2024 Nominee Info
Essential dates, information and details for 2023 Spirit Award nominees
So, you're a Film Independent Spirit Awards nominee... congratulations! We put this page together just for you. It's designed to provide you with important info about everything from the Nominee Screener Program and show details, to who determines the Spirit Award winners.
We'll make updates here as additional info pertinent to your Spirit Awards experience becomes available.
Following is a list of key dates for all Spirit Awards nominees:
Monday, December 18, 2023 – Deadline for nominees to become Film Independent Members, in order to vote for the 2024 Spirit Awards
Tuesday, December 26 – Early Deadline to confirm Nominee Screener Program participation (see below); Nominee Screening Room launches
Wednesday, January 3, 2024 – Nominee materials due (see below)
Saturday, January 6 – Nominee Brunch at Casa del Mar
Monday, January 15 – Deadline to confirm participation in the Nominee Screener Program
Thursday, February 1 – Monday, February 12 – Spirit Awards official voting period
Sunday, February 25, 2024 – Spirit Awards Ceremony
If you have questions that aren't covered here, please view our FAQ page, or email Drea Clark, Nominee Liaison, at dclark@filmindependent.org.
Voting & Membership
Film Independent Members vote to determine the winners of the Spirit Awards.
The winners of the Spirit Awards are voted upon exclusively by Members of Film Independent. To be eligible to vote for the winners of the 2024 Spirit Awards, Members must be current/active as of December 18, 2023. Members who are current/active by December 18 are also eligible to receive screeners for voting consideration, which are provided at the discretion of nominees (details below).
We encourage you to become a Member and cast your vote! Join now, or contact Evan Ward-Henninger, Director of Membership, at eward-henninger@filmindependent.org to learn more.
Nominee Materials
Here's what we'll need from you...
Now that you're officially a nominee, we'll need some additional materials. Nominees are required to submit the following, for promotional purposes and the Spirit Awards Ceremony:
Nominee email address – plus representative email(s), if applicable
Trailer for film/television series*
Clips* – 2 or 3 clips (30 sec - 1 min in length) per nominee. Clips should reflect nomination category, e.g. Best Lead Performance nomination clips should feature that performer, Cinematography nomination clips should highlight photography, Screenplay nomination clips should highlight writing, etc. Clip selection for nominee package is at the discretion of Spirit Awards producers; specific clips may be requested.
* Preferred format for trailer/clips is Digital Quicktime File: PRO RES 422HQ (1920x1080) DVCPRO 100 or Avid DnXHD 145 Codec (also 175 if 23.98 and 220 if 59.94); split audio tracks as separate elements (Ch. 1 DIA, Ch. 2 EFX, Ch. 3 & 4 Stereo Music)
Headshots and stills – JPEG, 300 dpi resolution
- For Best Screenplay, Best First Screenplay, Best Editing, Someone to Watch and Truer Than Fiction: headshot of nominee
- For Best Director and Best Cinematography: headshot plus stills of nominee on set, if available
Title treatment – JPEG, 2100x1500 pixels, 300 dpi resolution; title as it appears in film/television program
Theme song – .wav or .mp3 file preferred (track used in opening credits and/or dedicated marketing)
Please provide materials online, via downloadable link to Drea Clark, Nominee Liaison, at dclark@filmindependent.org.
Nominee Screener Program
We make it easy to get your film or series in front of Spirit Awards voters.
The Nominee Screener Program makes it easy for you to provide digital screeners to Film Independent Members for voting consideration. Participating titles are hosted for viewing, throughout the consideration period, in Film Independent’s Nominee Screening Room, powered by Vision Media.
Participation in the Nominee Screener Program is recommended as the best way to ensure that voters have access to nominated titles, but entirely optional. Eligible voters who watch screeners are required to opt in to a restricted use agreement upon viewing. Nominee Screening Room features include forensic and visible watermarking, access across popular platforms like Apple TV and Roku, full color artwork and synopses.
If you are interested in participating, contact Evan Ward-Henninger at eward-henninger@filmindependent.org, no later than January 15, 2024.
Tables & Individual Seating
Attend the 2024 Spirit Awards and celebrate alongside fellow nominees and industry leaders!
The Spirit Awards is not only the premiere awards show for independent film and television, it serves as Film Independent's annual fundraising gala.
Attendees directly support Film Independent's year-round work championing bold, original storytellers and building audiences to sustain a thriving community for independent creators. Learn more about the impact of our supporters in our annual Impact Report.
Film Independent is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The Spirit Awards relies on distributors, production companies and supporters to seat and celebrate nominees at the show.
Tables of ten are available at three levels: Leadership ($40,000/$39,000 is tax-deductible), Trustee ($30,000/$29,000 is tax-deductible) and Patron ($20,000/$19,000 is tax-deductible).
Individual seating is available exclusively as a benefit of joining Film Independent's annual giving group, Arts Circle, at the Spirit level ($5,000/$4,710 is tax-deductible) or above.
To learn more, contact Jennifer Murby, Director of Development, at jmurby@filmindependent.org.
For inquiries regarding accessibility, or to request an accommodation, please contact us at accessibility@filmindependent.org or 323 556 9305.
Advertising
Celebrate your nomination by highlighting your contender for our voting community.
We offer a number of options to help you bring attention to and build excitement for your nomination:
Implement a digital FYC campaign across the Film Independent and/or Spirit Awards websites (filmindependent.org, spiritawards.com)
Integrate digital FYC advertising into our weekly Tuesday e-newsletter, reaching more than 70,000 opted-in subscribers each Wednesday
Send a dedicated email to our 7,500+ opted-in Members, or larger list of 26,000+ Members and industry subscribers as an invite to a screening, Q&A or other event, or to provide more info about your nominee(s)
Place a print ad in our Spirit Awards Program Book, distributed digitally to our entire community prior to the Spirit Awards ceremony, and displayed in print on show day for all attendees
For additional information or recommendations, contact Rebecca Cavallari, Development Manager, at rcavallari@filmindependent.org.
Publicity
We're here to help you make the most of your Spirit Awards experience.
Nominees may be accompanied by one publicist on show day. All PR representatives must apply for a credential in order to attend. Publicists should visit our Press Center to begin the application process.
The publicist application period is open through February 2, 2024.
To avoid duplicate/incorrect bookings, please check with studio(s) and/or personal publicists before submitting an application.
If you have any questions regarding Spirit Awards publicity, please email publicity@filmindependent.org.