Film Independent We’ve all heard the old saying, “When life gives you COVID, make lemonade.” At least we’re pretty sure that’s how it goes. And nowhere were the limitations of our ongoing pandemic quarantine transmuted—Eucharist like—into a cineaste’s tart lemonade more demonstrably than at noon this Wednesday, when Film Independent kicked off its annual Directors Close-Up series with a panel featuring all five of this year’s Best Directornominees at the upcoming Film Independent Spirit Awards: Lee Isaac Chung ( Minari), Emerald Fennell ( Never Rarely Sometimes Always), Kelly Reichardt ( First Cow) and Chloé Zhao ( Nomadland.)