Gotham Awards

"Young Adult" Isn't as Awkward As Jason Reitman Thinks

Eric Kohn — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:27:13 GMT

Charlize Theron might not be her own worst critic, but she's certainly the most honest. Accepting a tribute at the Gotham Awards last week, she singled out Jason Reitman, director of "Young Adult." She didn't mince words: "Jason," she said, "thank you for letting me play such a bitch."

Reitman wasn't crazy about the assessment. During a public conversation before a screening of the film at the 92Y, he said that the actress must have been joking, but that her denouement nonetheless "cheapens the character." That's a curious stab at political correctness for a director married to the idea of politically incorrect filmmaking, an avowed libertarian whose ideology lingers in each of his four features. But let's assume he's just covering himself and take Theron at her word -- or whatever word is preferable to the unseemly one she chose.

"Young Adult" certainly emphasizes its protagonist's underwhelming qualities. There are glimmers of dark brilliance in this rough assessment of a woman out of synch with the world around her; indeed, the movie falls short only by not following its disgruntled heroine far enough off the deep end.

Reitman and his "Juno" screenwriter, Diablo Cody, introduce Mavis Gary as a Minneapolis-based ghostwriter and lonely divorcée who often starts her days after a hard night, removing the previous evening's falsies and chugging soda from the bottle. The story chronicles her attempt to break this cycle; of course, she makes things worse.

Much of the movie revolves around Mavis' return to her drab suburban hometown, Mercury, in a misguided attempt to win back her now-married and settled high school sweetheart (a bland Patrick Wilson). It's a lost cause from the outset, destined to implode at any moment. While she finds counsel with the irascible Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt, perfectly cast), the portly classmate Mavis forgot that she used to bully in high school, she ignores his advice to move on.

With self destruction as destiny, Reitman has made the equivalent of a Roland Emmerich disaster movie writ small, an apocalyptic scenario internalized by a single person. He intends the movie, as he has stated in interviews, to place viewers in a state of incredible uneasiness by inhabiting Mavis' screwy perspective in all its unflattering glory.

However, the movie amounts to a restrained, unadventurous experience. The nervous comedy has nothing on numerous other recent projects and characters designed with comparable intentions: The mumbling door-to-door salesman of Ronald Bronstein's "Frownland," Bobcat Goldthwait's dog-fellating protagonist in "Sleeping Dogs Lie," Alex Ross Perry's still-unreleased sibling-rivalry-roadtrip "The Color Wheel," the sexually misguided stars of the Danish TV series (and hilarious feature-length adaptation) "Klown" or your average episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." By comparison, "Young Adult" makes discomfort seem glamorous.

Although Mavis is in every scene of "Young Adult," its filmmakers don't relate to her. In fact, not unlike Ryan Bingham in Reitman's "Up in the Air," society punishes Mavis for evading domesticity. I mean that literally: In the final confrontation, her Mercury, Minn. peers stare her down and reject her disgruntled ways in a scene that recalls the climax of "The Wicker Man."

When Mavis doesn't face punishment, her fury infuses "Young Adult" with a naughty energy. The strongest scenes involve her unlikely chemistry with the portly Matt, an equally dissatisfied -- and rejected -- thirtysomething still crippled from his time as a high school outcast.

But in this regard, "Young Adult" is little more than a watered-down version of "The Color Wheel," a black-and-white odyssey in which director Perry and his co-star Carlen Altman play an obnoxious, borderline loathsome brother-and-sister pair only truly capable of relating to each other. Alman's character has much in common with Mavis, although she brings more transparency to her passive-aggressiveness and her brother makes things worse. Despite their constant squabbling, they find a bizarre kind of solace in each other. Perry takes them to a beautifully subversive happy ending.

By contrast, "Young Adult" only toys with the possibility of a twisted resolution to Mavis' plight; it's a cautionary tale for bitter people. This is Reitman's tamest work and his most controlled, with a cringe factor that only scrapes the surface. Awkward comedy makes us recoil in terror because it bears a strong resemblance to feelings we experience in real life, providing a new context that endows it with humor. (You know how terrible mistakes become funny years down the line? Movies can speed up that process to milliseconds.)

But Cody and Reitman don't much like Mavis, or at least fail to make her sympathetic enough for her miscalculations to feel like anything more than a rascally bachelorette receiving her comeuppance. There's surely a better word for Mavis than "bitch," but Theron had the right idea.

criticWIRE grade: B

HOW WILL IT PLAY? Paramount has been slowly building buzz around the movie with "secret screenings" around the country, the promise of a Cody-Reitman team-up along with interest in Theron's performance should put the movie on people's radars for opening weekend. But mixed word-of-mouth and an unlikable protagonist will likely prevent it from doing much business beyond that, and may hamper its awards season prospects as well.

iPOP | Felicity Jones at the Gothams and Other Pics From the Week

Nigel M Smith — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:55:17 GMT

It's been a big week for "Like Crazy" star Felicity Jones. On Monday, the British beauty beat out some fierce competition (including "Martha Marcy May Marlene"'s Elizabeth Olsen) to snag Best Breakthrough Performance. And on Thursday, the National Board of Review awarded her with their Breakthrough Performance award (she tied with "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"'s Rooney Mara).

IW chatted backstage with Jones shortly following her win at the Gothams, where she seemed genuinely surprised by her coup. We asked her how the experience of winning her first Gotham compared to her time at Sundance earier this year where she won Best Actress.

"Well I wasn't there (Sundance)!," she said. "This is the only awards ceremony which I was present, which is just awesome. I was praying that I wouldn't win because I didn't have anything prepared to say. But it's really exciting. I said something awful and disastrous and now I have to recover from the embarrassment."

Lucky for her, she has a long time to prep for her speech at the National Board of Review Awards. They take place on Jan. 10.

Below find more pictures taken at the Gothams and other photos from this week on the scene.

The Amazing Race: 'Hugo' Gets A Boost In First Official Week Of The Awards Season, Can It Go All The Way?

Oliver Lyttelton — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:20:09 GMT

Considering we've been writing about most weeks since August, it's odd to think that the awards season really only got underway this week. Everything up to now has been foreplay, but with the Gotham Awards on Sunday night, the Spirit Awards nominations and New York Film Critics' Circle Awards on Tuesday, and the National Board of Review yesterday, we're entering the underwear-removal phase of the season. To extend the metaphor. Probably too far.

As such, the ups and downs are coming a little faster, and a little more tangible, so we wanted to take a week to dig back into the big prizes, and how the recent awards and nominations have affected those in contention for them. And the big winner of the past week has to be Martin Scorsese's "Hugo," a film that, mea culpa, we seem to have been underestimating the awards potential of. We'd assumed that it might be a little commercial for serious consideration, that the film's mammoth cost would make it a flop regardless of box office, and that the fairly lukewarm reaction out of its NYFF work-in-progress screening would be the critical consensus.

But as it turned out, the reviews were adoring, the box-office relatively healthy, considering its relatively limited release, and most importantly, it surprised most by winning both Best Picture and Best Director at the National Board of Review yesterday. Now, that group may not be the most reputable -- their love of Clint Eastwood knowing no bounds, he's received five nominations in the last four years, including nods for "Changeling," "Invictus" and "Hereafter" -- but it does show a real love out there for the movie, and almost certainly guarantees a nomination. Every winner of the Best Film prize at the NBR in the last eleven years has managed a Best Picture nod from the Academy ("Quills," in 2000, was the last to miss out). However, it also doesn't make a win any more likely, necessarily; of those eleven, only "No Country for Old Men" and "Slumdog Millionaire" came away with the big prize.

"The Artist" was the other film to get a big boost this week, winning the Picture/Director double-bill at the NYFCC, and picking up five nods at the Spirits, despite being a more crowd-pleasing kind of picture than the latter group generally goes for. But as we wrote on Monday, we wonder if this'll start to become an issue; the two films are similar thematically, and we do think there's a possibility that they could end up splitting the vote of a certain, older demographic. The worst thing that could have happened to the Weinstein's campaign for "The Artist" was "Hugo" becoming a serious contender.

Otherwise, it was a good week for "The Descendants," with the acting nods at the NBR, and multiple Spirit nominations. George Clooney lost out to Brad Pitt for Best Actor in New York, and was a surprise omission at the Spirits, suggesting it's not going to be a total-cake walk, but he's still the presumptive front-runner. Speaking of Pitt and "Moneyball," the film was the biggest omission from the National Board of Review's top ten, and while that's not a major blow ("Black Swan" missed out last year), it still suggests that, with a fluid number of nominees, it's not locked in at the Oscars just yet.

Otherwise, of the other major contenders, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" perhaps took the biggest hit, not mentioned in a single ceremony this week (although it's likely ineligible for Spirits and Gothams). As one of the least warm and comfortable films in the running, both the film and Gary Oldman's lead performance needs the support of critic's groups and top ten lists to stay in the conversation. If it continues to be ignored at awards ceremonies, its Oscar chances fade super-fast. "Midnight in Paris" isn't looking great, either, but we've maintained for months that the likelihood of it lasting through til February have always been minimal. "The Help", never destined to be a critical favorite, managed a supporting actress nod for Jessica Chastain at the NYFF (shared between three films), and a Best Ensemble win at the National Board of Review, which wasn't a bad result, although again, it's not a certainty for an Oscar nomination at this point.

Having said that, Viola Davis will need to start picking up a few Best Actress awards, or risk being overshadowed by competition Meryl Streep. In that category, "We Need To Talk About Kevin" star Tilda Swinton got a much-needed boost from the National Board of Review, which is exactly what she needed to get into the race. With Davis, Streep and Michelle Williams all looking locked into the category, and Rooney Mara and Charlize Theron (although Theron's film also fared poorly this week), it's a tough race, but her chance of beating them, and Glenn Close, to an extra slot have never been better.

Speaking of Best Actress, Felicity Jones is orbiting on the outer regions, and two Breakthrough Performance Awards, from the National Board of Review and the Gothams, suggest she's certainly leapt ahead of major competition Elisabeth Olsen, although she'll still have to lap Rooney Mara for that ingenue slot, but with word fairly quiet on that performance, and Glenn Close looking less and less likely, it's well within the realms of possibility now.

But "Like Crazy" wasn't the only small film to do well this week. "Beginners" tied "Tree of Life" for Best Film at the Gothams, picked up multiple nods at the Spirits, as well as Supporting Actor for Christopher Plummer, who's arguably the safest bet for a win in any acting category at this point. The film's clearly well-liked, and spans both younger and older audiences; could it be in with an outside chance of a nomination? We think it's unlikely as the film feels a little intimate and small-scale for the main prize. But don't bet against a screenplay nod at this point. The real surprise of the season has been "Margin Call," an ensemble drama that picked up respectful notices at Sundance, but has become a sleeper hit in theaters and on VOD. The film managed to win three awards this week: Best First Feature at the NYFCC, Best Debut Director at the NBR, and the Robert Altman Prize (for ensemble, director and casting) at the Spirits, as well as picking up two other nods. It doesn't feel like it's going to do a "Crash" or anything, but a Best Screenplay nod is feasible, and it could even make it in to Best Ensemble at the SAGs.

Ultimately, nothing this week is a game-changer in terms of the Oscar race (particularly with both the NBR and the NYFCC not waiting for "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which we expect to be a major player). It's still too early to rule anything in or out completely, but it's clear that winds are blowing in certain directions. For more, check out our chart below. And next week, we'll be taking a look at the Academy Awards' drunken cousins, The Golden Globes.

1. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (4)
Yeah, the one film not even seen by those who awarded prizes this week. But from what we've heard from test screenings, it's got the right stuff, and is a slightly different picture from the feel-good nostalgia of "The Artist" and "Hugo." But they'll have to show it to someone soon...
2. "The Artist" (1)
As we said, "Hugo"'s resurgence is something of a blow for the Weinsteins, if not for the nomination, then for the chance of winning. But we'll see; the NYFCC show that the film's still got a lot of love.
3. "Hugo" (15)
A massive comeback for Scorsese's film, but box office is still the potential stumbling block here. An 'A' cinemascore suggests it'll hold up ok, but it still needs a healthy haul to avoid being seen as a major failure.
4. "The Descendants" (3)
A strong showing in the early awards, and could come across as the more thoughtful choice ahead of "Hugo" or "The Artist." But we still wonder, as we have all along, as to how many people will go for it as their first choice.
5. "War Horse" (2)
Fairly strong reaction to last weekend's sneak screenings, and could sweep in if "The Artist" and "Hugo" split the vote, although it's in the same vague wheelhouse, even if it might feel more substantial to some.
6. "Moneyball" (7)
NBR snub is a chink in the armor, to be sure, but the NYFCC wins shows that it's still got substantial support. The first film on this list not to be a 100% lock, but very likely to be there.
7. "Shame" (8)
We realize we're the only pundits in town to be pushing this as a serious contender (for the reasons outlined on Monday), and there is a reason for that. But Michael Fassbender's seen as an increasingly likely nominee, and we can't imagine someone watching the film, seeing him as worthy, but rejecting the film. A relative long-shot, but we will be insufferably smug if it comes to pass.
8. "The Help" (9)
The populist choice (and probably the biggest grosser, depending on the potency of "War Horse") of the plausible nominees, but the acting trio of Davis, Spencer and Chastain need to stay strong for this to get locked in.
9. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (5)
Taking a real dip of late, we're seriously doubting its chances for the first time. But things should pick up closer to its release next week, and with "The Iron Lady" vanquished, it'll be the biggest beneficiary of the large British contingent.
10. "The Tree Of Life" (18)
Coming back into the conversation at long last, but has to win something from a major critics group soon, or it'll start to slip again.
11. "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" (9)
While embargoed, the word we've heard out of screenings so far is that it's strong, but principally commercial stuff. But with so little dark material in there, it could be nice counter-programming for those looking for something a little stronger.
12. "Midnight In Paris" (10)
Looking like the biggest casualty so far, but could regain some momentum with a healthy Golden Globes haul in a few weeks.
13. "The Ides Of March" (=)
Continuing to drop out of sight, but the NBR nod gives it the trace of a heartbeat, at least. But the days of Harvey Weinstein calling it his biggest threat are long gone.
14. "Young Adult" (11)
Opening next week, it'll likely get a bump. But our feeling is that it'll have to settle for Theron, Oswalt and screenplay nods, rather than the big prize.
15. "Margin Call" (-)
The little financial drama that could, it's been getting unavoidable attention from the awards. But at present, it's grossed less than a third than "The Hurt Locker," so it still seems like a real long shot, even if the narrative is behind it at present.
16. "Beginners" (-)
Another film that's having something of a boost of late, it's again unlikely to be in competition for the big prize, but it does have a wide appeal, and a lot of love behind it.
17. "In The Land of Blood & Honey" (12)
Pretty much absent from the conversation of late, and could have used something from the NBR to get it in there again. But don't rule it out of the Golden Globes, who could nominate it just to get Angelina Jolie to turn up.
18. "Drive" (-)
We've always assumed it would be too pulpy and dark for serious attention, but this week has shown that it's well liked. Does it have even a slight chance of getting that crucial 5% of votes?
19. "Take Shelter" (-)
Something else we've undervalued of late, but it's a timely and powerful film, and did well at the Spirits in particular. Extremely unlikely to happen, but more likely than, say, "Martha Marcy May Marlene," which seems to turn off as many as it turns on.
20. "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" (-)
The NBR lined up to commemorate the end of the franchise, and Warners will keep campaigning for it, but we maintain, as we always did, that splitting the film in two ruined any serious chance of it happening. And that goes doubly for you, "Breaking Dawn Pt. 2"!....

Mike Mills Says Winning Best Feature For 'Beginners' At Gotham Awards "Trippy, Weird Icing On The Cake"

Jen Vineyard — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:03:01 GMT

And Reactions From Gotham Winners Felicity Jones, Christopher Plummer, 'Tree Of Life' Producer Bill Pohlad & More

As the first awards show of the season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards usually acts as a gauge of things to come -- what wins at Gotham is nominated (and sometimes wins) at the Oscars, too, or so the story goes. If that predictive power is still in place, then Monday night's ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street was a clear message to make way for the dark horses. Not one, but two movies won for Best Feature, an unprecedented tie in the top category. "The Tree of Life" and "Beginners" shared the honor, against competition such as "The Descendants," "Take Shelter," and "Meek's Cutoff."

