The 41st Film Independent Spirit Awards — recognizing the best in independent cinema from the past year — are set to be handed out Sunday, with comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum Ego Nwodim hosting the ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium.
The biographical drama “Peter Hujar’s Day” takes a leading five nominations into Sunday afternoon’s show, which will be livestreamed on the Film Independent and IMDb YouTube channels beginning at 2 p.m.
“Peter Hujar’s Day,” which recounts a day in the life of photographer Peter Hujar and writer Linda Rosenkrantz in 1974 New York, is among the five works nominated for best feature film, along with “The Plague,” “Sorry, Baby,” “Train Dreams” and “Twinless.”
“Sorry, Baby” (the story of a literature professor struggling to recover from the trauma of a sexual assault) and “Train Dreams” (which follows a logger/railroad worker negotiating life in the early 20th century) each bring four nods into Sunday. So do “Blue Sun Palace,” “Lurker” and “One of Them Days.”
Clint Bentley and Ira Sachs are both nominated for best director — for “Train Dreams” and “Peter Hujar’s Day,” respectively. Also nominated in that category are Mary Bronstein for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Lloyd Lee Choi for “Lucky Lu” and Eva Victor for “Sorry, Baby.”
Ben Whishaw of “Peter Hujar’s Day” and Joel Edgerton of “Train Dreams” are among those nominated for best lead performance. Also nominated are Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Kathleen Chalfant for “Familiar Touch,” Chang Chen for “Lucky Lu,” Dylan O’Brien for “Twinless,” Keke Palmer for “One of Them Days,” Théodore Pellerin for “Lurker” and Tessa Thompson “Hedda.”
For best supporting performance, nominees are Naomi Ackie for “Sorry, Baby,” Zoey Deutch for “Nouvelle Vague,” Kirsten Dunst for “Roofman,” Rebecca Hall for “Peter Hujar’s Day,” Nina Hoss for “Hedda,” Jane Levy for “A Little Prayer,” Archie Madekwe for “Lurker,” Kali Reis for “Rebuilding,” Jacob Tremblay for “Sovereign” and Haipeng Xu for “Blue Sun Palace.”
On the small screen, nominees for best new non-scripted or documentary series are “Citizen Nation,” “Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time,” “Pee-wee as Himself,” “Seen & Heart: The History of Black Television” and “Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae.”
Nominated for best new scripted series are “Adolescence,” “Common Side Effects,” “Forever,” “Mr. Loverman” and “North of North.”
“The distinguished and inspired work produced by our nominated artists this year shows both the incredible breadth and the essential nature of independent art being created today,” Brenda Robinson, acting president of Film Independent, said in early December, when nods were announced.
“These artists brilliantly demonstrate that there is no limit to the places where storytellers are able to find drama, humor and beauty, all while challenging audiences to stay engaged and curious, to protect the space where independent art can thrive.”
Sunday’s host, Nwodim, was a cast member on “SNL” from 2018-25. She has also appeared in streaming series such as “Poker Face,” “It’s Florida, Man” and “Roar,” as well as in films such as “Players,” “Spin Me Round” and “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile.”
“No stage celebrates the incredible work of these visionary artists and independent creators everywhere quite like the Spirit Awards,” Nwodim said when she was announced as host in December. “I can’t wait to join Film Independent for an afternoon of fun, laughs and a few surprises.”
Presenters on Sunday will include filmmaker Lulu Wang, the honorary chair of this year’s awards, along with Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku, Wagner Moura and Tessa Thompson, among numerous others.
Here is a complete list of nominations:
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)
“Peter Hujar’s Day,” Producers: Jonah Disend, Jordan Drake
“The Plague,” Producers: Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, Lizzie Shapiro
“Sorry, Baby,” Producers: Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski
“Train Dreams,” Producers: Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman
“Twinless,” Producers: David Permut, James Sweeney
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)
“Blue Sun Palace,” Director: Constance Tsang; Producers: Sally Sujin Oh, Eli Raskin, Tony Yang
“Dust Bunny,” Director/Producer: Bryan Fuller; Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee
“East of Wall,” Director/Producer: Kate Beecroft; Producers: Shannon Moss, Melanie Ramsayer, Lila Yacoub
“Lurker,” Director: Alex Russell; Producers: Galen Core, Archie Madekwe, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Olmo Schnabel, Jack Selby
“One of Them Days,” Director: Lawrence Lamont; Producers: Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD, given to the best feature made for under $1 million. (Award given to the writer, director and producer)
“The Baltimorons,” Director/Writer/Producer: Jay Duplass; Writer/Producer: Michael Strassner; Producers: David Bonnett Jr., Drew Langer
“Boys Go to Jupiter,” Director/Writer: Julian Glander
“Eephus,” Director/Writer/Producer: Carson Lund; Writer/Producer: Michael Basta; Writer: Nate Fisher; Producers: David Entin, Tyler Taormina
“Esta Isla (This Island),” Directors/Writers/Producers: Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina; Writer: Kisha Tikina Burgos
“Familiar Touch,” Director/Writer/Producer: Sarah Friedland; Producers: Alexandra Byer, Matthew Thurm
BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Bentley, “Train Dreams”
Mary Bronstein, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Lloyd Lee Choi, “Lucky Lu”
Ira Sachs, “Peter Hujar’s Day”
Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby”
BEST SCREENPLAY
Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, “Splitsville”
Angus MacLachlan, “A Little Prayer”
James Sweeney, “Twinless”
Christian Swegal, “Sovereign”
Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby”
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Andrew DeYoung, “Friendship”
Elena Oxman, “Outerlands”
Alex Russell, “Lurker”
Syreeta Singleton, “One of Them Days”
Constance Tsang, “Blue Sun Palace”
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Everett Blunck, “The Plague”
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Kathleen Chalfant, “Familiar Touch”
Chang Chen, “Lucky Lu”
Joel Edgerton, “Train Dreams”
Dylan O*Brien, “Twinless”
Keke Palmer, “One of Them Days”
Théodore Pellerin, “Lurker”
Tessa Thompson, “Hedda”
Ben Whishaw, “Peter Hujar’s Day”
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Naomi Ackie, “Sorry, Baby”
Zoey Deutch, “Nouvelle Vague”
Kirsten Dunst, “Roofman”
Rebecca Hall, “Peter Hujar’s Day”
Nina Hoss, “Hedda”
Jane Levy, “A Little Prayer”
Archie Madekwe, “Lurker”
Kali Reis, “Rebuilding”
Jacob Tremblay, “Sovereign”
Haipeng Xu, “Blue Sun Palace”
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Liz Larsen, “The Baltimorons”
Misha Osherovich, “She’s the He”
Kayo Martin, “The Plague”
SZA, “One of Them Days”
Tabatha Zimiga, “East of Wall”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Alex Ashe, “Peter Hujar’s Day”
Norm Li, “Blue Sun Palace”
David J. Thompson, “Warfare”
Adolpho Veloso, “Train Dreams”
Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, “Dust Bunny”
BEST EDITING
Ben Leonberg Good Boy
Carson Lund Eephus
Fin Oates Warfare
Sara Shaw Splitsville
SofÃa Subercaseaux The Testament of Ann Lee
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
“The Long Walk,” Director: Francis Lawrence; Casting Director: Rich Delia; Ensemble Cast: Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Joshua Odjick, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
“Come See Me in the Good Light,” Director/Producer: Ryan White; Producers: Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen
“Endless Cookie,” Director: Peter Scriver; Director/Producer: Seth Scriver Producers: Dan Bekerman, Alex Ordanis, Jason Ryle, Chris Yurkovich
“My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow,” Director/Producer: Julia Loktev
“The Perfect Neighbor,” Director/Producer: Geeta Gandbhir; Producers: Sam Bisbee, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne
“The Tale of Silyan,” Director/Producer: Tamara Kotevska; Producers: Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Jordanco Petkovski
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
“All That’s Left of You,” Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus; Director: Cherien Dabis
