Presenting the Award This! 2020 Nominees Image

Presenting the Award This! 2020 Nominees

By Film Threat Staff | January 31, 2020

Film Threat’s Award This! is an event with a clear mission — to champion independent films in a variety of categories in order to bring greater awareness to the growing number of exceptional independent films available on numerous platforms including VOD and streaming services. Recognizing these films during the height of award season with a ceremony hosted by actors, comedians and critics, and right afterwards to celebrate with a huge party. 

Your movie might be nominated! So why not check out the nominees below and read the text from the official press release? Greener Grass from IFC Midnight leads with with four nominations including Indie Comedy, Ensemble Cast, Indie Movie of the Year and a Directress nomination for co-directors Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe. In an effort to support women directors, Film Threat’s Award This! has separated the directing category into male and female directors in the same way that the Oscars has gender-split its acting categories.

Film Threat has been a longtime independent film champion and we are stepping into the void to honor true indies and right the Oscar snubs with Award This! live from Los Angeles on Wednesday, February 5th at the Studio Movie Grill in Glendale, CA. Award This! The event will feature the creative forces of independent cinema both in front of and behind the camera with inventive new categories: Oscar Snub nominating those performances and filmmakers who blew us away this year like Awkwafina, Jennifer Lopez, Robert DeNiro, Adam Sandler, Greta Gerwig, and Lulu Wang; Socially Relevant Documentary hitting topics that get to the heart of us like Afghan Cycles, The Animal People (executive produced by Joaquin Phoenix), Don’t Be Nice, Fat: A Documentary, Life Overtakes Me, Mr. Toilet, No Safe Spaces, and Tell Me Who I Am; Sports Documentary, Indie Sci-Fi, Pop Culture Documentary, Indie Horror, Indie Comedy, Indie LGBTQ+ Themed Film, Indie Action/Thriller, WTF Indie, Director, Directress, Indie Made for Less Than the Contents of an Oscar Gift Bag (Under $100K), Indie Movie of the Year, and Ensemble Cast.

“I’ve seen how recognition from awards can help bring awareness to independent films on the fringe. Award This! is another way for our passionate writers and editors at Film Threat to champion indie movies across a multitude of genres,” said Film Threat publisher Chris Gore. “In addition to our mission, I wanted to make it possible for anyone to attend Award This! So while it’s impossible to get into the Oscars or the Spirit Awards unless you are nominated or in the industry, we’re offering tickets to the general public who can enjoy the awards ceremony and join filmmakers, presenters, winners and guests at our after party.”

Award This! is comprised of the staff of Film Threat’s editors and critics which number 30+ worldwide along with an advisory board of media figures and independent film luminaries. The winners are selected by the editors of Film Threat along with the advisory board. 

Award This! 2020 Categories and Nominees include…

Award This! Oscar Snub

Awkwafina (The Farewell)

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers)

Robert De Niro (The Irishman)

Christian Bale (Ford V Ferarri)

Greta Gerwig (Director, Little Women)

Lulu Wang (Director, The Farewell)

 

Award This! Movie Critic Worthy of Your Attention

Alachia Queen

John Campea

Leonard Maltin

Luke Thompson

Michael Dequina

 

Award This! Short Film

Adams

Betty Feeds the Animals

Face Swap

F**k You

Miss Freelance

Unseen

We Vanish

 

Award This! Sports Documentary

The All-Americans (Abramorama)

Andy Irons: Kissed By God (Teton Gravity Research)

APEX: The Secret Race Across America (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

The Russian Five (Gold Star Films)

Valiant (NHL Originals Production)

 

Award This! Socially Relevant Documentary

Afghan Cycles (FilmBuff)

The Animal People (Virgil Films)

Don’t Be Nice (Juno Films)

Fat: A Documentary (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Life Overtakes Me (Netflix)

Mr. Toilet (Kew Media Group)

No Safe Spaces (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Tell Me Who I Am (Netflix)

 

Award This! Pop Culture Documentary

Bathtubs Over Broadway (Focus Features)

Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers (The Orchard)

Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (Netflix)

Love, Antosha (Lurker)

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary (Screen Junkies)

Third Eye Spies (The Orchard)

QT8: The First 8 (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

What We Left Behind (Shout Factory)

 

Award This! Indie Sci-Fi

Assassinaut (Epic Pictures)

Anya (First Encounter Productions)

Crossbreed (Jaguar Motion Pictures)

Dropa (Showtime)

Encounter (Vega Baby)

Fast Color (LD Entertainment)

The Wrong Todd (Gravitas Ventures)

 

Award This! Indie Horror

3 From Hell (Lionsgate)

Daniel Isn’t Real (Samuel Goldwyn)

Depraved (IFC Midnight)

Devil’s Revenge (Cleopatra Entertainment)

Here Comes Hell (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

In Fabric (A24)