"I wish there was a five-way tie," "Beginners" director Mike Mills told The Playlist, after recovering from the shock of his film's shared win with "The Tree of Life." "Honestly, this is all a surprise. I was fucking lucky this film got made, I was fucking lucky that it got an actual release, and I've just been saying the 'It's great just to be nominated' mantra to everyone, because that's all I thought would happen, and this is just trippy, weird icing on the cake. I've watched Terrence Malick films forever, and he taught me so much, and I respect him so much, but maybe I'll be less nervous around him now."

Mills needn't have worried -- Malick didn't show, sending his "The Tree of Life" producers Sarah Green and Bill Pohlad to accept on his behalf instead. "It's hard for him to come to things like this," Pohland said, "because then everyone wants him to explain the film, explain what he meant by this or that, and he likes the work to stand on its own. He prefers to be low profile." Still, the two producers called Malick after the win and left him a quick message, "so he's probably dancing around the room," Pohlad said.

The underdog "Beginners" did more than tie with "The Tree of Life" for Best Feature, however -- it also snagged Best Ensemble Performance, for its cast of Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, and as Plummer liked to point out, a Jack Russell terrier named Cosmo. "That dog still hasn't been paid!" Plummer joked. "It's sad that nobody could cough up for the dog. Otherwise, it is a true ensemble, except Ewan McGregor, who couldn't be here [to accept the award]. Bastard. A true ensemble otherwise."

That was one of the other more surprising elements about this year's Gothams. Though it's not an exact science, usually you can predict the winners based on who actually shows up -- and the other ensemble cast nominees for films such as the frontrunner "The Descendants" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene" attended in full force, even if that required Elizabeth Olsen to skip a class at NYU. "We kind of got shut out tonight," said Sarah Paulson, who plays Olsen's sister in "Martha Marcy May Marlene." "The Gotham Awards are about a specific kind of thing, and maybe we're something else. But it is really nice that they do recognize the ensemble cast."

As for Breakthrough Actor, a category considered locked by Olsen, the surprise winner this year was Felicity Jones for "Like Crazy." (Past winners have included Ellen Page, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, and Maggie Gyllenhaal). Did Jones' more extensive acting experience in the U.K. give her an edge over fellow nominees such as Shailene Woodley and Jacob Wysocki? "I don't know!" Jones said. "I've been working in the U.K. for over ten years, so for me, it's just great to come to the States and have the opportunity to work with directors like Drake Doremus, and to work in that very naturalistic style. If you look at the list of nominations tonight, it hasn't been the most obvious films. So this is definitely a celebration of great, great moviemaking."

Whether her Gotham win will lead to even more award season accolades isn't something Jones is prepared to consider just yet. "Oscar is the most glamorous word I can ever think of saying!" she said. "It's completely abstract. It's pretty intimidating, even. So I'm just going to enjoy this one for right now. I'm just lucky I got this, so let's see what happens, and go with it."

Other winners included Dee Rees for Breakthrough Director for "Pariah" ("I'm not surprised, but I'm humbled," Rees said), "Better This World" for Best Documentary, "Scenes of a Crime" for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You, and "Girlfriend" for the Audience Award.

"We're one of the only films here without a big distributor," "Girlfriend" director Justin Lerner said. "We had a very small release, but we have a very devoted and online following. Still, you don't expect this. You go to the party because you're excited you're invited and you have the chance to meet some of your heroes. I want to meet [career tribute honoree] Charlize Theron because I have a huge crush on her -- I'm not unique in that. And I want to meet Christopher Plummer, because his daughter Amanda was in the film. I still feel like I'm the little kid at the adult's table and I can't go up to these people, but maybe I can now."

In addition to Theron, career tributes were also given to "A Dangerous Method" director David Cronenberg, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" star Gary Oldman and film executive Tom Rothman. "It's a great compliment," Theron said. "It's a celebration of my career so far, which is such an honor."

"I think after I made my first two movies, they had a retrospective for me, so I'm not scared of retrospectives or lifetime achievement awards because it doesn't mean I've stopped making movies," Cronenberg said. "I just take it in the spirit that it's given, an appreciation by my peers for what I've been doing."

And that -- like Mills' mantra -- seemed to be enough for most, even if they didn't walk away with an award in hand. "I've done so many bad movies," said "The Descendants" actor Matthew Lillard, "that to just be acknowledged in any way outside of a Razzie, I'm proud."

'The Tree Of Life' & 'Beginners' Tie For Best Feature At The 2011 Gotham Awards

Kevin Jagernauth — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:59:54 GMT

With the New York Film Critics Circle set to announce their award winners tomorrow morning over Twitter (guys, way to make it less meaningless, how about an actual webpage?) and the Gotham Independent Film Awards just wrapped, the fall awards season has officially kicked off. And already, we've got some surprises.

Despite facing stiff competition from the much more buzzworthy "The Descendants," Best Picture was split between Terrence Malick's "The Tree Of Life" and Mike Mills' "Beginners" -- both spring/summer movies that weren't seen as major challengers this fall that now have a considerable boost forward. In a shocking appearance, Malick arrived and a gave a half-hour acceptance speech and then moonwalked across the stage. (No, he didn't, but that would've been awesome). Meanwhile, in the documentary category, the win went to "Better This World," a film noticeably missing from the controversial Oscar shortlist that was recently revealed.

Heading over to the acting categories, another boost for Mills' "Beginners" as Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent all shared in the Best Ensemble prize. Meanwhile, another hot contender went home empty handed as Felicity Jones snagged Breakthrough Actor for her turn in "Like Crazy" from the arguable frontrunner, Elizabeth Olsen, for her starmaking performance in "Martha Marcy May Marlene."

In the Breakthrough Director category, we're very pleased that Dee Rees snagged the award, because she deserves it for "Pariah." It's a nice boost for the small film that deserves some attention this fall and marks an exciting debut from a helmer we'll be keeping an eye on. Wrapping things up, the procedural style docuementary "Scenes From A Crime" earned Best Film Not Playing At A Theatre Near You while in a win that could only be given out at a New York centered awards ceremony, the tiny indie "Girlfriend" earned the Audience Award. Yeah, we had no idea about that movie before tonight either, but hey, now we do and we'll have to track it down.

While awards pundits generally like to dismiss the Gotham Awards as reliable Oscar-awards season augurs, one can argue the independent-minded awards have become more and more relevant in recent years. Last year's winner, "Winter's Bone" went on to score four Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence) and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2009, the cognoscenti scoffed once again at the Gotham's and the bigger winner that year, "The Hurt Locker," which went on to best "Avatar," the highest grossing movie of all time, for the Best Picture Academy Award. So an early Oscar indicator or a champagne toast to the films whose awards season journey ends here? We'll see how things match up (or don't) when the NYFCC announce their honors tomorrow. Winners below.

Best Feature: TIE "The Tree Of Life" by Terrence Malick and "Beginners" by Mike Mills

Best Documentary: "Better This World" directed by Kelly Duane and Katie Galloway

Best Ensemble Performance: "Beginners"

Breakthrough Director Dee Rees for "Pariah"

Breakthrough Actor Felicity Jones in "Like Crazy"

Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You "Scenes From A Crime" directed by Blue Hadaegh and Grover Babcock

Audience Awards "Girlfriend" directed by Justin Lerner

Original nominees here.

"Beginners" and "The Tree of Life" Tie For Top Honors At The Gotham Awards

Peter Knegt — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:15:00 GMT

The 21st Gotham Independent Film Awards are currently underway in Lower Manhattan. Hosted by Edie Falco and Oliver Platt, the event acts as an official kick-off to the 2011-12 award season.

In general, the awards proved consistently unpredictable, right down to the tie for best feature between Mike Mills' "Beginners" and Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life."

"Beginners" was the night's big winner, taking honors for best feature and best ensemble performance. Shut out completely were "The Descendants" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene," which went into the night with the most nominations.

In addition to the competitive awards, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, David Cronenberg and Tom Rothman will each receive a career tribute.

A complete list of announced winners is below. Check back throughout the night for updates.

