Bacurau, by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, is competing for the category of Best International Film at the 2021 Spirit Award. Although previous editions of the ceremony so far have been marked by independent productions and less known to the general public, it is expected that this year it will serve as a “thermometer” for Oscars, the result of the absence of large blockbusters in the cinema due to the pandemic.
In this way, titles with lower budgets than the popular ones at the big box offices drew critical attention and gained more repercussion in the industry news outlets. In addition to bringing more unusual categories that value emerging talent, the 2021 edition of the Spirit Award is marked by greater diversity and inclusion in their nominations.
It is also worth pointing out that this year, the ceremony will bring TV content for the first time, by creating categories to award series and documentaries. The winners will be announced on April 22; see below the complete list of nominees:
Best movie
NomadlandSource: IMDb / Reproduction
First Cow
The Supreme Voice of the Blues
Minari
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always
Nomadland
Best debut film
I Carry You With Me
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
The sound of silence
Best Direction
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)
Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
Eliza Hittman (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always)
Kelly Reichardt (First Cow)
Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)
Best screenplay
MinariSource: IMDb / Reproduction
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)
Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
Eliza Hittman (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always)
Mike Makowsky (Bad Education)
Alice Wu (You can’t imagine)
Best debut script
Kitty Green (The Assistant)
Noah Hutton (Lapsis)
Channing Godfrey Peoples (Miss Juneteenth)
Andy Siara (Palm Springs)
James Sweeney (Straight Up)
Best cinematography
Jay Keitel (She Dies Tomorrow)
Shabier Kirchner (Bull)
Michael Latham (The Assistant)
Hélène Louvart (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always)
Joshua James Richards (Nomadland)
Best edition
Andy Canny (The invisible man)
Scott Cummings (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always)
Merawi Gerima (Residue)
Enat Sidi (I Carry You With Me)
Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)
Best actress
Frances McDormand in NomadlandSource: IMDb / Reproduction
Nicole Beharie (Miss Juneteenth)
Viola Davis (The Supreme Voice of the Blues)
Sidney Flanigan (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always)
Julia Garner (The Assistant)
Frances McDormand (Nomadland)
Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)
Best supporting actress
Alexis Chikaeze (Miss Juneteenth)
Yeri Han (Minari)
Valerie Mahaffey (French Exit)
Talia Ryder (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always)
Yuh-jung Youn (Minari)
Best actor
Riz Ahmed in The Sound of SilenceSource: IMDb / Reproduction
Riz Ahmed (The sound of silence)
Chadwick Boseman (The Supreme Voice of the Blues)
Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger)
Rob Morgan (Bull)
Steven Yeun (Minari)
Best supporting actor
Colman Domingo (The Supreme Voice of the Blues)
Orion Lee (First Cow)
Paul Raci (The sound of silence)
Glynn Turman (The Supreme Voice of the Blues)
Benedict Wong (Nine Days)
Best documentary
Collective
Crip Camp: Revolution for Inclusion
The Deaths of Dick Johnson
The Mole Agent
Team
Best international film
BacurauSource: IMDb / Reproduction
Bacurau (Brazil)
The Disciple (India)
Night of the Kings (Costa do Marfim)
Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (Hungary)
Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
John Cassavetes Award
Awarded for the best film with a budget of less than US $ 500 thousand
The Killing of Two Lovers
La Leyenda Negra
Lingua Franca
Residue
Saint Frances
Producers Award
It honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision necessary to produce quality independent films.
Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim
Someone to Watch Award
Identifies a talented filmmaker with a singular vision who has not yet received adequate recognition
David Midell (The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain)
Ekwa Msangi (Farewell Love)
Annie Silverstein (Bull)
Truer Than Fiction Award
Presented to an emerging director of nonfiction resources who has not yet received significant recognition
Cecilia Aldarondo (Landfall)
Elegance Bratton (Pier Kids)
Elizabeth Lo (Stray)
Best new series
I May Destroy YouSource: IMDb / Reproduction
I May Destroy You
Little America
Small Ax
The Teacher
Nothing Orthodox
Best actress in new series
Elle Fanning (The Great)
Shira Haas (Nothing Orthodox)
Abby McEnany (Work in Progress)
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (I never…)
Jordan Kristine Seamón (We Are Who We Are)
Best Actor in a New Series
Conphidance (Little America)
Adam Ali (Little America)
Nicco Annan (P-Valley)
Amit Rahav (Nothing Orthodox)
Harold Torres (Zero, Zero, Zero)
Best new non-scripted or documentary series
Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
City So Real
Immigration Nation
Love Fraud
We’re Here