Winners to be unveiled on February 26, 2011

LOS ANGELES (November 10, 2010) – Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced today that Eva Mendes and Jeremy Renner will announce the nominees for the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards on November 30, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at The London West Hollywood Hotel.

As previously announced, the 26th edition of the Spirit Awards will be held at the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m.  The ceremony will air the same day exclusively on IFC at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Mendes truly captured moviegoers’ attention in a small, but pivotal role opposite Denzel Washington in Antoine Fuqua’s critically acclaimed Training Day, and has since proved adept in both comedic and dramatic roles.  She has worked with an esteemed and diverse group of directors and co-stars, earning the reputation as a serious actress committed to her craft.  Previous projects include Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Andy Tennant’s blockbuster comedy Hitch, and the hit action-adventure Ghost Rider.  Recently, Mendes starred in the critically acclaimed independent drama We Own the Night, written and directed by James Gray, the independent feature LIVE!, which marked her executive producing debut, Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and Adam McKay’s The Other Guys. In October 2010, Eva made her directorial debut with her short film California Romanza, as part of Glamour Reel Moments’ program that gives women in Hollywood the opportunity to direct a short based on their reader’s real life stories. She will next be seen in Last Night opposite Keira Knightley and Sam Worthington.

Academy Award® nominated Renner, who can currently be seen in the critically acclaimed The Town, was first put on the map with his Spirit Award nominated role as Jeffrey Dahmer in the 2002 indie hit Dahmer.  He was next seen in the 2003 summer hit S.W.A.T., the adaption of J.T. Leroy’s critically acclaimed novel The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, and Catherine Hardwicke’s Lords of Dogtown.  Renner then starred in North Country opposite Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron, A Little Trip to Heaven alongside Julia Stiles, and Loves Comes to the Executioner.  2007 marked three feature film roles with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford alongside Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, 28 Weeks Later, the highly anticipated sequel to 28 Days Later, and Take opposite Minnie Driver.  From 2008-2010, Renner garnered multiple accolades for his role as Sgt. James in Kathryn Bigelow’s award-winning The Hurt Locker.  He received a Best Actor nomination for the 2008 Spirit Awards, nominations for the Gotham Awards, wins at the Hollywood Film Festival and the Savannah Film Festival, and an Academy Award® nomination.  Renner will next star in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and The Avengers.

This year’s ceremony is sponsored by Premier Sponsors IFC, Netflix, ELLE, Piaget and Jameson Irish Whiskey.  WireImage is the Official Photographer of Film Independent and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
The Film Independent Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and originality.  Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, the Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award.  The Filmmaker Grants include Someone to Watch Award, Truer Than Fiction Award, and Producers Award.

This year’s ceremony is sponsored by Premier Sponsors IFC, Netflix, ELLE, Piaget and Jameson Irish Whiskey.  WireImage is the Official Photographer of Film Independent and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

For more information on submission guidelines, voting, photo and video galleries, and the history of the Spirit Awards, please visit SpiritAwards.com.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that champions independent film 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 leader, or a film lover.

With over 250 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 offers free Filmmaker Labs for selected writers, directors, and producers; provides cut-rate services for filmmakers; and presents year-round networking opportunities. Film Independent’s mentorship and job placement program, Project:Involve, pairs emerging culturally diverse filmmakers with film industry professionals.

Film Independent produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema and the Spirit Awards, a celebration honoring films and filmmakers that embody independence and originality.
For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Elise Freimuth, Film Independent
Tel:  310.432.1287 or EFreimuth@FilmIndependent.org

Chris Libby, Ginsberg/Libby
Tel: 323.645.6800 or chris.libby@ginsberglibby.com