Best Feature: TIE: The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick and Beginners, directed by Mike Mills

Best Documentary: Better This World, directed by Kelly Duane and Katie Galloway

Best Ensemble Performance: Beginners

Breakthrough Director: Dee Rees, Pariah

Breakthrough Actor: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: Scenes of a Crime, directed by Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock

Audience Choice Award: Girlfriend, directed by Justin Lerner

Gotham Awards 2011 Live

Indiewire — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:33:00 GMT

The 21st Gotham Independent Film Awards are underway in Lower Manhattan.

Indiewire is offering full coverage from the scene over the course of the night, with Nigel M. Smith, Brian Brooks and Eric Kohn all on the ground at the ceremony and Peter Knegt watching from home. Check out our minute by minute rundown below.

10:17 PM: And that's a wrap, folks.. Complete list of winners here.

10:16 PM: Just heard that the jury for Best Film apparently spoke for 2.5 hours before deciding to give the prize to two films. [EK]

10:15 PM: I don't recall this happening for this category... [BB]

10:13 PM: Malick's producer says the director, if he would there, would surely thank his wife. [EK]

10:11 PM: Is there a precedent for a tie like this? Bizarre! [EK]

10:09 PM: And its a tie!? "The Tree of Life" and "Beginners" TIE for best feature!

10:06 PM: Tilda Swinton adds a touch of class to the evening as she presents the award for best film...

10:03 PM: Gary Oldman: "I will cherish this award and this evening."

9:57 PM: He's presenting Gary Oldman with his tribute (the final tribute of the night!)

9:55 PM: Alec Baldwin takes the stage: "We have a lot of debris up here from everybody."

9:53 PM: All the winners going through the press room get a "golden hair dryer" and asked to sign a bottle of champagne that's raffled off. David Cronenberg said, "oh nice, I use a hair dryer too." [BB]

9:50 PM: And the winner is... Better This World? Are we set for not ONE expected winner? [PK]

9:47 PM: Bennett Miller and Chris Hegedus on stage to present best documentary. [PK]

9:46 PM: Mills on Plummer to us: He doesn't act like a legend. I learned a lot about storytelling through him. It's a character based on my dad. I'm so glad to have somebody so with it and with so much integrity playing him. [NMS]

9:45 PM: Mike Mills to Indiewire on competing against fellow filmmakers: It's a trip. It's really just an honor to be thought of. Competition is a weird thing. All those films were great, so it's a trippy thing to be involved in. [NMS]

9:42 PM: Christopher Plummer back stage: "He wrote it so well, we didn't have to improvise it..." [BB]

9:41 PM: David Cronenberg: "I'm here because I'm a failure. I failed to sell out."

9:40 PM: Corey Stoll takes the stage to introduce the tribute to David Cronenberg (not quite sure of the connection there?) [PK]

9:33 PM: I could not be more thrilled. There was one movie nominated for Best Ensemble that flat-out I didn't like. It wasn't this one. [EK]

9:32 PM: Man, Christopher Plummer has presence. [PK]

9:32 PM: Beginners!? Cough, cough. Didn't see that coming. [NMS]

9:30 PM: And the winner is... BEGINNERS! What a lovely surprise. Sorry Fox Searchlight, so far this ain't your night. [PK]

9:27 PM: Vera Farmiga and Peter Facinelli (really?) take the stage to present the ensemble award. [PK]

9:26 PM: Charlize in the cramped press room. We are not worthy! All eyes are on her. [NMS]

9:25 PM: Shailene Woodley takes the stage to give Lucy Mulloy the Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant.

9:21 PM: The Oswalt-Theron banter is by far the best thing to happen to the 2011 Gothams. [PK]

9:20 PM: Felicity Jones to Indiewire backstage: Hello Indiewire!

On winning both Sundance and Gotham: "Well I wasn't there (Sundance)! This is the only awards ceremony which I was present, which is just awesome. I was praying that I wouldn't win because I didn't have anything prepared to say. But it's really exciting. I said something awful and disastrous and now I have to recover from the embarrassment." [NMS]

9:19 PM: "Let's have aphrodite sit next to a bag of floor" - Oswalt when Theron tells him to stay on the stage with her.

9:15 PM: Man, Patton Oswalt's Charlize Theron intro is the highlight of the night. "I gained 40 pounds for 'Young Adult' 20 years before Diablo wrote the script." And then he made a Donkey Kong reference that, apparently, only Jason Reitman got. [EK]

9:14 PM: Who reminds Oswalt of Theron? Lee Marvin and Bill Murray. That's right.

9:12 PM: Oswalt: "I gained 40 pounds for 'Young Adult' 20 years before Diablo wrote the script. So don't tell me all this 'Monster' bullshit..."

9:11 PM: Patton Oswalt takes the stage to present Charlize Theron with her tribute award (and he appears to be extraordinarily unprepared). [PK]

9:09 PM: Jones: "Here's to very cheap films..."

9:05 PM: And the best breakthrough performance is... Felicity Jones! Poor Elizabeth Olsen... First at Sundance, now here.. The indie it girl bridesmaid. [PK]

9:01 PM: Leo is calling co-presenter Stanley Tucci "Stan." He looks scared. [PK]

8:59 PM: Oh no, Melissa Leo! And she appears as crazy as ever (presenting breakthrough performance). [PK]

8:57 PM: Tom Rothman in press room talking: "People don't care what a film costs they care about what they feel." [BB]

8:56 PM: And the winner is Scenes of a Crime. Though its not announced before the Canadian banker makes a "Wall Street 2" joke. [PK]

8:55 PM: And the winner is... Oh, the feed is interrupted by an ad for Scotiabank. [PK]

8:53 PM: Judy Greer and the CEO of the ROYAL BANK OF CANADA (!!?) on stage to present the best film not playing at a theater near you. We're taking over. [PK]

8:48 PM: "Someone seems to have edited 'Speed 2' off my reel tonight" - Tom Rothman

8:42 PM: Ang Lee introducing Tom Rothman for his special award: "Tom is a larger than life character, something very rare these days: A head of a studio who actually loves movies." [EK]

8:41 PM: From Dee Rees in press lounge exclusive to us: I'm just really excited for our actresses. They put everything on the screen. I'm eager for people to see them and fall in love with them. I just want a nice catalogue in ten years that I can look back on and be proud of. [NMS]

8:40 PM: Ang Lee is shockingly twenty times funnier than Falco and Platt combined. [PK]

8:38 PM: Ang Lee admits he was kind of scared of Tim Rothman and offers the story when he outbid Harvey Weinstein to buy his 'Wedding Banquet.' [PK]

8:36 PM: "I often like to bite the hand that doesn't feed me" - Jim Jarmusch

8:34 PM: Jim Jarmusch and Ang Lee take the stage to present a tribute award to honor Tim Rothman... [PK]

8:34 PM: Moscow Mule isn't bad. [BB]

8:33 PM: Oh no, Falco and Platt are back. And my stream keeps cutting out to commercials for Canadian banks, which seem to be sponsoring every independent film related event America has to offer. [PK]

8:32 PM: I'm seated at a table with the people who were on that jury, I know at least one of them was pulling for Bellflower. [Eric Kohn]

8:32 PM: Wow Dee beat Durkin!! [NMS]

8:31 PM: And the winner is... DEE REES for "Pariah"! Deserving shocker. Sean Durkin was definite frontrunner. [PK]

8:30 PM: Felicity seems very nervous. Sticking to script and seems very affected. [NMS]

8:29 PM: Thankfully no Platt and Falco as Alexander Payne and Felicity Jones take to stage for breakthrough director award.. [PK]

8:27 PM: Audience winner wished he was drunker. [NMS]

8:26 PM: And the winner is... "Girlfriend," directed by Justin Lerner. "The First Grader" and "Being Elmo" seemed like the frontrunners.