“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” Zambia, UK, Ireland; Director: Rungano Nyoni
“A Poet,” Colombia; Director: Simón Mesa Soto
“The Secret Agent,” Brazil; Director: Kleber Mendonca Filho
“Sirat,” Spain; Director: Oliver Laxe
PRODUCERS AWARD The Producers Award, now in its 29th year, honors an emerging producer who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrates the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Emma Hannaway
Luca Intili
Tony Yang
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 32nd year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Tatti Ribeiro, Director of “Valentina”
Neo Sora, Director of “Happyend”
Annapurna Sriram, Director of “Fucktoys”
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 31st year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Tony Benna, Director of “André is an Idiot”
Rajee Samarasinghe, Director of “Your Touch Makes Others Invisible”
Brittany Shyne, Director of “Seeds”
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer and Co-Executive Producer)
“Citizen Nation,” Creator: Bret Sigler; Executive Producers: Christopher Buck, Kyra Darnton
“Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time,” Executive Producers: Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn, Ryan Coogler, Myles Estey, Ted Skillman, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Peter Nicks, Kalia King, Carolyn Payne, Sean David Johnson; Co-Executive Producer: Kelli Buchanan
“Pee-wee as Himself,” Executive Producers: Matt Wolf, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Paul Reubens, Candace Tomarken, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
“Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television,” Executive Producers: Issa Rae, Montrel McKay, John Maggio, Rachel Dretzin, John Ealer, Jonathan Berry, Dave Becky, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez Co-Executive Producers: Esther Dere, Zachary Herrmann
“Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae,” Executive Producers: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Amy Kaufman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker; Co-Executive Producer: Mark Becker
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer and Co-Executive Producer)
“Adolescence,” Creators/Executive Producers: Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham; Executive Producers: Philip Barantini, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Hannah Walters, Mark Herbert, Emily Feller; Co-Executive Producers: Carina Sposato, Niall Shamma, Peter Balm
“Common Side Effects,” Creators/Executive Producers: Joe Bennett, Steve Hely; Executive Producers: Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, Dustin Davis, James Merrill, Sean Buckelew, Benjy Brooke, Kelly Crews, Suzanna Makkos; Co-Executive Producer: Dave King
“Forever,” Creator/Executive Producer: Mara Brock Akil; Executive Producers: Regina King, Susie Fitzgerald, Shana C. Waterman, Reina King, Anthony Hemingway, Judy Blume, Erika Harrison, Sara E. White; Co-Executive Producer: Jerron Horton
“Mr Loverman,” Executive Producers: Lennie James, Hong Khaou, Jo McClellan, Faye Ward, Hannah Farrell, Hannah Price
“North of North,” Creators/Executive Producers: Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril Executive Producers: Garry Campbell, Anya Adams, Susan Coyne, Miranda de Pencier; Co-Executive Producers: Teresa M. Ho, Michael Goldbach, Kathryn Borel Jr., JP Larocque
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Sydney Chandler, “Alien: Earth”
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”
Ethan Hawke, “The Lowdown”
Lennie James, “Mr Loverman”
Anna Lambe, “North of North”
Lola Petticrew, “Say Nothing”
Seth Rogen, “The Studio”
Lovie Simone, “Forever”
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex”
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Ariyon Bakare, “Mr Loverman”
Babou Ceesay, “Alien: Earth”
Sharon D. Clarke, “Mr Loverman”
Taylor Dearden, “The Pitt”
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence”
Stephen McKinley Henderson, “A Man on the Inside”
Poorna Jagannathan, “Deli Boys”
Xosha Roquemore, “Forever”
Jenny Slate, “Dying for Sex”
Ben Whishaw, `Black Doves”
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Asif Ali, “Deli Boys”
Wally Baram, “Overcompensating”
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence”
Michael Cooper Jr., “Forever”
Ernest Kingsley Junior, “Washington Black”
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
“Chief of War,” Ensemble Cast: Charlie Brumbly, Luciane Buchanan, Cliff Curtis, Brandon Finn, Moses Goods, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Benjamin Hoetjes, Siua Ikale’o, Keala Kahuanui-Paleka, Mainei Kinimaka, Kaina Makua, Jason Momoa, Temuera Morrison, Te Kohe Tuhaka, James Udom