2013 Independent Spirit Awards Preview

Best Feature
“All is Lost”
“Frances Ha”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Nebraska”
“12 Years a Slave”

Should go to the Coens, although Steve McQueen is the actor's director and Davis did not get a director's nomination.

Best Director
J.C. Chandor, “All is Lost”
Jeff Nichols, “Mud”
Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Shane Carruth, “Upstream Color”

Again, should go to Carruth, but McQueen's been listed.

Best First Feature
“Blue Caprice”
“Concussion”
“Fruitvale Station”
“Una Noche”
“Wadjda”

I like Wadjda, but Fruitvale makes the most of a statement.

Best Screenplay
“Before Midnight”
“Blue Jasmine”
“Enough Said”
“The Spectacular Now”
“12 Years a Slave"

Best First Screenplay
“Afternoon Delight”
“Don Jon”
“In a World”
“The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete”
“Nebraska”

Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

Gaby Hoffman, “Crystal Fairy”
Brie Larson, “Short Term 12″
Shailene Woodley, “The Spectacular Now”

Best Male Lead
Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Oscar Isaac, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Robert Redford, “All is Lost”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”

Redford is hard to go wrong with, Eijofor was a great historical figure, but Michael B. Jordan is the most breakout and topical, especially with the revelation of the Zimmerman case.

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″

Gandolfini might steal it from his grave, but Fassbender is always hard to deny his menace a great award.

Best Cinematography
“All is Lost”
“Computer Chess”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Spring Breakers”
“12 Years a Slave”

Best Editing
“Frances Ha”
“Museum Hours”
“Short Term 12″
“Una Noche”
“Upstream Color”

Best Documentary
“The Act of Killing”
“After Tiller”
“Gideon’s Army”
“The Square”
“20 Feet from Stardom”

Best International Film
“Blue is the Warmest Color”
“Gloria”
“The Great Beauty”
“The Hunt”
“A Touch of Sin”

A Touch of Sin is probably the best direction, but Blue is the Warmest Color is going to get the most sympathy votes like in did in Cannes.

Robert Altman Award
“Mud”

John Cassavetes Award
“Computer Chess”
“Crystal Fairy”
“Museum Hours”
“Pit Stop”
“This is Martin Bonner”

Piaget Producers Award
Toby Halbrooks & James M. Johnston
Jacob Jaffke
Andrea Roa
Frederick Thornton

Someone to Watch Award
Aaron Douglas Johnston, “My Sisters Quinceañera”
Shaka King, “Newlyweeds”
Madeline Olnek, “The Foxy Merkins”

Truer Than Fiction Award
Kalyanee Mam, “A River Changes Course”
Jason Osder, “Let the Fire Burn”
Stephanie Spray & Pacho Valez, “Manakamana”