Controversial Independent Spirit Award Nominations Announced - MUD Honored But Not Nominated; 12 YEARS A SLAVE Cleans Up

Film Independent's Independent Spirit Award nominations have just been announced and the films that didn't make the Best Feature list are as big of a story as those that did. Really it's a testament to the strong year in indie cinema that so many missing films feel like snubs. But there can be only five and that means favorites like Before Midnight, Short Term 12, The Spectacular Now, Dallas Buyers Club, and Ain't Them Bodies Saints are left out in the cold. While Jeff Nichols Mud was also left off the Best Feature list, it will be honored as this year's recipient of the prestigious Robert Altman award.

Here is the full list of nominations:

BEST FEATURE
12 Years a Slave
All Is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska

BEST DIRECTOR
Shane Carruth - Upstream Color
J.C. Chandor - All Is Lost
Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave
Jeff Nichols - Mud
Alexander Payne - Nebraska
 
BEST SCREENPLAY
Woody Allen - Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater - Before Midnight
Nicole Holofcener - Enough Said
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber - The Spectacular Now
John Ridley - 12 Years a Slave

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Blue Caprice - Alexandre Moors
Concussion -  Stacie Passon
Fruitvale Station - Ryan Coogler
Una Noche - Lucy Mulloy
Wadjda - Haifaa Al Mansour

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Lake Bell - In A World
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Don Jon
Bob Nelson - Nebraska
Jill Soloway - Afternoon Delight
Michael Starrbury - The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Best feature made under $500,000)
Computer Chess - Andrew Bujalski
Crystal Fairy - Sebastiàn Silva
Museum Hours - Jem Cohen
Pit Stop - Yen Tan
This is Martin Bonner - Chad Hartigan

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy - Before Midnight
Gaby Hoffmann - Crystal Fairy
Brie Larson - Short Term 12
Shailene Woodley - The Spectacular Now
 
BEST MALE LEAD
Bruce Dern - Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Oscar Isaac - Inside Llewyn Davis
Michael B. Jordan - Fruitvale Station
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford - All Is Lost
 
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Melonie Diaz - Fruitvale Station
Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Yolonda Ross - Go For Sisters
June Squibb - Nebraska

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave
Will Forte - Nebraska
James Gandolfini - Enough Said
Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
Keith Stanfield - Short Term 12

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sean Bobbitt - 12 Years a Slave
Benoit Debie - Spring Breakers
Bruno Delbonnel - Inside Llewyn Davis
Frank G. DeMarco - All Is Lost
Matthias Grunsky - Computer Chess
 
BEST EDITING
Shane Carruth & David Lowery - Upstream Color
Jem Cohen & Marc Vives - Museum Hours
Jennifer Lame - Frances Ha
Cindy Lee - Una Noche
Nat Sanders - Short Term 12

BEST DOCUMENTARY
20 Feet From Stardom - Morgan Neville
After Tiller - Martha Shane & Lana Wilson
Gideon's Army - Dawn Porter
The Act of Killing - Joshua Oppenheimer
The Square - Jehane Noujaim
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
A Touch of Sin (China) - Jia Zhang-Ke 
Blue is the Warmest Color (France) - Abdellatif Kechiche
Gloria (Chile) - Sebastián Lelia
The Great Beauty (Italy) - Paolo Sorrentino
The Hunt (Denmark) - Thomas Vinterberg

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD - (Given to one film's director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Mud
Director: Jeff Nichols
Casting Director: Francine Maisler
Ensemble Cast:  Joe Don Baker, Jacob Lofland, Matthew McConaughey, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon, Sam Shepard, Tye Sheridan, Paul Sparks, Bonnie Sturdivant, Reese Witherspoon
 
17th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD - The 17th annual Producers Award, sponsored 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.
Toby Halbrooks & James M. Johnston
Jacob Jaffke
Andrea Roa
Frederick Thornton

20th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD - The 20th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. 
My Sister's Quinceañera - Aaron Douglas Johnston
Newlyweeds - Shaka King
The Foxy Merkins - Madeline Olnek

19th ANNUAL STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD - The 19th annual Truer Than Fiction Award, sponsored by Stella Artois, 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.
Kalyanee Mam - A River Changes Course
Jason Osder - Let the Fire Burn
Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez - Manakamana