Independent Spirit nominations announced

Zola Photo: Anna Kooris

Zola - a film inspired by a Twitter thread that went viral - is leading the running at this year's Independent Spirit Awards, picking up seven nominations.

The tale of a pole dancer's crazy weekend faces strong competition from Lauren Hadaway's psychological thriller The Novice, with five nods, and Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut The Lost Daughter, with four. Also vying for Best Feature are Jonas Carpignano's Italian family drama A Chiara and Mike Mills' road trip drama C'mon C'mon.

In order to be eligible for the awards films have to have budgets of less than $22.5 million (£17 million)

The awards will be held as an in person event after being held virtually this year on March 6.

The nominations in full:

Best Feature

• A Chiara
• C’mon C’mon
• The Lost Daughter
• The Novice
• Zola

Best Director

• Janicza Bravo, Zola
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
• Lauren Hadaway, The Novice
• Mike Mills, C’mon, C’mon
• Ninja Thyberg, Pleasure

Best First Feature

• 7 Days
• Holler
• Queen Of Glory
• Test Pattern
• Wild Indian

Best Female Lead

• Isabelle Fuhrman, The Novice
• Brittany S Hall, Test Pattern
• Patti Harrison, Together Together
• Taylour Paige, Zola
• Kali Reis, Catch The Fair One

Best Male Lead

• Clifton Collins, Jr., Jockey
• Frankie Faison, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
• Michael Greyeyes, Wild Indian
• Udo Kier, Swan Song
• Simon Rex, Red Rocket

Best Supporting Female

• Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
• Amy Forsyth, The Novice
• Ruth Negga, Passing
• Revika Anne Reustle, Pleasure
• Suzanna Son, Red Rocket

Best Supporting Male

• Colman Domingo, Zola
• Meeko Gattuso, Queen Of Glory
• Troy Kotsur, CODA
• Will Patton, Sweet Thing
• Chaske Spencer, Wild Indian

Best Screenplay

• C’mon, C’mon
• The Lost Daughter
• Swan Song
• Together Together
• Zola

Best First Screenplay

• Cicada
• Mass
• Pig
• Test Pattern
• Wild Indian

Best Cinematography

• A Chiara
• Blue Bayou
• The Humans
• Passing
• Zola

Best Editing

• A Chiara
• The Killing Of Kenneth Chamberlain
• The Novice
• The Nowhere Inn
• Zola

Robert Altman Award

• The Director, Cast, and Casting Director of Mass

Best Documentary

• Ascension
• Flee
• In The Same Breath
• Procession
• Summer Of Soul

Best International Film

• Compartment No. 6
• Drive My Car
• Parallel Mothers
• Pebbles
• Petite Maman
• Prayers For The Stolen

Someone to Watch Award

• Alex Camilleri, Luzzu
• Gillian Wallace Horvat, I Blame Society
• Michael Sarnoski, Pig

Truer Than Fiction Award

• North By Current
• Faya Dayi
• Try Harder!

John Cassavetes Award

• Cryptozoo
• Jockey
• Shiva Baby
• Sweet Thing
• This Is Not A War Story

Producers Award

• Brad Becker-Parton
• Pin-Chun Liu
• Lizzie Shapiro