Pete Hammond: Indie Spirit Nominations Could Predict Oscar

LOS ANGELES (November 30, 2010) – Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations this morning for the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards.  Eva Mendes and Jeremy Renner served as presenters and 2011 Spirit Awards host Joel McHale was also on hand.  Nominees for Best Feature include 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Winter’s Bone.

Please Give was selected for the Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

“The artistic side of independent film is stronger than ever, and it’s especially impressive to see the developed craft of extraordinary independent filmmakers who have only gotten better over the years.  Past nominees such as Darren Aronofsky, Noah Baumbach, Danny Boyle, Lisa Cholodenko, Debra Granik, Nicole Holofcener and John Cameron Mitchell continue to create original and compelling films that move and amaze us.” said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson.

Selected from 220 submissions, this year’s winners will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. on the beach in Santa Monica.  The 26^th annual awards show will air exclusively that night on IFC at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.  Winners of the Filmmaker Grants will be highlighted during the Spirit Awards and announced at the 2011 Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch celebration on Saturday, January 15^th at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.

On Wednesday, February 23, a selection of Spirit Award nominees will discuss their films and their craft at Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up, a 5-week series that features conversations with directors and their collaborators.

The Jameson FIND Your Audience Award, a new filmmaker grant, was established this year to help make it possible for one Spirit Award-nominated film to find a broader audience.  Spirit Award-nominated films in need of expanding their marketing and distribution efforts will be considered.  The award includes a $50,000 marketing and distribution grant, funded by Jameson Irish Whiskey.  The grant was designed to meet independent filmmakers’ biggest challenge today: How to get their films out into the marketplace.  A blue-ribbon committee will determine the winner.

2011 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)

127 Hours	Producers: Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson
Black Swan	Producers: Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver
Greenberg	Producers: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin
The Kids Are All Right	Producers: Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Winter’s Bone	Producers: Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini

BEST DIRECTOR

Darren Aronofsky	Black Swan
Danny Boyle	127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko	The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik	Winter’s Bone
John Cameron Mitchell	Rabbit Hole

 

 

BEST SCREENPLAY

Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko	The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini	Winter’s Bone
Nicole Holofcener	Please Give
David Lindsay-Abaire	Rabbit Hole
Todd Solondz	Life During Wartime

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

Everything Strange and New	Director: Frazer BradshawProducers: A.D. Liano, Laura Techera Francia
Get Low	Director: Aaron Schneider Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck
Night Catches Us	Director: Tanya Hamilton Producers: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Ronald Simons
The Last Exorcism	Director: Daniel Stamm Producers: Marc Abraham, Tom Bliss, Eric Newman, Eli Roth
Tiny Furniture	Director: Lena Dunham Producers: Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Diane Bell	Obselidia
Lena Dunham	Tiny Furniture
Nik Fackler	Lovely, Still
Bob Glaudini	Jack Goes Boating
Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener	Monogamy

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000.  Award given to the writer, director, and producer.  Executive Producers are not listed

Daddy Longlegs	Writer/Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh SafdieProducers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott
Lbs.	Director: Matthew BonifacioWriter/Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti
Lovers of Hate	Writer/Director: Bryan PoyserProducer: Megan Gilbride
Obselidia	Writer/Director: Diane BellProducers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin
The Exploding Girl	Writer/Director: Bradley Rust GrayProducers: Karin Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim

 

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Annette Bening	The Kids Are All Right
Greta Gerwig	Greenberg
Nicole Kidman	Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence	Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman	Black Swan
Michelle Williams	Blue Valentine

 

 

BEST MALE LEAD

Ronald Bronstein	Daddy Longlegs
Aaron Eckhart	Rabbit Hole
James Franco	127 Hours
John C. Reilly	Cyrus
Ben Stiller	Greenberg

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Ashley Bell	The Last Exorcism
Dale Dickey	Winter’s Bone
Allison Janney	Life During Wartime
Daphne Rubin-Vega	Jack Goes Boating
Naomi Watts	Mother and Child

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

John Hawkes	Winter’s Bone
Samuel L. Jackson	Mother and Child
Bill Murray	Get Low
John Ortiz	Jack Goes Boating
Mark Ruffalo	The Kids Are All Right

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Adam Kimmel	Never Let Me Go
Matthew Libatique	Black Swan
Jody Lee Lipes	Tiny Furniture
Michael McDonough	Winter’s Bone
Harris Savides	Greenberg

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)

Exit Through the Gift Shop	Director: Banksy
Marwencol	Director: Jeff Malmberg
Restrepo	Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger
Sweetgrass	Directors: Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor
Thunder Soul	Director: Mark Landsman

 

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)

Kisses (Ireland)	Director: Lance Daly
Mademoiselle Chambon (France)	Director: Stéphane Brizé
Of Gods and Men (Morocco)	Director: Xavier Beauvois
The King’s Speech (United Kingdom)	Director: Tom Hooper
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand)	Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 17^th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.  The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Acura.

Hossein Keshavarz	Dog Sweat
Laurel Nakadate	The Wolf Knife
Mike Ott	Littlerock

 

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 14^th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films.  The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

In-Ah Lee	Au Revoir Taipei
Adele Romanski	The Myth of the American Sleepover
Anish Savjani	Meek’s Cutoff

 

AVEENO® TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 16^th annual AVEENO® Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.  The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by AVEENO®.

Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor	Sweetgrass
Jeff Malmberg	Marwencol
Lynn True, Nelson Walker	Summer Pasture

 

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

Please Give	Director: Nicole Holofcener
	Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
	Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele