Carol & Tangerine Lead LGBT-Themed Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

The Independent Spirit Awards Nominations have been released, and it’s not too surprising that leading the way is Todd Haynes lesbian-themed Carol lead the way with six nods. As many expect the films to make a good showing at the Oscar, it was also bound to do well with the US’s leading Indie gongs.

The movie, which reaches UK cinemas this Friday (November 27th), follows Cate Blanchett’s title character, a married woman who embarks on an affair with younger shop assistant Therese (Rooney Mara). Ever since its Cannes debut the movie has been winning huge amounts of praise, which continues here. You can read our review here.

Carol wasn’t the only LGBT-themed movie that did well, as the micro-budget Tangerine picked up four nomination, for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. It marks the first time a female trans woman has been nominated in the Best Actress category (Harmony Santana was the first trans nominee, in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2012).

Kitana Kiki Rodriguez is the one with the Best Actress nom, while the excellent Mya Taylor is honoured in the Best Supporting Actress category.

While earlier in the year it looked like other indie LGBT movies such as Freeheld and About Ray might get some awards love, lukewarm critical reaction and the fact they’ve been shut out from the Independent Spiritt Awards – the one place they’d get noms even if they were ignored elsewhere – suggests that won’t be happening.

Take a look below for the full list on Independent Spirit Award nominees:

BEST FEATURE
Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine

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

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Bel Powley – The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Brie Larson – Room
Cate Blanchett – Carol
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez – Tangerine
Rooney Mara – Carol

BEST MALE LEAD
Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn – Mississippi Grind
Christopher Abbott – James White
Jason Segel – The End of the Tour
Koudous Seihon – Mediterranea

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Cynthia Nixon – James White
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Anomalisa
Marin Ireland – Glass Chin
Mya Taylor – Tangerine
Robin Bartlett – H.

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation
Kevin Corrigan – Results
Michael Shannon – 99 Homes
Paul Dano – Love & Mercy
Richard Jenkins – Bone Tomahawk

BEST SCREENPLAY
Anomalisa
Bone Tomahawk
Carol
End of the Tour
Spotlight

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Best of Enemies
Heart of a Dog
Look of Silence
Meru
Russian Woodpecker
(T)error

BEST FIRST FEATURE
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
James White
Manos Sucas
Mediterranea
Songs My Brothers Taught Me

BEST EDITING
Beasts of No Nation
Heaven Knows What
It Follows
Room
Spotlight

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
It Follows
Meadowland
Songs My Brothers Taught Me

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Embrace of the Serpent
Girlhood
Mustang
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
Son of Saul

JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD (Best Feature Made For Under $5,000)
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