31st Independent Spirit Awards

Date: February 27, 2016

Hosts: Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani

previous 30th Independent Spirit Awards

next 32nd Independent Spirit Awards

Best Feature

• Spotlight (2015)

Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Tangerine


Best Director

• Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)

Sean S. Baker (Tangerine)
Cary Joji Fukunaga (Beasts of No Nation)
Todd Haynes (Carol)
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson (Anomalisa)
David Robert Mitchell (It Follows)


Best Screenplay

• Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight)

Charlie Kaufman (Anomalisa)
Donald Margulies (The End of the Tour)
Phyllis Nagy (Carol)
S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk)


Best First Feature

• The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)

James White (2015)
Manos Sucias (2015)
Mediterranea (2015)
Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015)


Best First Screenplay

• Emma Donoghue (Room)

Jesse Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl)
Joseph Carpignano (Mediterranea)
Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl)
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh, and Myna Joseph (The Mend)


Best Male Lead

• Abraham Attah (Beasts of No Nation)

Christopher Abbott (James White)
Ben Mendelsohn (Mississippi Grind)
Jason Segel (The End of the Tour)
Koudous Seihon (Mediterranea)


Best Female Lead

• Brie Larson (Room)

Cate Blanchett (Carol)
Rooney Mara (Carol)
Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl)
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez (Tangerine)


Best Supporting Male

• Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)

Kevin Corrigan (Results)
Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)
Richard Jenkins (Bone Tomahawk)
Michael Shannon (99 Homes)


Best Supporting Female

• Mya Taylor (Tangerine)

Robin Bartlett (H.)
Marin Ireland (Glass Chin)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (Anomalisa)
Cynthia Nixon (James White)


Best Documentary

• The Look of Silence (2014)

Best of Enemies (2015)
Heart of a Dog (2015)
Meru (2015)
The Russian Woodpecker (2015)
(T)ERROR (2015)


Best International Film

• Son of Saul (2015) (Hungary)

Embrace of the Serpent (2015) (Colombia)
Girlhood (2015) (France)
Mustang (2015) (France/Turkey)
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014) (Sweden)


Best Cinematography

• Ed Lachman (Carol)

Cary Fukunaga (Beasts of No Nation)
Michael Gioulakis (It Follows)
Reed Morano (Meadowland)
Joshua James Richards (Songs My Brothers Taught Me)


Best Editing

• Tom McArdle (Spotlight)

Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie (Heaven Knows What)
Nathan Nugent (Room)
Julio Perez IV (It Follows)
Kristan Sprague (Manos Sucias)


John Cassavetes Award

• Krisha (2015)

Advantageous (2015)
Christmas, Again (2014)
Heaven Knows What (2014)
Out of My Hand (2015)


Robert Altman Award (Best Ensemble)

• Spotlight (2015)