Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the LA Film Festival, announced the winners of its three Spirit Awards filmmaker grants at its annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch held at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood. Sterling K. Brown and Issa Rae co-hosted the event and handed out the honors.
“Discovering and supporting new filmmaking talent is at the heart of what we do all year long,” said Film Independent president Josh Welsh. “This year’s filmmaker grant recipients are remarkably talented and I look forward to seeing the work they go on to create in the years to come.”
Jordana Mollick received the Piaget Producers Award. The award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The annual award, in its 20th year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget for the 10th year. Finalists for the award were Lisa Kjerulff and Melody C. Roscher & Craig Shilowich.
Anna Rose Holmer, director of The Fits, received the Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award. The award recognizes talented filmmakers of singular vision who have not yet received appropriate recognition. The award is in its 23rd year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851. Finalists for the award were Andrew Ahn, director of Spa Night; Claire Carré, director of Embers; and Ingrid Jungermann, director of Women Who Kill.
Nanfu Wang, director of Hooligan Sparrow, received the Truer Than Fiction Award. The award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award is in its 22nd year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. Finalists for the award were Kristi Jacobson, director of Solitary, and Sara Jordenö, director of Kiki.
This year marks the 32nd edition of the awards show that celebrates the best of independent film. Nick Kroll and John Mulaney will co-host the show. Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions returns for his third year as executive producer; producer Shawn Davis returns for his 15th show. Danielle Federico and Andrew Schaff will be co-producing the awards.
Winners for the remaining categories will be revealed at the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 25. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2 pm PT/5 pm ET.
In addition to celebrating the broad spectrum of independent filmmaking, the Spirit Awards is also the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry.
AP sues 3 Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech
The Associated Press sued three Trump administration officials Friday over access to presidential events, citing freedom of speech in asking a federal judge to stop the 10-day blocking of its journalists.
The lawsuit was filed Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
The AP says its case is about an unconstitutional effort by the White House to control speech — in this case refusing to change its style from the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," as President Donald Trump did last month with an executive order.
"The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government," the AP said in its lawsuit, which names White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
"This targeted attack on the AP's editorial independence and ability to gather and report the news strikes at the very core of the First Amendment," the news agency said. "This court should remedy it immediately."
In stopping the AP from attending press events at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, or flying on Air Force One in the agency's customary spot, the Trump team directly cited the AP's decision not to fully follow the president's renaming.
"We're going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it's the Gulf of America," Trump said Tuesday.
This week, about 40 news organizations signed onto a letter organized by the White House Correspondents Association, urging the White House to reverse its policy against the AP.
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