The 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations have been announced, and the critically acclaimedCall Me By Your Nameleads the pack with six nods in total, including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, and Editing.Luca Guadagnino’s sensual masterpiece has been a critical darling ever since it debutedat Sundance earlier this year, and the film is now getting its awards season off in grand fashion. But not far behind isJordan Peele’s completely different butalsomasterful social thrillerGet Out, which scored five nods in total including Best Director and Screenplay for Peele, as well as Best Picture, Actor, and Editing.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards hail the very best in independent moviemaking, but they’ve also become an unlikely Oscar precursor in recent years. The last four Best Feature winners in a row at the Spirit Awards have gone on to win the Best Picture Oscar. It likely has something to do with the similarity in large voting bodies, so yeah, if you look at this list of Best Feature nominees there’s a more-than-zero chance you’ll find your eventual Best Picture winner.
Overall I’m thrilled by the love forCall Me By Your Name, especiallyArmie Hammer’s well-deserved recognition for a subtle performance that I hope doesn’t go unnoticed throughout the rest of the season. I’m also enthused aboutBarry Keoghan’s Supporting Actor nomination for his unforgettable turn inThe Killing of a Sacred Deer, as well as the recognition for the impeccable ensemble ofMudbound.
Check out the full list of nominations below. The 2018 Independent Spirit Awards will air live on IFC on Sunday, August 02, 2025, hosted byJohn MulaneyandNick Kroll.
BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
Call Me by Your Name
Producers: Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, Howard Rosenman
The Florida Project
Producers: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou
Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele
Producers: Eli Bush, Evelyn O’Neill, Scott Rudin
Producers: Mollye Asher, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Chloé Zhao
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)
Director: Kogonada
Producers: Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Aaron Boyd, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz
Ingrid Goes West
Director: Matt Spicer
Producers: Jared Ian Goldman, Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels, Aubrey Plaza, Tim White, Trevor White
Director/Producer: Joshua Z. Weinstein
Producers: Yoni Brook, Traci Carlson, Daniel Finkelman, Alex Lipschultz
Director/Producer: Atsuko Hirayanagi
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Yukie Kito, Han West
Patti Cake$
Director: Geremy Jasper
Producers: Chris Columbus, Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Noah Stahl, Rodrigo Teixeira
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.)
Writer/Director/Producer: Amman Abbasi
Writer: Steven Reneau
Producers: Lachion Buckingham, Alexander Uhlmann
A Ghost Story
Writer/Director: David Lowery
Producers: Adam Donaghey, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston
Life and nothing more
Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza
Producers: Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos
Most Beautiful Island
Writer/Director/Producer: Ana Asensio
Producers: Larry Fessenden, Noah Greenberg, Chadd Harbold, Jenn Wexler
The Transfiguration
Writer/Director: Michael O’Shea
Producer: Susan Leber
BEST DIRECTOR
Sean Baker
Jonas Carpignano
Luca Guadagnino
Jordan Peele
Benny Safdie,Josh Safdie
Chloé Zhao
BEST SCREENPLAY
Greta Gerwig
Azazel Jacobs
The Lovers
Martin McDonagh
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Mike White
Beatriz at Dinner
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Kris Avedisian
Story By:Kyle Espeleta,Jesse Wakeman
Donald Cried
Emily V. Gordon,Kumail Nanjiani
The Big Sick
Ingrid Jungermann
Women Who Kill
David Branson Smith,Matt Spicer
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Thimios Bakatakis
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Elisha Christian
Hélène Louvart
Beach Rats
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Joshua James Richards
BEST EDITING
Ronald Bronstein,Benny Safdie
Walter Fasano
Alex O’Flinn
Gregory Plotkin
Tatiana S. Riegel
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Salma Hayek
Frances McDormand
Margot Robbie
Saoirse Ronan
Shinobu Terajima
Regina Williams
BEST MALE LEAD
Timothée Chalamet
Harris Dickinson
James Franco
The Disaster Artist
Daniel Kaluuya
Robert Pattinson
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Holly Hunter
Allison Janney
Laurie Metcalf
Lois Smith
Marjorie Prime
Taliah Lennice Webster
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Nnamdi Asomugha
Crown Heights
Armie Hammer
Barry Keoghan
Sam Rockwell
Benny Safdie
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD -Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast
Director: Dee Rees
Casting Directors: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram
Ensemble Cast: Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan
BEST DOCUMENTARY(Award given to the director and producer)
The Departure
Director/Producer: Lana Wilson
Faces Places
Directors: Agnés Varda, JR
Producer: Rosalie Varda
Last Men in Aleppo
Director: Feras Fayyad
Producers: Kareem Abeed, Søeren Steen Jespersen, Stefan Kloos
Motherland
Director/Producer: Ramona S. Diaz
Producer: Rey Cuerdo
Director: Jonathan Olshefski
Producer: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM(Award given to the director)
BPM (Beats Per Minute)
Director: Robin Campillo
A Fantastic Woman
Director: Sebastián Lelio
I Am Not a Witch
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Lady Macbeth
Director: William Oldroyd
Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
So Yong Kim
Lynn Shelton
JEEP TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD –The 23rd annual Truer Than Fiction Award, funded by the Jeep brand, 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 funded by the Jeep brand.
Shevaun Mizrahi
Director ofDistant Constellation
Jonathan Olshefski
Director ofQuest
Director ofThe Cage Fighter
KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD –The 24th annual Someone to Watch Award, funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851, 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.
Amman Abbasi
Director ofDayveon
Justin Chon
Director ofGook
Kevin Phillips
Director ofSuper Dark Times
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD –The 21st annual Producers Award, funded by Piaget, 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.
