Irish/Canadian film Room has been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards including Best First Screenplay and Best Female Lead, which adds to the already considerable Oscar buzz surrounding the project.
The film is based on the Booker nominated novel by Dublin author, Emma Donoghue, who also wrote the screenplay. It tells the horrific tale of a woman and son held captive for years in a tiny space and was inspired by the life of Elisabeth Fritzl, who was locked in a basement in Austria for 24 years.
Room is directed by Lenny Abrahamson and it has already been generating a lot of Oscar buzz following its reception at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it took home the People's Choice Award. The Independent Spirit Awards are usually a good indication of what's to come when the Oscar nominations are released, with the awards ceremony held the day before the Academy Awards.
Room received three nominations in total; Best Female Lead for Brie Larson, Best First Screenplay and Best Editing.
Carol and Beasts of No Nation lead the nominations with six nods each. Both films are nominated for Best Feature, Best Director and Best Cinematography.
Carol has also picked up nominations for Best Screenplay and both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are on the shortlist for Best Female Lead.
Cate Blanchett in Carol
Beasts of No Nation is also mentioned in the Best Editing section, with star Abraham Attah given the nod for Best Male Lead. Idris Elba's performance has been nominated for Best Supporting Male.
Full list of nominees:
Best Feature
Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine
Best Director
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, Anomalisa
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation
Todd Haynes, Carol
David Robert Mitchell, It Follows
Tom MCCarthy, Spotlight
Sean Baker, Tangerine
Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Rooney Mara, Carol
Bel Powley, The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Brie Larson, Room
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Tangerine
Best Male Lead
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
Jason Segel, The End of the Tour
Christopher Abbot, James White
Koudous Seihon, Mediterranea
Ben Mendelsohn, Mississippi Grind
Best Supporting Female
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anomalisa
Marin Ireland, Glass Chin
Robin Bartlett, H.
Cynthia Nixon, James White
Mya Taylor, Tangerine
Best Supporting Male
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Richard Jenkins, Bone Tomahawk
Paul Dano, Love & Mercy
Kevin Corrigan, Results
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Best Screenplay
Anomalisa
Bone Tomahawk
Carol
The End of the Tour
Spotlight
Best First Feature
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
James White
Manos Sucas
Mediterranea
Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Best First Screenplay
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Mediterranea
The Mend
Room
Best Editing
Beasts of No Nation
Heaven Knows What
It Follows
Room
Spotlight
Best Cinematography
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
It Follows
Meadowland
Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Best Documentary
Best of Enemies
Heart of a Dog
The Look of Silence
Meru
The Russian Woodpecker
(T)error
Best International Film
Embrace of the Serpent
Girlhood
Mustang
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
Son of Saul
John Cassavetes Award
Advantageous
Christmas, Again
Heaven Knows What
Krisha
Out of My Hand
Robert Altman Award:
Spotlight
