, Minari

Best Female Lead
Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Julia Garner, The Assistant
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Best Feature
First Cow
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland

Producers Award (awarded to emerging producers dedicated to producing quality independent films)
Kara Durrett
Gerry Kim
Lucas Joaquin

Someone To Watch Award (awarded to a talented filmmaker who has not yet been given recognition)
David Midell, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Ekwa Msangi, Farewell Amor
Annie Silverstein, Bull

Truer Than Fiction Award (awarded to an emerging non-fiction feature filmmaker who has not yet been given recognition)
Cecilia Aldarondo, Landfall
Elegance Bratton, Pier Kids
Elizabeth Lo, Stray

TV

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
City So Real
Immigration Nation
Love Fraud
We’re Here

Best New Scripted Series
I May Destroy You
Little America
Small Axe
A Teacher
Unorthodox

Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series
Elle Fanning, The Great
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Abby McEnany, Work in Progress
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Never Have I Ever
Jordan Kristine Seamon, We Are Who We Are

Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series
Conphidance, Little America
Adam Ali, Little America
Nicco Annan, P-Valley
Amit Rahav, Unorthodox
Harold Torres, Zero Zero Zero

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
I May Destroy You
Ensemble cast, Michaela Coel, Wruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu, Stephen Wright