The Independent Spirit Awards is one of my favorites because it helps bring attention to indie movies that could use a little more love. This year’s nominees have been announced, and there’s an impressive lineup that really spreads the love around. Leading the pack with five nominations isWe the Animalsand with four a piece areEighth GradeandYou Were Never Really Here. And if you’re wondering about why certain movies didn’t get nominated, Kris Tapley has the answer:
Rules are what they are, but there are still some great nominations in this bunch including the entire “Best First Feature” group,Ethan HawkeforFirst Reformed, and Josh Hamilton forEighth Grade. The only real oversight is Kathryn Hahn not getting nominated forPrivate Life, although that movie did pick up nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress.
Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, June 13, 2025.
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
Eighth Grade
Producers: Eli Bush, Scott Rudin, Christopher Storer, Lila Yacoub
First Reformed
Producers: Jack Binder, Greg Clark, Gary Hamilton, Victoria Hill, David Hinojosa, Frank Murray, Deepak Sikka, Christine Vachon
If Beale Street Could Talk
Producers: Dede Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner, Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski
Leave No Trace
Producers: Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Anne Rosellini
You Were Never Really Here
Producers: Rosa Attab, Pascal Caucheteux, Rebecca O’Brien, Lynne Ramsay, James Wilson
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)
Hereditary
Director: Ari Aster
Producers: Kevin Frakes, Lars Knudsen, Buddy Patrick
Sorry to Bother You
Director: Boots Riley
Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jonathan Duffy, Charles D. King, George Rush, Forest Whitaker, Kelly Williams
Director/Producer: Jennifer Fox
Producers: Sol Bondy, Lawrence Inglee, Mynette Louie, Oren Moverman, Simone Pero, Reka Posta, Laura Rister, Regina K. Scully, Lynda Weinman
We the Animals
Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Producers: Andrew Goldman, Christina D. King, Paul Mezey, Jeremy Yaches
Director/Producer: Paul Dano
Producers: Andrew Duncan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker, Oren Moverman, Ann Ruark, Alex Saks
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD- Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
A Bread Factory
Writer/Director/Producer: Patrick Wang
Producers: Daryl Freimark, Matt Miller
En el Séptimo Día
Writer/Director/Producer: Jim McKay
Producers: Alex Bach, Lindsey Cordero, Caroline Kaplan, Michael Stipe
Never Goin' Back
Writer/Director: Augustine Frizzell
Producers: Liz Cardenas, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston
Writer/Director/Producer: Alex Moratto
Writer: Thayná Mantesso
Producers: Ramin Bahrani, Jefferson Paulino, Tammy Weiss
Thunder Road
Writer/Director: Jim Cummings
Producers: Natalie Metzger, Zack Parker, Benjamin Weissner
BEST DIRECTOR
Debra Granik
Barry Jenkins
Tamara Jenkins
Private Life
Lynne Ramsay
Paul Schrader
BEST SCREENPLAY
Richard Glatzer(Writer/Story By),Rebecca Lenkiewicz&Wash Westmoreland
Nicole HolofcenerandJeff Whitty
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Boots Riley
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Bo Burnham
Christina Choe
Cory Finley
Thoroughbreds
Jennifer Fox
Quinn Shephard(Writer/Story By),Laurie Shephard(Story By)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ashley Connor
Madeline’s Madeline
Diego Garcia
Benjamin Loeb
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Zak Mulligan
BEST EDITING
Keiko Deguchi,Brian A. Kates,Jeremiah Zagar
Luke Dunkley,Nick Fenton,Chris Gill,Julian Hart
American Animals
Anne Fabini,Alex Hall,Gary Levy
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Glenn Close
Toni Collette
Elsie Fisher
Regina Hall
Support the Girls
Helena Howard
Carey Mulligan
BEST MALE LEAD
Daveed Diggs
Blindspotting
Ethan Hawke
Christian Malheiros
Joaquin Phoenix
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Kayli Carter
Regina King
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie
Smith-Cameron
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Raúl Castillo
Adam Driver
BLACKkKLANSMAN
Richard E. Grant
Josh Hamilton
John David Washington
Monsters and Men
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD -Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Casting Directors: Avy Kaufman, Stella Savino
Ensemble Cast: Malgosia Bela, Ingrid Caven, Lutz Ebersdorf, Elena Fokina, Mia Goth, Jessica Harper, Dakota Johnson, Gala Moody, Chloë Grace Moretz, Renée Soutendijk, Tilda Swinton, Sylvie Testud, Angela Winkler
BEST DOCUMENTARY(Award given to the director and producer)
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Director/Producer: RaMell Ross
Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Su Kim
Minding the Gap
Director/Producer: Bing Liu
Producer: Diane Quon
Of Fathers and Sons
Director: Talal Derki
Producers: Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, Tobias N. Siebert
On Her Shoulders
Director: Alexandria Bombach
Producers: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams
Director/Producer: Sandi Tan
Producers: Jessica Levin, Maya Rudolph
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Director/Producer: Morgan Neville
Producers: Caryn Capotosto, Nicholas Ma
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM(Award given to the director)
South Korea
Director: Lee Chang-Dong
The Favourite
United Kingdom
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Happy as Lazzaro
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Shoplifters
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Karyn Kusama
PRODUCERS AWARD –The 22nd annual Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Jonathan DuffyandKelly Williams
Gabrielle Nadig
Shrihari Sathe
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD –The 25th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Alex Moratto
Director ofSócrates
Ioana Uricaru
Director ofLemonade
Jeremiah Zagar
Director ofWe the Animals
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD –The 24th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Alexandria Bombach
Director ofOn Her Shoulders
Director ofMinding the Gap
