The 28^th Annual Film Independent Spirit Award nominees were announced yesterday. And while some of the results are less than stellar (zero women directed films for best feature (seriously!), no women cinematographers), there is a lot to be excited about including:

• Four nominations for Middle of Nowhere;
• Zoe Kazan’s nomination for Best Screenplay for Ruby Sparks;
• Rashida Jones' nod for best first screenplay;
• Several noms for Rama Burstein's Fill the Void which has only been seen at festivals;
• Actors Linda Cardellini in Return and Ann Dowd in Compliance.  Both those actors are mounting campaigns on their own so this will be a big boost to them.

Here are the women nominees:

Best Director

Julia Loktev – The Loneliest Planet

Best Screenplay

Zoe Kazan – Ruby Sparks

Best First Feature (given to director and producer)

Rama Burshtein, Assaf Amir – Fill The Void

Best First Screenplay

Rama Burshtein – Fill The Void

Rashida Jones, Will McCormack – Celeste and Jesse Forever

John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000.  Award given to the writer, director, and producer)

Laura Colella – Breakfast with Curtis

Ava DuVernay – Middle of Nowhere

Aurora Guerrero – Mosquita y Mari

Best Female Lead

Linda Cardellini – Return

Emayatzy Corinealdi –Middle of Nowhere

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Quvenzhané Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Mary Elizabeth Winstead – Smashed

Best Supporting Female

Rosemarie DeWitt – Your Sister’s Sister

Ann Dowd – Compliance

Helen Hunt – The Sessions

Brit Marling – Sound of My Voice

Lorraine Toussaint – Middle of Nowhere

Best Documentary (given to director and producer)

Sarah Burns, Ken Burns, David McMahon– The Central Park Five

Best International Film

Ursula Meier – Sister (Switzerland)

16^th Annual Piaget Producers Award (The Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films.  The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.)

Alicia Van Couvering – Nobody Walks

Mynette Louie – Stones in the Sun

19^th Annual Someone to Watch Award:

Rebecca Thomas – Electrick Children

Stella Artois Truer than Fiction Award:

Véréna Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor – Leviathan

Elizabeth Mims, Jason Tippet – Only the Young

'Silver Linings Playbook,' 'Moonrise Kingdom' Lead Spirit Award Nominations (Indiewire)