Though the Independent Spirit Awards don’t air until the night before the Oscars, they’re among the earliest nominations announced every awards season. So early, in fact, that they were announced today! Only films made for less than $20 million were eligible, which means that potential Oscar heavyweights like The Theory of Everything, Inherent Vice, and Foxcatcher were unable to compete (though Inherent Vice and Foxcatcher were awarded the Robert Altman Award and the Special Distinction Award, respectively). Strangely, The Imitation Game was reportedly eligible but was shut out anyway. No worries — that just leaves more room for Birdman, Boyhood, and Selma to clean up, as well as well-deserved shout-outs for Obvious Child and Dear White People. André 3000 even got a nod!
BEST FEATURE
Birdman
Boyhood
Love Is Strange
Selma
Whiplash
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Ava Duvernay, Selma
David Zellner, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Rinko Kikuchi, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Jenny Slate, Obvious Child
Tilda Swinton, Only Lovers Left Alive
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Marion Cotillard, The Immigrant
BEST MALE LEAD
Michael Keaton, Birdman
André Benjamin, Jimi: All Is by My Side
John Lithgow, Love Is Strange
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
David Oyelowo, Selma
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Emma Stone, Birdman
Carmen Ejogo, Selma
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Andrea Suarez Paz, Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Edward Norton, Birdman
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Alfred Molina, Love Is Strange
Riz Ahmed, Nightcrawler
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SCREENPLAY
J.C. Chandor, A Most Violent Year
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, Big Eyes
Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, Love Is Strange
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
Jim Jarmusch, Only Lovers Left Alive
BEST FIRST FEATURE
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Dear White People
Nightcrawler
Obvious Child
She’s Lost Control
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Justin Simien, Dear White People
Desiree Akhavan, Appropriate Behavior
Sara Colangelo, Little Accidents
Anja Marquardt, She’s Lost Control
Justin Lader, The One I Love
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Lyle Vincent, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Sean Porter, It Felt Like Love
Bradford Young, Selma
Darius Khondji, The Immigrant
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to best feature made for less than $500,000)
Blue Ruin
It Felt Like Love
Land Ho!
Man From Reno
Test
BEST DOCUMENTARY
20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Stray Dog
Virunga
The Salt of the Earth
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Mommy
Norte, The End of History
Under the Skin
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (for best ensemble)
Inherent Vice
SPECIAL DISTINCTION
Foxcatcher