8:26 PM: Russian models are offering Moscow Mules backstage (hence the sponsor). Vodka is Russian Standard and some hot Russian models are serving in these cute coffee mugs. [BB]

8:26 PM: Meanwhile they're serving drinks in press lounge. Servers going around w booze! Some hot russians serving vodka. [NMS]

8:24 PM: Quinto seems weirdly into that blond lady from Martha. Like turned on. [NMS]

8:23 PM: Thank god they're gone and we have some presenters: Zachary Quinto and Sarah Paulson presenting the Audience Choice Award. [PK]

8:22 PM: Platt still yelling into the mike. 2012 joke about how next year if it happens, they'll re release it as a doc. [NMS]

8:20 PM: Oh how we all miss Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci. [PK]

8:20 PM: Oh jesus, they're singing. [NMS]

8:19 PM: Is anyone in the crowd laughing? The hosts sure are. [Nigel M. Smith]

8:18 PM: And now for horribly writen "The Tree of Life" jokes... [PK]

8:17 PM: Maybe it's time to ask the hosts to move beyond jokes about how nobody has money in independent film? It happens every year... Just sayin.' [BB]

8:15 PM: Hosts Oliver Platt and Edie Falco take the stage (is Showtime a sponsor?). They make a joke about thinking they're at the Tonys that doesn't exactly bring down the house... My regrets about not being there this year are quickly dwindling. [Peter Knegt]

8:14 PM: Two Russian models who are here with a sponsor are speaking really loudly and were sushed a bit in press room during Joanna Vicente's opening speech. [Brian Brooks]

8:12 PM: After a bit of a delay the show is finally underway...

You can watch the arrivals and full ceremony below. A complete list of announced winners will be updated here. In addition to the competitive awards, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, David Cronenberg and Tom Rothman will each receive a career tribute.

2011's Breakthrough Performances: Indiewire's Interviews with the Gotham Nominees

Bryce J. Renninger — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:16:34 GMT

Every year, the Gotham Awards nominate five up-and-coming actors for their breakthrough performances from the year's indie films. Here are Indiewire's interviews with all five nominees, each of which were previously published as part of our FUTURES column for hot new talent.

Stay with Indiewire to see who wins the award on November 28.

Felicity Jones, "Like Crazy"

On making a film that went on to win the Jury Award at this year's Sundance: "It’s been very surreal. Especially making something like “Like Crazy” which was a very small independent film made for very little money. It’s been absolutely incredible this journey that this film that had. It’s obviously very exciting."

Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

On juggling school with acting: "You know, when you go to NYU and you're a theater student, you have conservatory and you have academics. So already you're a balancing an intense and crazy schedule with academic classes. So you kind of already figure out how to multi-task. The only thing that sucks is that NYU isn't allowing me to work while being in school so I have to actually take time off when I want to work. That's what's frustrating. I wish there was a way to work it out, but there isn't."

Harmony Santana, "Gun Hill Road"

On how she got the part: "I was working on a parade to promote AIDS Awareness. I was working in the booth and I went out for a little break. Rashaad was going around passing fliers and he saw me and handed me a flier. He explained what he was looking for. I told him I wanted to audition. I went in, auditioned, he called me for a second read and I got the part."

Shaileene Woodley, "The Descendents"

On working with George Clooney, "When I first booked the role, I didn’t think of it as, “Wow, I get to work with ‘star’ George Clooney.” I looked at it as, “Wow, I get to work with an incredible actor.” And then the first time I met him at the table read, I got nervous. My heart started pounding, I started sweating. But then he walked in and said something like, “Hey sweetie,” and immediately my nerve factor went away. It was just about enjoying every moment."

Jacob Wysocki, "Terri"

On the ways that dramatic acting creeps into his performances: "To be honest, I've never seen myself as a dramatic actor. I've always seen myself as a comedian. I did some stuff on "Huge" that was a little more serious but it was mostly a comedic role. When I read the script for "Terri," I just felt so connected to the character. But that was just the most daunting task of the whole thing: Convincing myself and being confident in myself that I could do this. And I think that's all that it took. Because if you keep telling yourself, "No, you're not good at this," you're never going to be good at it. You probably won't even take the chance. But I was really willing to take this chance and do it right."

Toolkit Case Study: How Mike Ott's "Littlerock" Got Noticed and Won a Gotham

Indiewire — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:12:36 GMT

Film Independent hosted last month's Filmmaker Forum at the Directors Guild in Los Angeles, an annual event spotlighting the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. As part of the weekend program, FIND published case studies of various projects, giving an insiders view on what worked or didn't quite so."Littlerock"is the fifth of five Indiewire will publish this week, taking a look at what decisions the filmmakers took to bring their project from the idea stage to screen. IW thanks the filmmakers and FIND for sharing their insight with Indiewire readers.

"Littlerock"
Writer/Director: Mike Ott
Producers: Sierra Leoni, Laura Ragsdale, Frederick Fulton, Henry Thornton
Budget: Approx $40,000
Production: 26 days, June 2009
Financing: Filmmaker, Donations
Shooting Format: HD (Sony EX3 camera)
Screening Format: HD Cam, Blu-ray, DCP
World Premiere: San Francisco International Film Festival

Awards: Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You, 2010 Gotham Awards; Someone to Watch Award, 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards; Audience Award, 2010 AFI Fest; Grand Jury Prize, 2011 Independent Film Festival of Boston; Audience Award, 2010 Reykjavik International Film Festival (Iceland)

Official Synopsis

When her car breaks down on a sightseeing tour of California, a Japanese student winds up stranded in a small desert town. Exhilarated by a sudden sense of freedom, she extends her stay and finds friendship, romance, and what promises to be a new home. But as she pulls back the layers on this unlikely paradise, she discovers a different America than the one in her dreams.

Development & Financing

Mike Ott’s first film, "Analog Days," premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2006 and was well received by both critics and audiences. Ott participated in many of the filmmaker programs the festival offered, including Kodak Speed Dating, which paired the festival filmmakers with producers, financiers, agents, publicists, and other executives, in short ten-minute meetings.

At the Kodak Speed Dating sessions, it became apparent to Ott very quickly that none of the people he met were interested in making the type of film that interested him as a filmmaker. For his next film he wanted to explore themes of language and being a foreigner stuck in small town, so out of frustration he decided to simply go out and make the film himself, using funds he’d saved from his work, along with money donated by the lead actress’s uncle. Ott had approximately $12K to begin shooting.

Ott had written the screenplay for "Littlerock" with two collaborators, including Atsuko Okatsuka who played one of the leads. Ott chose Littlerock, CA as the location as it was relatively close to his hometown of Valencia, and locations cost him very little, often as low as $100/day. The town also had a weird, desolate [David] Lynchian feel to it, perfect for the atmosphere and mood Ott wanted the film to have. He used the Valencia junior college where he taught to hold casting sessions, casting mostly local (Valencia and Los Angeles-based) actors, including some of the cast from "Analog Days." Many of the extras were Littlerock locals.

The Production

"Littlerock" shot for 26 days in the eponymous California town in June 2009. It was an ultra low-budget shoot, with a crew of five: Ott, his DP, two sound crew, and one PA. Everyone worked for free, with the small budget paying for necessary expenses such as food, location fees, and gas money. After the first day of shooting, Ott made the decision to shoot the film in sequence, aiming to get one scene in the can each day. The cast was encouraged to improvise, as Ott was a great believer in Robert Altman’s attitude that “my favorite parts of my films are all the parts I didn’t come up with.” Ott would set up the scene and situation and just let things happen organically. For example, the two party scenes in the movie were shot at real parties; Ott bought kegs of beer, so the actors and extras were often genuinely buzzed (or even drunk) and it gave the finished scenes far more realism than if the actors had tried to “act drunk.” Sometimes the cast would take it too far, and fights broke out between couples, or extras would have to run to the bathroom suddenly to vomit. Ott was very happy with the results, but next time he films a party scene he will hire an assistant director to help manage the set and prevent the chaos from getting out of hand.

Festival Preparation and Strategy

Once the film wrapped, Ott returned to Los Angeles to begin editing "Littlerock" in August 2009. By February 2010 he was close to locking picture and he began to screen the film for friends to get feedback on what did and didn’t work for them. Ott’s stepfather owns a post-production house and through him he was able to get great rates on sound editing and mixing. While he was completing post on the film, Ott sent a copy of "Littlerock" to Rachel Rosen, Director of Programming at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Rosen had been one of Ott’s biggest champions, having previously selected "Analog Days" for its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival (when she was programming that fest).

