Film Independent President Josh Welsh announced that the call for entries for the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards is now open. The Regular Deadline is Tuesday, September 16 and the Final Deadline is Tuesday, October 14. Please visit www.spiritawards.com for submission guidelines and forms. The nominations will be announced on November 25, 2014 in a press conference. Piaget is returning as a Premier Sponsor. The Awards, which will be held on February 21, 2015, will premiere later that evening exclusively on IFC.
“This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Film Independent Spirit Awards,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s incredible to look back at all the films and filmmakers we’ve celebrated since 1986 when the Awards began.
This year is already shaping up to be such a strong year for independent filmmakers and we look forward to recognizing their work. Also, we are so thrilled to be back on IFC celebrating another remarkable year in independent cinema.”
The Film Independent Spirit Awards include the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best International Film, Best Documentary and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Grants include the Piaget Producers Award, the Truer Than Fiction Award, and the Someone to Watch Award.
As the first event to exclusively honor independent film, the Film Independent Spirit Awards has made a name for itself as the premier awards show for the independent film community. Artists who have received industry recognition first at the Spirit Awards include Joel and Ethan Coen, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Ashley Judd, Robert Rodriguez, David O. Russell, Edward Burns, Aaron Eckhart, Neil LaBute, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Hilary Swank, Marc Forster, Todd Field, Christopher Nolan, Zach Braff, Amy Adams, Lena Dunham and many more.
In addition to celebrating the broad spectrum of independent filmmaking, the Spirit Awards is also the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry. To learn more about table sales and attendance, please contact jmurby@filmindependent.org or 310.432.1253.
