The Film Independent Spirit Awards are back, and this year, like the Academy Awards, it’s going to be an “Everything Everywhere All At Once” afternoon. The biggest independent release of 2022 ($73 million domestic), the A24 production is absolutely going to dominate the ceremony. That being said, it won’t win, um, everything (and not just because there are notable television categories too)
READ MORE: Hasan Minhaj has a Spirit Awards and Daily Show double bill ahead of him [Interview]
The rules of predicting the Spirit Awards have not changed in the streaming era. The more people that see your movie (either online or in theaters), the better chance it has to win. It’s that simple. That’s great news for “Everything Everywhere” and films such as “Emily, The Criminal,” which had an incredible few weeks in Netflix’s top 10 this past January. And yet, the thousands of Film Independent voters have been known to spread the wealth here and there. That’s why we’re not expecting a complete and utter “Everything Everywhere” sweep.
And in case you’re wondering, no, we’re not predicting the Producers, Someone to Watch, or Truer Then Fiction honors. Those are selected by committee.
What are some of the winners expected? Presenters Adam Brody, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Dae Kim, Danielle Deadwyler, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jeremy Pope, Jodie Turner-Smith, Joel Kim Booster, Kevin Bacon, Lily Tomlin, Molly Shannon, Nicholas Braun, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Simona Tabasco, Stephanie Hsu, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and W. Kamau Bell will be announcing this year? Here are some very educated guesses for your entertainment.
BEST FEATURE
Bones and All
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Our Father, the Devil
Tár
Women Talking
Who will win: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Who should win: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Upset: TAR
Lowdown: The celebrations that began at the PGA and SAG Awards will continue at the Spirits.
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)
Aftersun
Director: Charlotte Wells
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski
Emily the Criminal
Director: John Patton Ford
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes
The Inspection
Director: Elegance Bratton
Producers: Effie T. Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon
Murina
Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Producers: Danijel Pek, Rodrigo Teixeira
Palm Trees and Power Lines
Director/Producer: Jamie Dack
Producer: Leah Chen Baker
Who will win: Aftersun
Who should win: Aftersun
Upset: Emily the Criminal
Lowdown: This is actually a tough pick. “Aftersun” has the critical accolades, but “Emily the Criminal” got that Netflix bump and was arguably was seen by significantly more Film Independent voters. Therefore, don’t be surprised if “Emily” pulls the upset.
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
The African Desperate
Writer/Director/Producer: Martine Syms
Writer/Producer: Rocket Caleshu
Producer: Vic Brooks
A Love Song
Writer/Director/Producer: Max Walker-Silverman
Producers: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey
The Cathedral
Writer/Director: Ricky D’Ambrose
Producer: Graham Swon
Holy Emy
Writer/Director: Araceli Lemos
Writer/Producer: Giulia Caruso
Producers: Mathieu Bompoint, Ki Jin Kim, Konstantinos Vassilaros
Something in the Dirt
Writer/Director/Producer: Justin Benson
Director/Producer: Aaron Moorhead
Producer: David Lawson Jr.
Who will win: A Love Song
Who should win: A Love Song
Upset: Something in the Dirt, The Cathedral
Lowdown: This is arguably a pick ’em, but our gut says “A Love Song,” which also has star Dale Dickey nominated in the Lead Performance category. That being said, both Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead are LA area indie veterans who have finally landed their first Spirit Award nomination. It would not be that surprising if they won for “Something in the Dirt” based on their body of work alone.
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
All That Breathes
Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen
Producers: Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Director/Producer: Laura Poitras
Producers: Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons
A House Made of Splinters
Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producers: Monica Hellström
Midwives
Director/Producer: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Producers: Mila Aung-Thwin, Ulla Lehmann, Bob Moore
Riotsville, U.S.A.
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot
Who will win: All The Beauty and the Bloodshed
Who should win: All The Beauty and the Bloodshed
Upset: All That Breathes
Lowdown: Luckily, “All The Beauty and the Bloodshed” and “All that Breathes” don’t have to worry about “Navalny” at the Spirits. We’re going with the former although “Breathes” has been widely available on HBO Max before voting.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
Corsage
Austria/Luxembourg/France/Belgium/Italy/England
Director: Marie Kreutzer
Joyland
Pakistan/USA
Director: Saim Sadiq
Leonor Will Never Die
Philippines
Director: Martika Ramirez Escobar
Return to Seoul
South Korea/France/Belgium/Romania
Director: Davy Chou
Saint Omer
France
Director: Alice Diop
Who will win: Joyland
Who should win: Joyland
Upset: Corsage, Return to Seoul
Lowdown: “Corsage” earned the most at the box office, but was released this past fall. “Joyland” got a ton of attention (and passion) this past January when it followed up its Cannes and TIFF screenings at Sundance. “Return to Seoul” just hit theaters two weeks ago with critical acclaim but probably arrived too late to make an impact. Our guess is “Joyland” pulls it out, but “Corsage” or “Seoul” taking it wouldn’t be a massive surprise.