Following San Francisco, Ott applied to many of the large festivals on the circuit. He also received many invites from festivals worldwide. Since its debut in San Francisco, "Littlerock" has played over 50 festivals, including Vancouver, Seattle, Dallas, AFI (Los Angeles), Montreal, Warsaw, Vienna, Turin, Cairo, Thessaloniki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Iceland, Argentina, and Melbourne. In total, Ott spent between $1000-$1500 on festival entry fees (mainly in the U.S.), though these are generally waived by festivals that solicit the filmmaker directly. Thanks to the popularity of his film on the festival circuit, Ott has traveled the world in 2010 with "Littlerock," with very little cost to himself.

The Sale

During its festival run, Ott was regularly approached by “shady characters” claiming to be producers or distributors. They would hand out their business cards and quote ridiculous numbers, but when Ott checked their websites, often he’d see films listed that he’d never heard of. Although he was working alone without a sales rep or producer’s rep, he would consult with Rachel Rosen (at SFIFF) for advice, or ask other friends if they knew of these distributors. Ott was “in no rush…and wanted to wait until [he] met someone whom [he] trusted to give the movie to.”

In October 2010 at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Ott was approached by Dylan Marchetti of New York-based Variance Films. Marchetti was on the jury that awarded "Littlerock" an award at the festival; to Ott, “he was the first real straight shooter… he said I wasn’t going to get rich from the movie, but it’s important to get it out there… There was something with his honesty that I truly appreciated.”

Ott eventually signed with Variance in January 2011. Variance’s model bridges the gap between DIY/self-distribution and traditional theatrical, via a type of release they call DIWO—Doing it With Others. Filmmakers can release their films theatrically without signing away any of their rights, and without the massive fees, P&A budgets, and compromises usually associated with traditional service deals [description taken from Variance Films’ website].

Ott receives no up-front advance, but a generous revenue split of the gross (undisclosed), after Variance recoups its expenses.

In February 2011, Mike Ott won the Someone to Watch Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which came with an unrestricted cash grant of $25,000. This sudden cash windfall allowed Ott to finally pay back some debts from "Littlerock," and to pay for all the music rights for the release. The added attention that he received helped cement his reputation—as a result, he received a $75,000 grant from the San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation to make his next film. He was able to hire a great casting director for his third feature, which led to securing actor Stephen Tobolowsky in one of the key supporting roles.

The Release

Variance opened "Littlerock" in New York on August 12, 2011 and in LA a week later. The film then expanded to San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, and other markets. Marchetti is confident that "Littlerock" will have a four-month life theatrically. Exhibitors screen from HD cam, DCP or Blu-ray format. Ott provided Variance with copies of "Littlerock" in these different formats—he used the same post-house where he completed the film.

For the New York release, Ott used the PR services of Donna Daniels to help promote the film locally. These came free as part of the ‘Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You’ Gotham Award which "Littlerock" won back in December 2010.

For the LA release, Variance recommended publicist Emma Griffiths to Ott. For a very small fee (less than $2,000) paid for by Ott, Daniels “did an amazing job,” getting the film coverage in the Los Angeles Times, the LA Weekly, a feature write-up in The Huffington Post, and front-page placement in the Los Angeles Daily News. Ott was also interviewed on KXLU radio station and the film was eventually reviewed by Roger Ebert.

"Littlerock" is still in release, playing beyond the major markets. Box Office gross to date (Sep 21, 2011) is $13,927.

Ott has just sold DVD and VOD rights to Kino.Lorber Films.

In May 2011, Ott shot his third feature, and is currently completing post.

Advice from the Filmmaker

“It's all about being self-motivated as an artist, figuring out how you can get your film made. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you because you could end up waiting for a very long time to make something, maybe even forever.”

And So It Begins, 'The Descendants' & 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' Lead Gotham Award Nominees

Kevin Jagernauth — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:28:38 GMT

Well folks, the first batch of nominees this awards season have been revealed, with the Gotham Independent Film Award nominations landing this morning, giving an early peek at what will likely be some strong contenders down the line. Bear in mind, the Gotham Awards have little bearing on the eventual Oscar nods with only last year's Best Feature winner "Winter's Bone" factoring into the proceedings at the Kodak Theater. However, it does represent a good chunk of what you might see at the Independent Spirit Awards later in the year and if anything, these nominations confirm that Fox Searchlight is going to have another banner year on the statue circuit.

"The Descendants" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene" lead the pack with three nominations each. While it's pretty much guaranteed that the George Clooney starring, Alexander Payne directed "The Descendants" will be a player at the Kodak Theater, less certain is how the decidedly more difficult "Martha Marcy May Marlene" will fare. Elizabeth Olsen, nominated here from Breakthrough Actor, seems a likely candidate for Best Actress, but anything beyond that seems doubtful. We're pleased to see Mike Mills' excellent "Beginners" get some love, if only because we're expecting it to be forgotten in the upcoming months. In the documentary category, we're happy to see "Bill Cunningham New York" (a movie we listed as one of our faves of the year so far) and "The Interrupters" get some love. The latter by "Hoop Dreams" director Steve James is one of this writer's favorite movies of the year, documentary or otherwise; a powerful account of the battle against inner city violence in Chicago that left us in tears more than once.

Otherwise, no terribly big surprises, though the absence of Jessica Chastain for anything seems a little odd. And we think giving the excellent "Take Shelter" a nod for Best Ensemble is a bit of a stretch. It's pretty much a one-man show, and while the supporting cast is strong, we're not sure we'd call it an ensemble piece. And if you're wondering why some of your fave indies movies this year are missing completely, it's probably due to the eligibility rules, which likely kept Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” (foreign filmmaker), Cary Fukunaga’s “Jane Eyre” (foreign filmmaker), Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” (foreign financing), Oren Moverman’s “Rampart” (not yet released theatrically) and Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need To Talk About Kevin" (not yet released theatrically, foreign filmmaker) out of contention. Full nominees below. The awards will be handed out on Monday, November 28th with Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, David Cronenberg and Tom Rothman receiving career tributes. [IndieWire]

Best Feature
Beginners
Mike Mills, director; Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, producers (Focus Features)

The Descendants
Alexander Payne, director; Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Meek’s Cutoff
Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia, producers (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Take Shelter
Jeff Nichols, director; Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Tree of Life
Terrence Malick, director; Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Documentary
Better This World
Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, directors; Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega, Mike Nicholson, producers (Loteria Films, Picturebox, Motto Pictures and Passion Pictures; ITVS in association with American Documentary | POV)

Bill Cunningham New York
Richard Press, director; Philip Gefter, producer (Zeitgeist Films)

Hell and Back Again
Danfung Dennis, director; Mike Lerner, Martin Herring, producers (Docurama Films)

The Interrupters
Steve James, director; Alex Kotlowitz, Steve James, producers (The Cinema Guild)

The Woodmans
C. Scott Willis, director; Neil Barrett, Jeff Werner, C. Scott Willis, producers (Lorber Films; Kino Lorber, Inc.)

Best Ensemble Performance
Beginners
Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos (Focus Features)

The Descendants
George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Margin Call
Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Aasif Mandvi (Roadside Attractions)

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes, Louisa Krause, Sarah Paulson (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Take Shelter
Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Kathy Baker, Ray McKinnon, Lisagay Hamilton, Robert Longstreet (Sony Pictures Classics)

Breakthrough Director

Mike Cahill for Another Earth (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Sean Durkin for Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Vera Farmiga for Higher Ground (Sony Pictures Classics)
Evan Glodell for Bellflower (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Dee Rees for Pariah (Focus Features)

Breakthrough Actor

Felicity Jones in Like Crazy (Paramount Vantage)
Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Harmony Santana in Gun Hill Road (Motion Film Group)
Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Jacob Wysocki in Terri (ATO Pictures)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
Madeleine Olnek, director; Laura Terruso, Madeleine Olnek, producers

Green
Sophia Takal, director; Lawrence Michael Levine, producer

The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Eric Strauss, Daniele Anastasion, directors and producers

Scenes of a Crime
Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock, directors and producers

Without
Mark Jackson, director; Mark Jackson, Jessica Dimmock, Michael Requa, Jaime Keeling, producers

"Descendants," "Martha Marcy" Lead the Fox Searchlight-Friendly Gotham Award Nominations

Peter Knegt — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:44:34 GMT

The 21st Gotham Independent Film Award nominations have been announced, with Sean Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene" and Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" leading the pack with three nominations each.

That's great news for distributor Fox Searchlight, which is releasing both films alongside best feature nominee "The Tree of Life." Altogether, the distributor took eight nominations, five more than its nearest competitors (Focus Features and Sony Pictures Classics each took three).

Searchlight's "Tree of Life" was joined in the top category by "The Descendants," as well as Mike Mills' "Beginners," Jeff Nichols' "Take Shelter" and Kelly Reichardt's "Meek's Cutoff." "Martha Marcy" was actually snubbed in that category, nabbing nominations for best ensemble performance, best breakthrough performance (for Elizabeth Olsen) and best breakthrough director.

Olsen will compete against an eclectic mix of up-and-coming actors. Fellow Sundance Film Festival breakouts Felicity Jones ("Like Crazy"), Harmony Santana ("Gun Hill Road") and Jacob Wysocki ("Terri") join her, as does George Clooney's "Descendants" daughter Shailene Woodley (who's looking like a strong bet for an Oscar nomination at this point).

That category saw perhaps the biggest of the nominations' many surprises in who didn't make the cut: 2011 it girl Jessica Chastain, who's featured in two of the best feature nominees, "Take Shelter" and "The Tree of Life." Perhaps her performances canceled each other out?

Adepero Oduye ("Pariah"), Brit Marling ("Another Earth") and Hunter McCracken ("The Tree of Life") were other notable snubs in that category (especially since the films were all represented elsewhere), which clearly had many strong contenders this year.

Films that were completely shut out - which may or may not have been due to the Gothams' eligibility rules (discussed in yesterday's preview article, which didn't exactly fare well with its predictions) include Jonathan Levine's "50/50," Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive," Cary Fukunaga's "Jane Eyre," Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris," Oren Moverman's "Rampart," Lynne Ramsay's "We Need To Talk About Kevin and Tom McCarthy's "Win Win."

The full list of nominations is on the next page of this article. The Gotham Awards’ ceremony will be held on November 28 at Cipriani Wall Street. In addition to the competitive awards, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, David Cronenberg and Tom Rothman will each receive a career tribute.

"Martha Marcy May Marlene." Fox Searchlight.

Best Feature:
Beginners
Mike Mills, director; Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, producers (Focus Features)

The Descendants
Alexander Payne, director; Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Meek’s Cutoff
Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia, producers (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Take Shelter
Jeff Nichols, director; Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Tree of Life
Terrence Malick, director; Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Documentary:
Better This World
Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, directors; Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega, Mike Nicholson, producers (Loteria Films, Picturebox, Motto Pictures and Passion Pictures; ITVS in association with American Documentary | POV)

Bill Cunningham New York
Richard Press, director; Philip Gefter, producer (Zeitgeist Films)

Hell and Back Again
Danfung Dennis, director; Mike Lerner, Martin Herring, producers (Docurama Films)

The Interrupters
Steve James, director; Alex Kotlowitz, Steve James, producers (The Cinema Guild)

The Woodmans
C. Scott Willis, director; Neil Barrett, Jeff Werner, C. Scott Willis, producers (Lorber Films; Kino Lorber, Inc.)

Best Ensemble Performance:
Beginners
Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos (Focus Features)

The Descendants
George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Margin Call
Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Aasif Mandvi (Roadside Attractions)

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes, Louisa Krause, Sarah Paulson (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Take Shelter
Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Kathy Baker, Ray McKinnon, Lisagay Hamilton, Robert Longstreet (Sony Pictures Classics)

Breakthrough Director:
Mike Cahill for Another Earth (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Sean Durkin for Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Vera Farmiga for Higher Ground (Sony Pictures Classics)

Evan Glodell for Bellflower (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Dee Rees for Pariah (Focus Features)

Breakthrough Actor:
Felicity Jones in Like Crazy (Paramount Vantage)

Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Harmony Santana in Gun Hill Road (Motion Film Group)

Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Jacob Wysocki in Terri (ATO Pictures)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You:
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
Madeleine Olnek, director; Laura Terruso, Madeleine Olnek, producers

Green
Sophia Takal, director; Lawrence Michael Levine, producer

The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Eric Strauss, Daniele Anastasion, directors and producers

Scenes of a Crime
Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock, directors and producers

Without
Mark Jackson, director; Mark Jackson, Jessica Dimmock, Michael Requa, Jaime Keeling, producers

New this year, IFP will present a Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumnus of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.

The nominees are:
Jenny Deller, director, FUTURE WEATHER
Lucy Mulloy, director, UNA NOCHE
Rola Nashef, director, DETROIT UNLEADED

Check out further information from the Gotham Awards press release below:

The 2nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award will be voted on again by the independent film community, 230,000 film fans worldwide. To be eligible, a U.S. film must have won an audience award at one of the top 50 U.S. or Canadian film festivals from November 2010 through October 2011. Voting begins today at http://gotham.ifp.org/audience_award. The nominees will be announced November 7th and the winner will be revealed at the Gotham Awards ceremony.
The recipient of the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You award is determined by the editors of Filmmaker Magazine, a publication of IFP, and a curator from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). All of these nominees will also be screened for the public at MoMA from November 18 – 21.

The Premier Sponsors of the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ are Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and The New York Times, Presenting Sponsor euphoria Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection, Official Sponsors: Heineken USA; Russian Standard Vodka; charitybuzz; Mionetto USA; MoMA and Andaz Wall Street. Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times on November 18th, 2011.

The Nominating Committees for the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ announced above are as follows:

Nominating Committee for Best Feature and Breakthrough Director:
Scott Foundas, Associate Program Director, Film Society of Lincoln Center; Contributing Editor, Film Comment
Ann Hornaday, Film Critic, The Washington Post
Andrew O'Hehir, Film Critic, Salon.com
Joshua Rothkopf, Senior Film Writer, DVD Editor, Time Out New York
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Film Critic, Entertainment Weekly

Nominating Committee for Best Ensemble Performance and Breakthrough Actor:
Peter Debruge, Senior Film Critic/Associate Features Editor, Variety
Karen Durbin, Film Critic, Elle Magazine
Dave Karger, Senior Writer, Entertainment Weekly
Eric Kohn, Lead Film Critic, IndieWIRE
Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, Museum of Modern Art

Nominating Committee for Best Documentary:
Cynthia Fuchs, Film-TV Editor, PopMatters
Sean Farnel, Documentary Consultant
Tom Hall, Director of Programming, Sarasota Film Festival; Programmer, newportFILM
Mike Maggiore, Programmer and Publicist, Film Forum
Rachel Rosen, Artistic Director, San Francisco Film Society

Nominating Committee for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You:
Joshua Siegel, Associate Curator, Department of Film, Museum of Modern Art;
and members of the editorial staff of Filmmaker Magazine: Scott Macaulay (Editor-in-Chief), Jason Guerrasio, Brandon Harris, Ray Pride, Alicia Van Couvering

Save The Dates: Here's the 2011-12 Awards Season Calendar

Peter Knegt — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:57:26 GMT

With the Toronto International Film Festival a fading memory, the 2011-12 awards season is fast approaching. Beginning next month with the Gotham Award nominations, over four months of ballot mailing, nomination announcements and award ceremonies are coming our way, culminating in the the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2011. indieWIRE is keeping a running tally of all the announced dates so all you awards geeks out there can make sure you don't miss a step.

Many dates have yet to have been set, so check back with this article as the awards calendar continues to take shape. And if you notice any errors or exclusions of announced dates, please feel free to note in the comments and we will amend the article.

