Tomorrow, on a rainy midday afternoon, the Independent Spirit Awards will host their own version of the year’s best. In year’s past, the Spirit Awards have been sort of the anti-Oscars in a way, the alternative to what is the moneyed world of the popularity contest that takes place on Sunday. This will be an interesting year because it will put the Spirit Awards possibly in line with the Oscars for Best Picture for the third time in their history. Only Platoon and The Artist have won both.
I am attending the Spirit Awards for the first time tomorrow. While the weather has made it a tad less than ideal (beachside awards on a beautiful day is probably divine) but I will be happy to see what I hope is a good day for 12 Years a Slave.
Let’s take a look at the nominees, shall we?
Best Picture
12 Years Slave <–Predicted Winner
All is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska <–but maybe
It isn’t as easy a call as you’d think. Inside Llewyn Davis could easily win this, as could Nebraska. Probably not Frances Ha or All is Lost. Still, I’ll put my chips behind 12 Years a Slave.
Director
Shane Carruth – ‘Upstream Color’
J.C. Chandor – ‘All Is Lost’
Steve McQueen – ’12 Years a Slave’ <–predicted winner
Jeff Nichols – ‘Mud’
Alexander Payne – ‘Nebraska’
We really have no idea how this will go – these awards are voted on by members and pretty much anyone who wants to be a member can be. So Silver Linings Playbook took home all of the major awards last year, one never knows which one of these is popular – but perhaps McQueen will win, making Spirit Award history while doing so.
Screenplay
Woody Allen – ‘Blue Jasmine’
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater – ‘Before Midnight’ <–predicted winners
Nicole Holofcener – ‘Enough Said’
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber – ‘The Spectacular Now’
John Ridley – ’12 Years a Slave’
Just a hunch that the Before crew will win but John Ridley could win too. Props to the Spirit awards for nominating two women in this category.
First Feature
‘Blue Caprice’ – Alexandre Moors – director/producer; Kim Jackson, Brian O’Carroll, Isen Robbins, Will Rowbotham, Ron Simons, Aimee Schoof, Stephen Tedeschi – producer
‘Concussion’ – Stacie Passon – director; Rose Troche – producer
‘Fruitvale Station’ – Ryan Coogler – director; Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker – producers <–predicted winner
‘Una Noche’ – Lucy Mulloy – director – producer; Sandy Pérez Aguila, Maite Artieda, Daniel Mulloy, Yunior Santiago – producers
‘Wadjda’ – Haifaa Al Mansour – director; Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul – producer
First Screenplay
Lake Bell – ‘In a World’
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – ‘Don Jon’
Bob Nelson – ‘Nebraska’ <—predicted winner
Jill Soloway – ‘Afternoon Delight’
Michael Starrbury – ‘The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete’
I have no idea who will win this one but I suspect Nebraska could take it, being that it’s the only one with a corresponding Picture and Director nod.
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
‘Computer Chess’ – Andrew Bujalski, writer/director
‘Crystal Fairy’ – Sebastiàn Silva, writer/director
‘Museum Hours’ – Jem Cohen, writer/director
‘Pit Stop’ – Yen Tan, writer/director; David Lowery, writer
‘This is Martin Bonner’ – Chad Hartigan, writer/director
Abstain – I have no clue on this one, sorry.
Female Lead
Cate Blanchett – ‘Blue Jasmine’ <–predicted winner in a clean sweep.
Julie Delpy – ‘Before Midnight’
Gaby Hoffmann – ‘Crystal Fairy’
Brie Larson – ‘Short Term 12’
Shailene Woodley – ‘The Spectacular Now’
Male Lead
Bruce Dern – ‘Nebraska’ <—but it could be…
Chiwetel Ejiofor – ’12 Years a Slave’ <—and watch out for…
Oscar Isaac – ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’
Michael B. Jordan – ‘Fruitvale Station’
Matthew McConaughey – ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ <–probably your winner…
Robert Redford – ‘All Is Lost’
Supporting Female
Melonie Diaz – ‘Fruitvale Station’
Sally Hawkins – ‘Blue Jasmine’
Lupita Nyong’o – ’12 Years a Slave’ <–predicted winner
Yolonda Ross – ‘Go For Sisters’
June Squibb – ‘Nebraska’ <– but it could be…
Supporting Male
Michael Fassbender – ’12 Years a Slave’
Will Forte – ‘Nebraska’
James Gandolfini – ‘Enough Said’ <–but perhaps a nice tribute…
Jared Leto – ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ <— predicted winner
Keith Stanfield – ‘Short Term 12′
Cinematography
Sean Bobbitt – ’12 Years a Slave’
Benoit Debie – ‘Spring Breakers’
Bruno Delbonnel – ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ <—predicted winner
Frank G. DeMarco – ‘All Is Lost’
Matthias Grunsky – ‘Computer Chess’
Shane Carruth & David Lowery – ‘Upstream Color’ <–predicted winner, wild guess
Jem Cohen & Marc Vives – ‘Museum Hours’
Jennifer Lame – ‘Frances Ha’
Cindy Lee – ‘Una Noche’
Nat Sanders – ‘Short Term 12’
Documentary
’20 Feet From Stardom – Morgan Neville, director/producer; Gil Friesen & Caitrin Rogers, producers — but perhaps this one.
‘After Tiller’ – Martha Shane & Lana Wilson, directors/producers
‘Gideon’s Army’ – Dawn Porter, director/producer; Julie Goldman, producer
‘The Act of Killing’ – Joshua Oppenheimer, director/producer; Joram Ten Brink, Christine Cynn, Anne Köhncke, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Michael Uwemedimo, producer — predicted winner
‘The Square’ – Jehane Noujaim, director, Karim Amer, producer
International Film
‘A Touch of Sin’ (China) – Jia Zhang-Ke, director
‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’ (France) – Abdellatif Kechiche, director <–predicted winner
‘Gloria (Chile) – Sebastián Lelio, director
‘The Great Beauty’ (Italy) – Paolo Sorrentino, director
‘The Hunt’ (Denmark) – Thomas Vinterberg, director