Richa Chadha-Ali Fazal's 'Girls Will Be Girls' earns two nominations at Independent Spirit Awards

NEW DELHI:  Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's debut film production "Girls Will Be Girls" has earned two nominations -- the John Cassavetes Award and Best Supporting Performance for Kani Kusruti -- at the 40th Independent Spirit Awards.

"Girls Will Be Girls", directed by Shuchi Talati, revolves around a 16-year-old girl called Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother's (Kusruti) unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences.

According to a press release, the film is one of the five contenders for the John Cassavetes Award, which honours the creative team of the best films made with a budget under USD 1 million.

"Big Boys", "Ghostlight", "Jazzy", and "The People’s Joker" are also competing for the award. Kusruti, also known for the Golden Globe-nominated "All We Imagine As Light", is nominated in the Best Supporting Performance category alongside Yura Borisov and Karren Karagulian for "Anora", Joan Chen ("Dìdi"), Kieran Culkin ("A Real Pain"), Danielle Deadwyler ("The Piano Lesson"), Carol Kane ("Between the Temples"), Brigette Lundy-Paine ("I Saw the TV Glow"), Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin ("Sing Sing"), and Adam Pearson ("A Different Man"). Chadha, who has produced "Girls Will Be Girls" with husband Fazal under their banner Pushing Buttons Studio, said she couldn’t be prouder of what the film has achieved.

"To be nominated for the John Cassavetes Award, which celebrates independent filmmaking at its finest, is truly an honour. And Kani’s nomination is a testament to her incredible talent and the truly incredible year she is having," she said in a statement.

Fazal called it a "dual celebration" for the team.

"Independent cinema often struggles to find its place, but this recognition by the Independent Spirit Awards highlights the fact that there is a place for all kinds of cinema. "'Girls Will Be Girls' is a case study in how co-productions can be made for a global audience, with an Indian story at its heart. Kani’s performance is nothing short of transformative, and her nomination is well-deserved," he added.

"Girls Will Be Girls" had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival where it received two awards in August and multiple awards at MAMI recently. It will premiere on Prime Video on December 18.

Independent Spirit Awards 2025, which supports independent filmmakers, will take place on February 22 in Santa Monica, California.