Film Independent’s decision to add TV categories to its annual Spirit Awards was widely cheered on Tuesday by network, studio and streamer executives, who now have another opportunity to camp…
was widely cheered on Tuesday by network, studio and streamer executives, who now have another opportunity to campaign their prestige projects for a respected prize.
None of the major TV awards — including the Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG Awards — have a new TV series category. But Film Independent president John Welsh and the org’s associate director of nominations, Setu Raval, tell“There’s just an excitement in a debut season for any series,” Raval said. “It’s really that moment where the creators have that opportunity to step outside some of the boundaries of television and be able to create some original content.
Additionally, the Spirit Awards will avoid the comedy vs. drama classification debate by eliminating genre splits all together, in both the series and acting categories. “I think it also mirrors the film side as well,” Raval said. “We have a number of different genre styles and types of filmmaking and types of filmmakers from around the world that are considered in that one pot. So you always end up with a list that’s quite eclectic.
But ultimately, Welsh said, Film Independent felt they needed to recognize the TV now being made by indie filmmakers like Justin Simien and shows like “Fleabag,” which he identified as a natural contender had the Spirit Awards been honoring TV in that show’s first season. He also pointed to “Gentefied,” the Netflix project from Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, both of whom came out of Film Independent’s Screenwriting Lab.
And that brings up another point of eligibility: Although this is the Independent Spirit Awards, purely indie projects — without any major broadcast, cable or streaming distribution — need not apply.
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