Lonely Hearts (Darkside Releasing)

One Night In October (Wild Eye Releasing)

Satanic Panic (RLJE Films)

The Wind (IFC Midnight)

 

Award This! Indie Comedy

After Class (Gravitas Ventures)

The Death of Dick Long (A24)

Greener Grass (IFC Midnight)

Spell (Dark Star Pictures)

Sword of Trust (IFC Films)

Knives and Skin (IFC Midnight)

Feast of the Seven Fishes (Shout! Studios)

Wake (Mirror Core Productions)

 

Award This! Indie LGBTQ+ Themed Film

The Blonde One (World Cinema)

Daddy Issues (Gravitas Ventures)

Last Ferry (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Giant Little Ones (Vertical Entertainment)

The Dark Place (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

 

Award This! Indie Action/Thriller

Are You Glad I’m Here (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

The Drone (Lionsgate)

The Fanatic (Quiver Distribution)

Long Lost (Indie Rights)

Scales (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (RLJ Entertainment)

Triple Threat (Well Go USA)

A Violent Man (GVN Releasing)

 

Award This! WTF Indie like “What the F**k is This Movie Even?”

Another Version of You (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Doll Factory (Wild Eye Releasing)

The Drone (Lionsgate)

The Fanatic (Quiver Distribution)

Cleavers: Killer Clowns (101 Films)

Mute Date (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Possum (Dark Sky Films)

Silicone Soul (Starz)

The Velocipastor (WildEye Releasing)

Weedjies! Halloweed Night (Full Moon Features)

 

Award This! Ensemble Cast

After Class (Gravitas Ventures)

Greener Grass (IFC Midnight)

The Riot Act (Giant Pictures)

Spell (Dark Star Pictures)

Sword of Trust (IFC Films)

A Violent Man (GVN Releasing)

Wish Man (Vision Films)

 

Award This! Director

Adam Egypt Mortimer for Daniel Isn’t Real (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

Brendan Walter for Spell (Dark Star Pictures)

Daniel Schechter for After Class (Gravitas Ventures)

Henry Dunham for The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (RLJ Entertainment)

Matthew Berkowitz for A Violent Man (GVN Releasing)

Rob Grant for Harpoon (Epic Pictures)

Jared Cohn for Devil’s Revenge (Cleopatra Entertainment)

William Wayne for Lost Angelas (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

 

Award This! Directress

Amara Cash for Daddy Issues (Gravitas Ventures)

Chelsea Stardust for Satanic Panic (RLJE Films)

Emma Tammi for The Wind (IFC Midnight)

Julia Hart for Fast Color (LD Entertainment)

Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe for Greener Grass (IFC Midnight)

Lynn Shelton for Sword of Trust (IFC Films)

Michele Remsen for Toss It (Journeyman Features)

Roxanne Benjamin for Body At Brighton Rock (Magnolia Pictures)

 

Award This! Indie Made for Less Than the Contents of an Oscar Gift Bag (Under $100K)

The FP 2: Beats Of Rage (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Lonely Hearts (Darkside Releasing)

Lost Angelas (Self-Distributed by Filmmaker)

Space Ninjas (Plastic Monkey Films)

Spell (Dark Star Pictures)

The Wrong Todd (Gravitas Ventures)

 

Award This! Indie Movie of the Year

After Class (Gravitas Ventures) 

Daniel Isn’t Real (Samuel Goldwyn)

Greener Grass (IFC Midnight)

Harpoon (Epic Pictures)

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (RLJ Entertainment)

Sword of Trust (IFC Films)

The Wind (IFC Midnight)

The Wrong Todd (Gravitas Ventures)

Check out the official Award This! site for more info including eligibility requirements and don’t forget to follow Award This! on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

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  1. Improving the Industry for the Next Generation of Filmmakers - Storyblocks says:

    […] industry leaders (like the Academy) could be doing to address this. For example, Film Threat’s Award This! has dedicated categories celebrating Best Directress and Best Indie LGBTQ+ themed film. Ideally, it […]

  2. Patrick says:

    Dropped the ball in not nominating “White Chamber” from Dark Sky Films and why bother with a Oscar snubs category for A-Listers,they get plenty of press without indie sites like this chirping in.
    But I love the idea of women director’s getting their own list and if you had added stuntpersons as well…..but there is always next year.

    Glad to see all the IFC/IFC Midnight Films repped here,they put out my favorite films.

    The cheetah and I loved “The Velocipastor” quite a bit and we’re rooting for “Crossbreed” in the Sci-Fi category as well.

    • Bobby LePire says:

      I definitely agree about needing a stunt category. Sadly, White Chamber was not reviewed by Film Threat in 2019, so it is not eligible.

  3. LC says:

    The Wrong Todd nominated in 3 categories. Excellent! Let’s hear it for small budget productions taking a great story and turning it into a sci fi gem!

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