Film Independent announced this week that the call for entries for the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards is now open. The Regular Deadline is Tuesday, September 20, 2016 and the Final Deadline is Tuesday, October 11, 2016. Please visit www.spiritawards.com for submission guidelines and forms. The nominations will be announced on November 22, 2016 in a press conference. Piaget and IFC are returning as Premier Sponsors. The Awards will be held on February 25, 2017 and will premiere exclusively on IFC.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards include the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best Screenplay, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, 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, and Best Documentary. The Filmmaker Grants, for emerging filmmakers, include the Producers Award sponsored by Piaget for the 10th consecutive year, the Truer Than Fiction Award the Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award, funded by Kiehl’s since 1851.
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, Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, Lynn Shelton, Oliver Stone, Ashley Judd, Steve McQueen, Robert Rodriguez, David O. Russell, 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.
Film Independent Members vote to determine the winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Members are filmmakers, film industry leaders and film lovers. Anyone passionate about film can join at filmindependent.org/membership to be eligible to vote for the winners of the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards.
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 Jennifer Murby, Associate Director of Institutional Giving,jmurby@filmindependent.org or 310.432.1253.
