Mary Bronstein, writer/director of ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ shared at our 2026 Directors Close-Up on how she came to make her emotional autobiographical film.
🎬 Hear from more 2026 #SpiritAwards Nominees with the full #DCU2026 panels now on YouTube: bit.ly/4t6N6C2
#DCU2026 has come to a close! Big thanks to the filmmakers of the 2026 #SpiritAwards Nominees for inspiring our #FiMembers with their stories and insights. ❤️
If you missed the live sessions, the full panels are up on YouTube: bit.ly/4t6N6C2
The image is a promotional poster for the Film Independent Directors Close-Up event. It features "Best First Screenplay" Spirit Awards Nominees: Andrew DeYoung, ‘Friendship’ Elena Oxman, ‘Outerlands’ Alex Russell, ‘Lurker’ Constance Tsang, ‘Blue Sun Palace’ Moderated by Corey Sherman The text includes #DCU2026 and the Film Independent logo.
🚨 Today at 5:30 pm PT is the FINAL #DCU2026 panel! Hear from the 2026 #SpiritAwards Best First Screenplay Nominees from ‘Friendship’, ‘Outerlands’, ‘Lurker’ & ‘Blue Sun Palace’.
Sign up here: bit.ly/FiDCU26
📸: Rodin Eckenroth (2), Leon Bennett (3), Tommaso Boddi (4)/Getty Images
Promotional poster for Film Independent Directors Close-Up panel featuring 'Best Screenplay' Spirit Awards Nominees. The event is scheduled for Thursday, January 29 at 5:30 pm PT. Panelists include Angus MacLachlan, ‘A Little Prayer’ Kyle Marvin, ‘Splitsville’ James Sweeney, ‘Twinless’ Christian Swegal, ‘Sovereign’ Eva Victor, ‘Sorry, Baby’
🎬 #DCU2026 TODAY at 5:30 pm PT! Now’s your chance to ask your questions to the 2026 #SpiritAwards Best Screenplay Nominees from ‘A Little Prayer’, ‘Splitsville’, ‘Twinless’, ‘Sovereign’ & ‘Sorry, Baby’.
Sign up now (FREE for #FiMembers!): bit.ly/FiDCU26
New panelist added! Join a conversation with Yvonne Russo, director/producer of 'The Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae', and the rest of the 2026 #SpiritAwards Best New Non-Scripted/Doc Series Nominees.
TODAY at 5:30 pm PT! Register for #DCU2026 NOW: bit.ly/FiDCU26
Promotional poster for the Film Independent John Cassavetes Award event. Features portraits of five nominees: Cristian Carretero, ‘Esta Isla (This Island)’ Lorraine Jones Molina, ‘Esta Isla (This Island)’ Sarah Friedland, ‘Familiar Touch’ Julian Glander, ‘Boys Go to Jupiter’ Carson Lund, ‘Eephus’ with the date and time info, scheduled for Tuesday, January 27 at 5:30 PM PT. The hashtag #DCU2026 is displayed at the bottom.
🎬 #DCU2026 goes LIVE online TODAY at 5:30 PM PT with the John Cassavetes Award 2026 #SpiritAwards Nominees from ‘Esta Isla (This Island)’, ‘Familiar Touch’, ‘Boys Go to Jupiter’ & ‘Eephus’.
✨ This is the LAST week of #DCU2026 — register now: bit.ly/FiDCU26
Promotional poster for Film Independent Directors Close-Up event featuring four speakers. Top left, 'Kate Beecroft - East of Wolf', top right, 'Bryan Fuller - Dust Bunny', bottom left, 'Alex Russell - Lurker', bottom right, 'Constance Tsang - Blue Sun Palace'. Event details included for January 26th at 5:30 PM PT, hashtag DCU2026 at the bottom.
🎬🎤 #DCU2026 starts up again tomorrow at 5:30 pm PT with the #SpiritAwards Best First Feature Nominees from ‘East of Wall’, ‘Dust Bunny’, ‘Lurker’ & ‘Blue Sun Palace’.
