Click here to see the full list of winners from the Indies.
“The Indies is where distinctly independent US and Indigenous feature filmmakers and their films will be seen, heard, and properly recognized year after year in Hollywood,” said Indie Awards co-founder Paul Rachman. Indie Awards co-founder and manager Ben Umstead added, “Such recognition is a powerful tool for change of the status quo, and embracing change equals the film industry at its best.”
Slamdance’s mission has always been to foster a vibrant and accessible community for visionary filmmakers. The Indie Awards is a natural extension of this commitment. Reflecting on the inaugural edition of the awards, Umstead said, “while there are many resources we’d like to offer in the coming years, cultivating community is paramount to everything else. The rallying cries for solidarity throughout the night, along with a firm belief that independent film is where audiences can find authentic human storytelling in an era of content, reflected that core belief wholeheartedly.”
To be eligible for The Indie Awards, films must have played at one or more of a carefully selected group of North American festivals that champion diverse and inclusive independent films from the United States and Turtle Island. Additionally, films that had their World Premiere at Sundance, SXSW, or Tribeca were not eligible. “We needed a starting point that helped set us apart so we could find films to champion,” Umstead emphasized about the process. “However, this process is not set in stone. We need to experiment, to carefully grow and change in order to answer the question ‘how can we better serve our fellow filmmakers?’”
Once a film was deemed eligible, it underwent a review process by the Documentary Feature or Narrative Feature Nomination Committees which were composed of esteemed film critics and scholars. “Our committees are the backbone of the Indies,” Umstead stated. “They will be the first ones to help Paul and I address how year two can change for the better.”
After nomination, the films were judged by the Documentary Feature and Narrative Feature Juries, composed of seasoned professionals from the very same alternative and independent filmmaking communities that the Indies aims to keep championing and elevating. “With our first awards having wrapped,” Umstead concluded, “one amazing thing that’s now possible is that our nominees and winners this year could in fact join our juries next year. After all, they have the experience needed to know exactly what’s best for the Indies and best for an inclusive, sustainable future in cinema.”
– Ben Umstead, Indie Awards Manager