2025 Nominee Info
Essential dates, information and details for 2025 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 important info about everything from the Nominee Screener Program and show details, to who determines the Spirit Award winners and where to stay when you're in town for the big event.
We'll make updates here as additional info pertinent to your Spirit Awards experience becomes available.
Here's a list of key dates for all Spirit Awards nominees:
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 – Deadline for nominees to become Film Independent Members, in order to vote for the 2025 Spirit Awards
Thursday, December 26 – Early Deadline to confirm Nominee Screener Program participation (see below)
Friday, December 27 –Nominee Screening Room launches
Thursday, January 2, 2025 – Nominee materials due (see below)
Saturday, January 4 – Nominee Brunch at Hotel Casa del Mar
Wednesday, January 15 – Final deadline to confirm participation in the Nominee Screener Program
Friday, January 31 – Thursday, February 13 – Spirit Awards voting period
Saturday, February 22, 2025 – 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 2025 Spirit Awards, Members must be current/active as of December 18, 2024. Members who are current/active by December 18 are also eligible to access screeners for voting consideration, which are provided at the discretion of nominees.
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.
* Winners in the John Cassavetes Award, Someone to Watch, Truer Than Fiction and Producers Award categories are selected by the Spirit Awards nominating committee(s).
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* – textless/no bug
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: headshot of nominee
- For Best Director and Best Cinematography: headshot plus still 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 is a simple and effective way to provide digital screeners to Film Independent Members for voting consideration. During the consideration period, titles are hosted in the Film Independent Nominee Screening Room powered by Vision Media; a trusted, secure hosting environment that voting Members have utilized since 2016.
To ensure equitable consideration for nominees, participation in the Nominee Screener Program is required.
Nominee Screening Room features include forensic and visible watermarking, access across popular platforms such as Apple TV and Roku, full color artwork and synopses, as well as accessibility features including closed caption and audio description (at the discretion of the nominee). Voters who watch screeners must opt in to a restricted use agreement in order to view content.
Please contact Evan Ward-Henninger at eward-henninger@filmindependent.org between December 4–26, 2024 to include your nominee in our Nominee Screening Room launch.
The final deadline to participate is January 15, 2025.
Tables & Individual Seating
Attend the 2025 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 the annual fundraising gala for Film Independent, a 501(c)(3) organization.
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.
Please note: All guests must be 13 years or older to attend, with exceptions made only for nominees under the age of 13.
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 reach out: 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 75,000 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 January 31, 2025.
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.
Recommended Hotels
Looking for a place to stay?
We recommend these conveniently located Official Hotels of the Spirit Awards for your lodging needs:
Hotel Casa Del Mar – 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica
Inspired by the grand villas of the Mediterranean and the beachy vibe of Santa Monica, Hotel Casa del Mar invites you to unwind in style. Book directly through their reservations line at (844) 880-1077.
The Georgian – 1415 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica
The Georgian has been meticulously restored to her rightful place as the jewel on the California coastline. Debuting in 1933, this legendary beach retreat still retains an aura of mystery, grace and timeless charm. The Georgian is pleased to offer a 20% discount for guests of the 2025 Spirit Awards. Please enter SPIRIT in the promotion code box on the hotel’s website for access.