Participant Films Nominated for 11 Spirit Awards; ‘Spotlight’ Honored for Ensemble Cast

Participant Media is a part of four films that received 11 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations, a record for the company.

Spotlight won the Robert Altman Award which honors the director, casting director and the ensemble.

Best of Enemies and The Look of Silence received nominations for Best Documentary.

Beasts of No Nation’s five nominations include Best Feature, Director, Male Lead (Abraham Attah), Supporting Male (Idris Elba), and Cinematography.

In addition to winning for best ensemble, Spotlight was nominated for Best Feature, Director, Screenplay and, Editing.

Here is the breakdown of Participant nominations:

Best Feature
Beasts of No Nation
Spotlight

Best Director
Cary Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Best Male Lead
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation

Best Screenplay
Spotlight (Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer)

Best Supporting Male
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation

Best Editing
Spotlight

Best Cinematography
Beasts of No Nation

Best Documentary
Best of Enemies
The Look of Silence

Robert Altman Award (Best Ensemble)
Spotlight

The 31st annual Film Independent Spirit Awards takes place in Santa Monica Beach on Feb. 27. Here is the complete list of nominees:

Best Feature
Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine

Best Director
Sean Baker, Tangerine
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation
Todd Haynes, Carol
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, Anomalisa
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
David Robert Mitchell, It Follows

Best Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman, Anomalisa
Donald Margulies, The End of the Tour
Phyllis Nagy, Carol
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer, Spotlight
S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk

Best First Feature
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
James White
Manos Sucias
Mediterranea
Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Best First Screenplay
Jesse Andrews, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Joseph Carpignano, Mediterranea
Emma Donoghue, Room
Marielle Heller, The Diary of a Teenage Girl
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh, Myna Joseph, The Mend

Best Male Lead
Christopher Abbott, James White
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn, Mississippi Grind
Jason Segel, The End of the Tour
Koudous Seihon, Mediterranea

Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Rooney Mara, Carol
Bel Powley, The Diary of A Teenage Girl
Kitana Kiki Rodriquez, Tangerine

Best Supporting Male
Kevin Corrigan, Results
Paul Dano, Love & Mercy
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Richard Jenkins, Bone Tomahawk
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes

Best Supporting Female
Robin Bartlett, H.
Marin Ireland, Glass Chin
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anomalisa
Cynthia Nixon, James White
Mya Taylor, Tangerine

Best Documentary
(T)error
Best of Enemies
Heart of Dog
The Look of Silence
Meru
The Russian Woodpecker

Best International Film
Embrace the Serpent
Girlhood
Mustang
Son of Saul

Best Cinematography
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
It Follows
Meadlowland
Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Best Editing
Beasts of No Nation
Heaven Knows What
It Follows
Room
Spotlight

John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature Under $500,000)
Advantageous
Christmas, Again
Heaven Knows What
Krisha
Out of My Hand

Robert Altman Award (Best Ensemble)
Spotlight

Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award
Chloe Zhoa
Felix Thompson
Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck