For your awards consideration, explore outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander filmmakers, talent, and films.
Gold Open has partnered with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment CAPE to launch the inaugural Gold List which honors the most outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander (API) achievements in film each year. Gold Open is part of Gold House, which bolsters multicultural movies to box office success — most notably, the movement brought shine to Parasite and Crazy Rich Asians.
Featuring 10 categories, Gold List is voted on by the Gold Open Advisory Council, Gold House Members (the premier nonprofit collective of leading API creatives, executives, and founders), CAPE Board Members and Advisors (the premier API-entertainment nonprofit), and other entertainment leaders. Future Gold Lists will endeavor to include additional categories and communities.
Gold House and CAPE have hosted conversations with various Gold List honorees which can be watched here. Please view the honorees’ pages below for these conversations, and subscribe and follow here for future announcements.
Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari tops the inaugural Gold List in seven categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for Steve Yeun, Best Actress for Yeri Han, Best Supporting Actor for Alan Kim, and Best Supporting Actress forYuh-Jung Youn. Check out the Q & A below, moderated by Janet Yang.
Check out the full list of Gold List selections below.
Best Picture Minari and Sound of Metal Honorable Mentions: The Half of It, The White Tiger, Yellow Rose
Best Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) Honorable Mentions: Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Alice Wu (The Half of It), Alan Yang (Tigertail)
Best Actor Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Steven Yeun (Minari) Honorable Mentions: Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger), Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield), Harry Shum Jr. (All My Life)
Best Actress Yeri Han (Minari) and Leah Lewis (The Half of It) Honorable Mentions:Hong Chau (Driveways), Tsai Chin (Lucky Grandma), Eva Noblezada(Yellow Rose)
Best Supporting Actor Alan Kim (Minari) and Orion Lee (First Cow) Honorable Mentions: Lucas Jaye (Driveways), Tzi Ma (Mulan), Rajkummar Rao (The White Tiger)
Best Supporting Actress Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari) Honorable Mentions: Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The White Tiger), Gong Li (Mulan), Lea Salonga (Yellow Rose)
Best Original Screenplay Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Alice Wu (The Half of it) Honorable Mentions: Mong-Hong Chung and Yao-Sheng Chang (A Sun), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca), Alan Yang (Tigertail)
Best Adapted Screenplay Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
Alan S. Kim, Steven Yeun, Noel Cho and Yeri Han in ‘Minari’Courtesy of David Bornfriend/A24
Lee Isaac Chung’s story about a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream has been nominated for six 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards including Best Feature, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Chung; acting nods include Best Male Lead for Steven Yeun and Best Supporting Female for Yeri Han and Yuh-Jung Youn.
The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for the nonprofit Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivates the careers of emerging filmmakers and promotes diversity and inclusion in the industry. Film Independent President Josh Welsh introduced the prerecorded video announcements this morning, which featured guest presenters Laverne Cox (Disclosure, Promising Young Woman) and Spirit Award winners Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk, Moonlight, The Underground Railroad) and Olivia Wilde (Booksmart, Don’t Worry Darling).
Other Best Feature nominees included First Cow, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Nomadland. Also announced – for the first time in Spirit Awards history – were the nominees of five new TV awards: Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series, Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series and Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.
One Night in Miami… was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Robert Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts.
Winners, who are selected by Film Independent Members, will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Thursday, April 22, 2021. In a one-time break from tradition, the awards ceremony will move from its usual spot as a live daytime event to prime time on Thursday, broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 10:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm PT.
2021 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
FILM CATEGORIES
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
First Cow Producers: Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington, Dany Wolf
Minari Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh
Never Rarely Sometimes Always Producers: Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski
Nomadland Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)
I Carry You With Me Director/Producer: Heidi Ewing Producers: Edher Campos, Mynette Louie, Gabriela Maire
The Forty-Year-Old Version Director/Producer: Radha Blank Producers: Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jordan Fudge, Rishi Rajani, Jennifer Semler, Lena Waithe
Miss Juneteenth Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples Producers: Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Jeanie Igoe, James M. Johnston, Theresa Steele Page, Neil Creque Williams
Nine Days Director: Edson Oda Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Matthew Linder, Laura Tunstall, Datari Turner
Sound of Metal Director: Darius Marder Producers: Bill Benz, Kathy Benz, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
The Killing of Two Lovers Writer/Director/Producer: Robert Machoian Producers: Scott Christopherson, Clayne Crawford
Lingua Franca Writer/Director/Producer: Isabel Sandoval Producers: Darlene Catly Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo
Residue Writer/Director: Merawi Gerima
Saint Frances Director/Producer: Alex Thompson Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan Producers: James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Raphael Nash, Roger Welp
BEST DIRECTOR
Lee Isaac Chung Minari
Emerald Fennell Promising Young Woman
Eliza Hittman Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Kelly Reichardt First Cow
Chloé Zhao Nomadland
BEST SCREENPLAY
Lee Isaac Chung Minari
Emerald Fennell Promising Young Woman
Eliza Hittman Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Mike Makowsky Bad Education
Alice Wu The Half of It
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Kitty Green The Assistant
Noah Hutton Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara Palm Springs
James Sweeney Straight Up
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jay Keitel She Dies Tomorrow
Shabier Kirchner Bull
Michael Latham The Assistant
Hélène Louvart Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Joshua James Richards Nomadland
BEST EDITING
Andy Canny The Invisible Man
Scott Cummings Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Merawi Gerima Residue
Enat Sidi I Carry You With Me
Chloé Zhao Nomadland
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Nicole Beharie Miss Juneteenth
Viola Davis Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sidney Flanigan Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Julia Garner The Assistant
Frances McDormand Nomadland
Carey Mulligan Promising Young Woman
BEST MALE LEAD
Riz Ahmed Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Adarsh Gourav The White Tiger
Rob Morgan Bull
Steven Yeun Minari
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Alexis Chikaeze Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han Minari
Valerie Mahaffey French Exit
Talia Ryder Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn Minari
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Colman Domingo Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee First Cow
Paul Raci Sound of Metal
Glynn Turman Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Benedict Wong Nine Days
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast
One Night in Miami… Director: Regina King Casting Director: Kimberly R. Hardin Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
Collective Director/Producer: Alexander Nanau Producers: Hanka Kastelicová, Bernard Michaux, Bianca Oana
Crip Camp Directors/Producers: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham Producer: Sara Bolder
Dick Johnson is Dead Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness
The Mole Agent Director: Maite Alberdi Producer: Marcela Santibáñez
Time Director/Producer: Garrett Bradley Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
Bacurau Brazil Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho
The Disciple India Director: Chaitanya Tamhane
Night of the Kings Ivory Coast Director: Philippe Lacôte
Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time Hungary Director: Lili Horvát
Quo Vadis, Aida? Bosnia and Herzegovina Director: Jasmila Žbanić
PRODUCERS AWARD – The Producers Award, now in its 24th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.
Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 27th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.
David Midell Director of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Ekwa Msangi Director of Farewell Amor
Annie Silverstein Director of Bull
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 26th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.
Cecilia Aldarondo Director of Landfall
Elegance Bratton Director of Pier Kids
Elizabeth Lo Director of Stray
TELEVISON CATEGORIES
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children Executive Producers: Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett, Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius
City So Real Produced by: Zak Piper, Steve James Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, Jolene Pinder
Immigration Nation Executive Producers: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson Co-Executive Producers: Andrey Alistratov, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber
Love Fraud Executive Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing, Amy Goodman Kass, Vinnie Malhotra, Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman
We’re Here Creators/Executive Producers: Stephen Warren, Johnnie Ingram Executive Producers: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Peter LoGreco Co-Executive Producers: Erin Haglund, Sabrina Mar
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)
I May Destroy You Creator/Executive Producer: Michaela Coel Executive Producers: Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni
Little America Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Joshuah Bearman, Joshua Davis, Arthur Spector, Alan Yang, Siân Heder, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon
Small Axe Executive Producers: Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner, Steve McQueen
A Teacher Creator/Executive Producer: Hannah Fidell Executive Producers: Michael Costigan, Kate Mara, Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski
I May Destroy You Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, Stephen Wight
ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is the nonprofit arts organization that champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff and constituents are comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a Member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional or a film lover.
In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces Film Independent Presents, a year-round screening series for its members that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public. Through annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry.
Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.
The winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards are voted upon by Film Independent Members. Membership is open to the public. For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.
Visual Communications is celebrating Korean American Day on Wednesday, Jan 13th with an advance virtual screening and Q&A for Minari (dir. Lee Isaac Chung), a tender and sweeping story about what roots us. Minari follows a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. Minari stars Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, and Yuh-Jung Youn.
Emmy award nominee Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey’s Anatomy), will moderate a special post-screening Q&A with writer/director Lee Isaac Chung and actors Steven Yeun, Yuh-jung Youn, and Yeri Han, along with special guests, first Korean American Congressman Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and newly elected Korean American Congresswoman Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA).
The film is available to watch virtually for 24 hrs beginning at 12am PT. Please note that tickets are limited and based on a first come, first serve basis. Click here to RSVP.
Please note that tickets are limited and based on a first come, first serve basis. If you’re unable to watch the film during this time, A24 will release MINARI on Friday, February 12.
It’s the 1980s, and David, a seven-year-old Korean American boy, is faced with new surroundings and a different way of life when his father, Jacob, moves their family from the West Coast to rural Arkansas. His mother, Monica, is aghast that they live in a mobile home in the middle of nowhere, and naughty little David and his sister are bored and aimless. When his equally mischievous grandmother arrives from Korea to live with them, her unfamiliar ways arouse David’s curiosity. Meanwhile, Jacob, hell-bent on creating a farm on untapped soil, throws their finances, his marriage, and the stability of the family into jeopardy.
Inspired by his own upbringing, writer-director Lee Isaac Chung creates a gorgeous, delicate American Dream story by infusing it with Korean melodrama and the playful charm of a Yasujiro Ozu film, as the Yi family embraces their highs and endures their lows. Each character is drawn with loving authenticity and depth, while Steven Yeun shines as Jacob, a man determined to achieve his dreams at all costs.
Lee Isaac Chung grew up in Lincoln, Arkansas, on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains. He is an award-winning writer and director. His first feature film was the Rwandan family drama Munyurangabo, which premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival to great acclaim. His other feature films are Lucky Life and Abigail Harm. He received his BA in biology at Yale University and his MFA in film studies at the University of Utah.
A24’s Minari Korean American Day screenings will be held nationwide with THOUSANDS watching across the country, hosted by Korean Consulate of Los Angeles, Council of Korean Americans CKA, Asians in LA and numerous other Korean and AAPI organizations and film festivals including Center for Asian American Media Center (CAAM), Hawai‘i International Film Festival, Asian CineVision, Seattle Asian American Film Festival, Boston Asian American Film Festival, Austin Asian American Film Festival, DC APA Film Festival, Houston Asian Pacific Islander Film Festival, NAKASEC, Pacific Arts Movement, Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Gold House and many more.
ABOUT A24: The studio behind MOONLIGHT, LADY BIRD, EX MACHINA, THE WITCH, EIGHTH GRADE, HEREDITARY & more.
Visual Communications is celebrating Korean American Day on Wednesday, Jan 13th with an advance virtual screening and Q&A for Minari (dir. Lee Isaac Chung), a tender and sweeping story about what roots us. Minari follows a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. Minari stars Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, and Yuh-Jung Youn.
Bev's Girl Films 