The 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2015, were presented by Film Independent on February 27, 2016. The nominations were announced on November 24, 2015. The ceremony was hosted by Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani, and broadcast live on IFC.
Winners and nominees
{| class=wikitable style="width=100%" |- ! style="width=50%"| Best Feature ! style="width=50%"| Best Director |- | valign="top" | Spotlight Anomalisa Beasts of No Nation Carol Tangerine | valign="top" | Tom McCarthy – Spotlight Sean Baker – Tangerine Cary Joji Fukunaga – Beasts of No Nation Todd Haynes – Carol Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson – Anomalisa David Robert Mitchell – It Follows |- ! style="width=50%"| Best Male Lead ! style="width=50%"| Best Female Lead |- | valign="top" | Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation as Agu Christopher Abbott – James White as James White Ben Mendelsohn – Mississippi Grind as Gerry Jason Segel – The End of the Tour as David Foster Wallace Koudous Seihon – Mediterranea as Ayiva | valign="top" | Brie Larson – Room as Joy "Ma" Newsome Cate Blanchett – Carol as Carol Aird Rooney Mara – Carol as Therese Belivet Bel Powley – The Diary of a Teenage Girl as Minnie Goetze Kitana Kiki Rodriguez – Tangerine as Sin-Dee Rella |- ! style="width=50%"| Best Supporting Male ! style="width=50%"| Best Supporting Female |- | valign="top" | Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation as Commandant Kevin Corrigan – Results as Danny Paul Dano – Love & Mercy as Brian - Past Richard Jenkins – Bone Tomahawk as Deputy Chicory Michael Shannon – 99 Homes as Rick Carver | valign="top" | Mya Taylor – Tangerine as Alexandra Robin Bartlett – H. as Helen Marin Ireland – Glass Chin as Ellen Doyle Jennifer Jason Leigh – Anomalisa as Lisa Hesselman Cynthia Nixon – James White as Gail White |- ! style="width=50%"| Best Screenplay ! style="width=50%"| Best First Screenplay |- | valign="top" | Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer – Spotlight Charlie Kaufman – Anomalisa Donald Margulies – The End of the Tour Phyllis Nagy – Carol S. Craig Zahler – Bone Tomahawk | valign="top" | Emma Donoghue – Room Jesse Andrews – Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Jonas Carpignano – Mediterranea Marielle Heller – The Diary of a Teenage Girl John Magary, Russell Harbaugh, and Myna Joseph – The Mend |- ! style="width=50%"| Best First Feature ! style="width=50%"| Best Documentary Feature |- | valign="top" | The Diary of a Teenage Girl James White Manos sucias Mediterranea Songs My Brothers Taught Me | valign="top" | The Look of Silence Best of Enemies Heart of a Dog Meru The Russian Woodpecker (T)error |- ! style="width=50%"| Best Cinematography ! style="width=50%"| Best Editing |- | valign="top" | Edward Lachman – Carol Cary Joji Fukunaga – Beasts of No Nation Mike Gioulakis – It Follows Reed Morano – Meadowland Joshua James Richards – Songs My Brothers Taught Me | valign="top" | Tom McArdle – Spotlight Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie – Heaven Knows What Nathan Nugent – Room Julio C. Perez IV – It Follows Kristan Sprague – Manos sucias |- ! colspan="2" style="width=50%"| Best International Film |- | colspan="2" valign="top" | Son of Saul (Saul fia) (Hungary) Embrace of the Serpent (El abrazo de la serpiente) (Colombia) Girlhood (Bande de filles) (France) Mustang (France / Germany / Turkey) A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron) (Sweden)
Films with multiple nominations and awards
+ Films that received multiple nominations Nominations Film 6 Carol 5 Beasts of No Nation Tangerine 4 Anomalisa It Follows Spotlight 3 The Diary of a Teenage Girl James White Mediterranea Room Songs My Brothers Taught Me 2 Bone Tomahawk The End of the Tour Heaven Knows What Manos sucias
+ Films that won multiple awards Awards Film 5 Spotlight 2 Beasts of No Nation Room
Special awards
John Cassavetes AwardKrisha Advantageous Christmas, Again Heaven Knows What Out of My Hand
Robert Altman Award (The award is given to its film director, casting director, and ensemble cast)
Spotlight – Tom McCarthy, Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee, Michael Cyril Creighton, Billy Crudup, Paul Guilfoyle, Neal Huff, Brian d'Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Jamey Sheridan, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci
Kiehl's 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 funded by Kiehl's since 1851.
Felix Thompson – King Jack Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck – God Bless the Child Chloé Zhao – Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Piaget 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 funded by Piaget.
Mel Eslyn – Lamb Darren Dean – Tangerine Rebecca Green and Laura D. Smith – It Follows and I'll See You in My Dreams
Truer than Fiction Award Presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by LensCrafters.
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi – Incorruptible Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti – A Woman Like Me Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Ali Naqvi – Among the Believers
References
External links