Independent Spirit Awards Nominees

I knew there was something else big happening today, of course! The Independent Spirit Awards announced their nominees just a few minutes ago...so here we go!

Thoughts: Ok, so all the love for Crazy Heart, A Single Man, The Messenger, etc, but they miss out on a picture nod? Seems Strange to me. Furthermore, they loved That Evening Sun, but no Hal Holbrook? No Maggie Gyllenhaal? Furthermore, A Serious Man is considered a frontrunner for an Oscar nomination, but was excluded from the Picture list? I love the Spirit Awards, but sometimes they just make me scratch my head. At least there were some nice surprises like Amreeka, Adventureland, and Paranormal Activity!

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)

“(500) Days Of Summer,” Producers: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Steven J. Wolfe
“Amreeka,” Producers: Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan
“Precious,” Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness
“Sin Nombre,” Producer: Amy Kaufman
“The Last Station,” Producers: Bonnie Arnold, Chris Curling, Jens Meuer

BEST DIRECTOR

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, “A Serious Man”
Lee Daniels, “Precious”
Cary Joji Fukunaga, “Sin Nombre”
James Gray, “Two Lovers”
Michael Hoffman, “The Last Station”

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

A Single Man
Crazy Heart
Easier With Practice
The Messenger
Paranormal Activity

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)

Big Fan
Humpday
The New Year
Parade
Treeless Mountain
Zero Bridge

BEST SCREENPLAY

The Messenger
The Last Station
500 Days of Summer
The Vicious Kind
Adventureland

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Cold Souls
Crazy Heart
Amreeka
Precious
A Single Man

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Maria Bello, “Downloading Nancy”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Gwentyth Paltrow, “Two Lovers”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire”
Nisreen Faour, “Amreeka”

BEST MALE LEAD

Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"
Colin Firth "A Single Man"
Joseph Gordon Levitt "(500) Days of Summer"
Souleymane Sy Savane "Goodbye Solo"
Adam Scott "The Vicious Kind"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Monique "Precious"
Samantha Morton "The Messenger"
Natahlie Press "Fifty Dead Men Walking"
Mia Wasikowska "That Evening Sun"
Dina Korzun "Cold Souls"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Jemaine Clements "Gentlemen Broncos"
Woody Harrelson "The Messenger"
Cristian McKay "Me and Orson Welles"
Ramon McKinnon "That Evening Sun"
Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

A Serious Man
Sin Nombre
Treeless Mountain
Cold Souls
Bad Lieutenant

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)

Anvil!
Food Inc
More Than a Game
October Country
Which Way Home

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)

A Prophet
An Education
Everlasting Moments
Mother
The Maid


ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

A Serious Man

PRODUCERS AWARD
Karen Chien
Larry Fessenden
Dia Sokol

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD—to be announced—

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Natalia Almada
Bill Ross and Turner Ross
Jessica Oreck