LGBTQ and Female-Led Films Hustlers, Booksmart Land Spirit Award Noms

The Film Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced on Thursday morning and several LGBTQ-themed and/or female-led projects including Booksmart, Hustlers, Judy, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire garnered nods, according to a press release from Film Independent.

Actors Natasha Lyonne and Zazie Beetz read the list of nominations for the awards that honor film projects made by independent companies.

Olivia Wilde's comedy Booksmart, which stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as best friends (one of whom is a lesbian) who live it up on their last night of high school, landed a nomination for Best First Feature.

Meanwhile, Renee Zellweger earned a nomination for Best Female Lead for her uncanny portrayal of LGBTQ icon Judy Garland in Judy.

Hustlers helmer Lorene Scafaria landed a nomination for Best Director while Jennifer Lopez earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the hit that is, at its core, about female solidarity and stars women in the LGBTQ community including Keke Palmer, Trace Lysette, and Lizzo.

Winner of the Queer Palme at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the taut love story between women from acclaimed director Celine Sciamma, who is queer, earned a nomination for Best International Film.

Director Madeleine Olnek's Wild Nights With Emily, which stars Molly Shannon as Emily Dickinson, earned a nomination for the John Cassavettes Award, which goes to the best feature film made for under $500,000.

"The Film Independent Spirit Awards celebrate the best films of the year -- films characterized by creative independence and original, provocative subject matter, as well as diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision," Film Independent President Josh Welsh said in a statement. "At a time when the film business is undergoing such change and challenges, it's important to loudly celebrate the work itself -- the films! -- and to recognize 2019 as a year of bold, audacious and accomplished filmmaking. That's what the Spirit Awards are all about."

The Spirit Awards nominating committee is made up of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers, and other working film professionals who chose the nominees from more than 430 submissions.

The Spirit Awards will air February 8 exclusively on IFC.