🚨 This week is your FINAL chance to join the conversations! Register here: bit.ly/FiDCU26
#DCU2026 started off strong with panels featuring the filmmakers behind #SpiritAwards Nominees, including ‘Train Dreams’, ‘Sorry, Baby’, ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’, ‘The Secret Agent’ + more! 🎤🎞️
💬 Next week we have 5 more panels—tune in live & ask your questions! Register now: bit.ly/FiDCU26
Promotional poster for Film Independent Directors Close-Up event scheduled for Friday, January 23 at 12:00 pm PT. Features headshots and names of Best Documentary Film #SpiritAwards Nominees: Geeta Gandbhir, ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Tamara Kotevska, ‘The Tale of Silyan’ Julia Loktev, ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow’ Peter Scriver, ‘Endless Cookie’ Ryan White, ‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ Moderated by Kate Roughan (Head of Film, Welle Entertainment) Background has pink and blue rectangles with event details and the hashtag #DCU2026.
❗ LAST #DCU2026 panel of Week 1 is TOMORROW! Join live & ask your questions to the #SpiritAwards Best Documentary Nominees:
‘The Perfect Neighbor’
‘The Tale of Silyan’
‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow’
‘Endless Cookie’
‘Come See Me in the Good Light’
Sign up: bit.ly/FiDCU26
Promotional poster for Film Independent Directors Close-Up event scheduled for Thursday, January 22 at 12:00 pm PT. Features headshots and names of Best International Film #SpiritAwards Nominees: Cherien Dabis, ‘All That’s Left of You’ Oliver Laxe, ‘Sirāt’ Kleber Mendonça Filho, ‘The Secret Agent’ Simón Mesa Soto, ‘A Poet’ Background is pink with event details and the hashtag #DCU2026.
🌎 Join the #DCU2026 convo tomorrow at 12:00 pm PT with the Best International Film #SpiritAwards Nominees from ‘All That’s Left of You’, ‘Sirāt’, ‘The Secret Agent’ & ‘A Poet’.
✨ Free for #FiMembers — join & register NOW: bit.ly/FiDCU26
📸: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images (1-3); Carolina García (4)
Promotional poster for Film Independent Directors Close-Up featuring 'Best New Scripted Series' Spirit Awards Nominees on Wednesday, January 21 at 12:00 pm PT. The poster includes snapshots from ‘Common Side Effects’, ‘Mr Loverman’, and ‘Adolescence’, with the hashtag #DCU2026 at the bottom.
🔎 #DCU2026 continues online TOMORROW at 12:00 pm PT with the Best New Scripted Series #SpiritAwards Nominees from ‘Common Side Effects’, ‘Mr Loverman’ & ‘Adolescence’.
🎬 There’s still time to register! Join as a #FiMember → sign up for free: bit.ly/FiDCU26
The first #DCU2026 panel starts NOW! Tune-in online for a convo with #SpiritAwards Nominees from ‘Train Dreams’, ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’, ‘Lucky Lu’, ‘The Plague’, ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’, ‘Twinless’ and ‘Sorry, Baby’
Free for #FiMembers! There's still time to join & register: bit.ly/FiDCU26
Promotional poster for 'Film Independent Directors Close-Up #DCU2026' featuring headshots of nine directors, including Angus MacLachlan, Giselle Bailey, James Sweeney, Julian Glander, Lloyd Lee Choi, Angus MacLachlan, Simon Mesa Soto, Eva Victor, Clint Bentley, Tamara Kotevska, Traci Curry, and Matt Wolf, arranged in three rows on a vibrant pink background.
#DCU2026 starts on TUE, JAN 20! 🎬 Nine online sessions with 2026 #SpiritAwards Nominees, including ‘Train Dreams’, ‘Adolescence’, ‘Sorry, Baby’ and more.
Watch live + submit questions. See the full lineup ➡️ Join as an #FiMember to register for free: bit.ly/DCUSchedule
Promotional graphic for Film Independent's Directors Close-Up event, featuring bold text on a red and blue angular gradient background with the hashtag #DCU2026.
We can't wait for #DCU2026! Starting Jan 20, we'll be hosting nine online sessions with 2026 #SpiritAwards nominees for #FiMembers. ✨
Learn more & join in the conversation: bit.ly/FiDCU26
👀 More news coming soon...
