On 21 November 2019, actress Zazie Beetz (Joker) and Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) announced the nominees for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards. The announcement took place at The Line LA in Los Angeles, California, and the ceremony was scheduled for 8 February 2020. The nominations highlight the best in independent filmmaking from the year, recognizing achievements in directing, acting, writing, cinematography and production across low- and mid-budget cinema.
A24’s releases featured prominently among the nominees. Uncut Gems led the list with five nominations overall, while The Farewell also earned multiple citations. Robert Eggers’s The Lighthouse, another notable A24 title, was not included in the Best Feature shortlist but did receive acting recognition through Robert Pattinson’s nomination in the Best Male Lead category. Other notable nominations included Shia LaBeouf for his performance in the autobiographical Honey Boy, and Jennifer Lopez for her supporting turn in the surprise hit Hustlers.
A list of The Film Magazine’s reviews for the films nominated is available at the end of this article.
Below is the complete list of nominees for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
- A Hidden Life
- Clemency
- The Farewell
- Marriage Story
- Uncut Gems
Best First Feature
- Booksmart
- The Climb
- Diane
- The Last Black Man In San Francisco
- The Mustang
- See You Yesterday
Best Director
- Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse)
- Alma Har’el (Honey Boy)
- Julius Onah (Luce)
- Benny Safdie; Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems)
- Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers)
Best Screenplay
- Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story)
- Jason Begue; Shawn Snyder (To Dust)
- Ronald Bronstein; Benny Safdie; Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems)
- Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency)
- Tarell Alvin McCraney (High Flying Bird)
Best First Screenplay
- Fredrica Bailey; Stefon Bristol (See You Yesterday)
- Hannah Bos; Paul Thureen (Driveways)
- Bridget Savage Cole; Danielle Krudy (Blow the Man Down)
- Jocelyn Deboer; Dawn Luebbe (Greener Grass)
- James Montague; Craig W. Sanger (The Vast of Night)
Recommended for you: 2019 British Independent Film Award Nominees – Full List
John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature Made for Under $500,000)
- Burning Cane
- Colewell
- Give Me Liberty
- Premature
- Wild Nights With Emily
Best Male Lead
- Chris Galust (Give Me Liberty)
- Kevin Harrison Jr. (Luce)
- Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse)
- Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)
- Matthias Schoenaerts (The Mustang)
Best Female Lead
- Karen Allen (Colewell)
- Hong Chau (Driveways)
- Elisabeth Moss (Her Smell)
- Mary Kay Place (Diane)
- Renee Zellweger (Judy)
- Alfre Woodard (Clemency)
Best Supporting Male
- Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse)
- Noah Jupe (Honey Boy)
- Shia LaBeouf (Honey Boy)
- Jonathan Majors (The Last Black Man in San Francisco)
- Wendell Pierce (Burning Cane)
Best Supporting Female
- Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers)
- Taylor Russell (Waves)
- Zhao Shuzhen (The Farewell)
- Lauren “Lolo” Spencer (Give Me Liberty)
- Octavia Spencer (Luce)
Best Cinematography
- Todd Banhazl (Hustlers)
- Jarin Blaschke (The Lighthouse)
- Natasha Braier (Honey Boy)
- Chananun Chotrungroj (The Third Wife)
- Pawel Pogorzelski (Midsommar)
Best Editing
- Julie Beziau (The Third Wife)
- Ronald Bronstein; Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems)
- Tyler L. Cook (Sword of Trust)
- Louise Ford (The Lighthouse)
- Kirill Mikhanovsky (Give Me Liberty)
Best International Film
- Invisible Life (Brazil)
- Les Miserables (France)
- Parasite (South Korea)
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France)
- Retablo (Peru)
- The Souvenir (UK)
Recommended for you: European Film Awards 2019 Nominees – Full List
Best Documentary
- American Factory
- Apollo 11
- For Sama
- Honeyland
- Island of the Hungry Ghosts
Robert Altman Award (Director, Casting Director, Ensemble Cast)
- Marriage Story
Bonnie Award – Sponsored by American Airlines
$50,000 grant to a mid-career female director
- Marielle Heller
- Kelly Reichardt
- Lulu Wang
Producers Award
$25,000 grant to emerging producers
- Mollye Asher
- Krista Parris
- Ryan Zacarias
Someone to Watch Award
$25,000 grant to a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition
- Rashaad Ernesto Green (Premature)
- Joe Talbot (The Last Black Man in San Francisco)
- Ash Mayfair (The Third Wife)
Truer Than Fiction Award
$25,000 grant for emerging non-fiction directors who have yet to receive significant recognition
- Davy Rothbart (17 Blocks)
- Erick Stoll; Chase Whiteside (America)
- Khalik Allah (Black Mother)
- Nadia Shihab (Jaddoland)
Nominated films that have been reviewed by The Film Magazine:
A Hidden Life
The Farewell
Booksmart
The Lighthouse
Honey Boy
Greener Grass
Waves
Midsommar
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The Souvenir