'Leave No Trace,' 'Eighth Grade' to vie at Spirit Awards
By JAKE COYLE, Associated Press
Feb 23, 2019 11:59 AM CST

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — The 34th Film Independent Spirit Awards have a few things the Oscars don't: a host and female filmmaker nominees.

The annual awards honoring independent film will be handed out Saturday in a tent on the Santa Monica, California, beach and broadcast live on IFC at 2 p.m. PST.

Aubrey Plaza will be hosting this year's show which includes fewer Oscar contenders than usual.

The top nominees are Bo Burnham's coming-of-age tale "Eighth Grade," Lynne Ramsey's existentialist thriller "You Were Never Really Here," Paul Schrader's religious drama "First Reformed" and Jeremiah Zagar's lyrical "We the Animals."

While the Oscars feature no women nominated for best director, the Spirits have three: Ramsey, Tamara Jenkins and Debra Granik.

The Spirits have often predicted Oscar winners, but last year "Get Out" won best picture.