The Independent Spirit Awards on Tuesday announced its 2023 nominees as the show shifts to gender-neutral acting honors for the first time, with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” leading the way.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” a multiverse adventure starring Michelle Yeoh, scored the most nominations with eight, including for best feature, directing and screenplay, at the 38th edition of the ceremony recognizing the best in indie filmmaking.
Also competing for best feature are the Cate Blanchett-fronted workplace misconduct drama “Tàr,” the African-refugee-in-France story “Our Father, the Devil,” the young-adult cannibal romance “Bones and All,” the true-to-life queer military drama “The Inspection” and the Rooney Mara-led “Women Talking,” based on a real-life scandal in an isolated religious colony.
Yeoh and Blanchett are among the nominees for best lead performance.
“The Inspection,” written and directed by Elegance Bratton, is also competing in the first feature category, as is “Aftersun,” “Emily the Criminal,” "Murina” and “Palm Trees and Power Lines.” Spike Lee’s Brooklyn, New York-set directorial breakthrough “She’s Gotta Have It” won the first award in the category in 1987.
The awards are scheduled to be handed out March 4 in a tented, beach-side ceremony at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. The Spirit Awards typically serve as a precursor to the Academy Awards, due to take place March 12.
Film Independent, the Los Angeles-headquartered nonprofit arts organization supporting indie cinema, produces the awards show, where previous best feature winners include “Nomadland,” “Moonlight,” and “12 Years A Slave.”
Organizers said this year’s show will be streamed internationally across multiple digital platforms.
“Zola” star Taylour Paige and Raúl Castillo of “The Inspection” presented Tuesday’s nominations, chosen by committees of film critics, festival programmers, filmmakers and Film Independent’s board of directors.
The organization’s president, Josh Welsh, said Tuesday that 409 films were considered.
Each of the main acting categories have 10 nominees. The move to gender-neutrality was announced in August.
“We’re thrilled to join the other festivals and award shows that are already moving to celebrate great acting without reference to gender,” Welsh said in a statement, noting the organization is “happy to welcome non-binary performers into the Spirit Awards without forcing them to choose to identify as male or female.”
Nominations for the Spirit Awards’ television categories are scheduled to be announced Dec. 13.
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