October
20 - Gotham Award nominations announced

November 2011
5 - European Film Award nominations announced
23 - Screen Actors Guild Award nomination ballots mailed
28 - Gotham Awards
28 - New York Film Critics Circle Awards announced
29 - Independent Spirit Award nominations announced

December 2011
1 - Golden Globe Award nomination ballots mailed
1 - Golden Satellite Award nominations announced
2 - National Board of Review Awards
3 - European Film Awards
5 - Producers Guild Award nomination ballots mailed
12 - Screen Actors Guild Award nomination ballots due
12 - Golden Globe Award nomination ballots due
13 - Critics Choice Award nominations announced
14 - Screen Actors Guild Award nominations announced
15 - Golden Globe Award nominations announced
19 - Golden Satellite Awards
26 - Golden Globe Award final ballots mailed
27 - Academy Award nomination ballots mailed

January 2012
2 - Screen Actors Guild Award final ballots mailed
3 - Producers Guild Award nominations announced
5 - Writers Guild Award nominations announced
6 - BAFTA "longlists" announced
9 - Directors Guild Award nominations announced
11 - Golden Globe Award final ballots due
12 - Critics Choice Awards
13 - Academy Award nomination ballots due
15 - Golden Globe Awards
16 - ACE Eddie Award nominations announced
17 - BAFTA Award nominations announced
21 - Producers Guild Awards
24 - Academy Award nominations announced
27 - Screen Actors Guild Award final ballots due
28 - Directors Guild Awards
29 - Screen Actors Guild Awards

February 2012
1 - Academy Award final ballots mailed
6 - Academy Award nominees luncheon
12 - BAFTA Awards
18 - ACE Eddie Awards
19 - WGA Awards
21 - Academy Award final ballots due
25 - Cesar Awards
25 - Golden Raspberry Awards
25 - Independent Spirit Awards
26 - Academy Awards

Previewing the Gotham Award Nominations: Which Films Will Make The Cut Tomorrow?

Peter Knegt — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:32:31 GMT

On Thursday, the nominations for the 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards will act as the first major moment of the 2011-12 awards season, with nominations being announced for seven competitive categories.

What should we expect? Well, the nominations could give us some insight into what lies ahead -- but don't expect to see excessive Oscar crossover. On average, a couple of films that are nominated for Gotham's top prize -- best feature -- also end up getting a best picture nomination. Last year, it was a record three in "Black Swan," "The Kids Are All Right" and "Winter's Bone;" back in 2007 and 2008, no films overlapped.

Keep in mind that the nominations are produced by a handful of small committees, a process that encourages quirky and unexpected additions and makes predicting the nominations next to impossible. Ditto Gotham's rather vague submission criteria, which notes the following:

-Filmmaking with a point of view.
IFP believes that filmmaking is a subjective art form. Each Gotham Independent Film Award™ will be given to individual films or performers in films where the vision of an individual director, producer, writer or writer/director is abundantly evident, and where the film cannot be classically defined as a “work for hire.”
-Feature-length (defined as over 60 minutes).
-Films made with an economy of means.
-Films must be American.
The film must be directed and/or produced by a US born or based filmmaker.
-Screening availability by the Nominating Committee.
The film must be submitted on DVD by the deadline or made available for screening by nominating committee. (Not applicable to the Festival Genius Audience Award)
-Independent Distribution.
Films must be scheduled for a theatrical or digital platform or Pay TV release during calendar year 2011 (Midnight January 1 – 11:59 pm December 31). See special criteria for cable and digital platforms below.
-Theatrical release.
The release can be through a specialty division of a studio, an independent distributor, or via self-distribution. The film must be screened for paid admission in a commercial motion picture theatre in New York City and/or Los Angeles County. It must run for at least seven consecutive days. The film must be advertised and marketed during the New York and/or Los Angeles County run in a manner considered normal and customary to the industry. The film must be publicly exhibited by means of 16mm, 35mm or 70mm film, or in a digital format, delivered to the screen by an image and sound file format suitable for exhibition in existing commercial cinema sites.

Now place these rules against "The Tree of Life" (too expensive at $32 million?), "We Need To Talk About Kevin" (American-set and American co-produced, but directed by a Scot) and "Midnight in Paris" (France-set and Spain co-produced, but directed by an American). Do any even qualify? Some, like the wholly British productions "Shame" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and studio releases "Young Adult" and "The Ides of March," we can probably count out for sure.

And then there's the "breakthrough" categories (actor and filmmaker), which has been confusing in the past: Greta Gerwig was considered a "breakthrough performance" last year for "Greenberg," despite being well known in the independent film world. Ben Foster was named for "The Messenger" in 2009, even though he'd had many notable previous roles.

That said, there's no shortage of possibilities this year in any category. Roughly, it seems like the best feature race could boil down to any of the following 16 films:

• Jonathan Levine's "50/50"
• Mike Mills' "Beginners"
• Maryam Keshavarz's "Circumstance"
• Alexander Payne's "The Descendants"
• Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive"
• Miranda July's "The Future"
• Cary Fukunaga's "Jane Eyre"
• Drake Doremus' "Like Crazy"
• Sean Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
• Kelly Reichardt's "Meek's Cutoff"
• Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris"
• Dee Rees' "Pariah"
• Oren Moverman's "Rampart"
• Jeff Nichols' "Take Shelter"
• Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life"
• Lynne Ramsay's "We Need To Talk About Kevin"

Also remember these films come Independent Spirit Award time, as they should also make up the bulk of nominees there (save "Midnight" and "Tree," which have budgets that exceed Spirit Award rules).

- Article continues on page 2 -

"Martha Marcy May Marlene." Fox Searchlight.

It's been a fantastic year for American independent film -- though perhaps more than previous years, not the most Oscar-friendly one.

Of the 16 noted, only three have significant chances at a best picture nomination come Oscar time ("Descendants," "Midnight in Paris" and "Tree of Life"). Sundance hits like "Martha Marcy May Marlene," "Pariah" and "Take Shelter" might prove a little too independently minded for Academy tastes (especially given the multitude of heavyweight studio options), which is why awards like the Gothams and Spirits are more important than ever this year.

Just for fun, indieWIRE took a stab at predicting tomorrow's nominations (though we didn't attempt the "best film not playing at a theater near you" category, if only because that one's twice as impossible to figure out as the rest). Check back with us Thursday morning for the actual nominees.

Best Feature:
Predicted five:
The Descendants
Drive
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Take Shelter
The Tree of Life

But watch out for:
Midnight in Paris
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Like Crazy
Pariah
Win Win
Rampart
Jane Eyre
Beginners

Best Documentary:
Predicted five:
Buck
The Interrupters
Into The Abyss
Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times
Tabloid

But watch out for:
Hell and Back Again
Bill Cunningham New York
If A Tree Falls
We Were Here
Beats, Rhymes & Life

Best Cast Ensemble:
The predicted five:
50/50
Drive
Jane Eyre
Midnight in Paris
Win Win

But watch out for:
Rampart
Pariah
The Descendants
Meek's Cutoff
Martha Marcy May Marlene

Best Breakthrough Director:
The predicted five:
Mike Cahill, Another Earth
Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Evan Glodell, Bellflower
Maryam Keshavarz, Circumstance
Dee Rees, Pariah

But watch out for:
Drake Doremus, Like Crazy (though its his second feature)
Vera Farmiga, Higher Ground
Rashaad Ernesto Green, Gun Hill Road

Best Breakthrough Performance:
The predicted five:
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter (or The Tree of Life?)
Ezra Miller, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Shailenne Woodley, The Descendants

But watch out for:
Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Brit Marling, Another Earth
Hunter McCracken, The Tree of Life
Hamish Linklater, The Future
Nikohl Boosheri, Circumstance

Peter Knegt is indieWIRE's Associate Editor. Follow him on Twitter and on his blog.

Charlize Theron, David Cronenberg and Gary Oldman To Receive Gotham Award Tributes

Peter Knegt — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:59:27 GMT

Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman and David Cronenberg will join previously announced recipient Tim Rothman as the folks receiving career tributes at this year's Gotham Independent Film Awards.

The four will be feted on November 28, 2011 during the 21st edition of the awards, which is the first ceremony of awards season. Nominations for the awards' seven competitive categories - Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You and Audience Award - will be announced October 20th.

Full press release below.

New York, NY (September 22, 2011) – The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, announced today that Actress, Charlize Theron Director, David Cronenberg and Actor, Gary Oldman, will join previously announced honoree Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, to receive their career tributes at the 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards™ on Monday, November 28th at Cipriani Wall Street, in New York City.
Signaling the official kick-off of the film awards season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ is one of the leading awards for independent film. Along with these four tributes, seven competitive awards for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You and Audience Award will be announced.
This year’s honorees represents a range of individuals – all veterans well-versed in lower-budget independent films and large-scale studio releases. In addition, the honorees represent some of the year’s most highly anticipated and critically acclaimed films including: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy from Focus Features (directed by Tomas Alfredson and featuring Gary Oldman); the upcoming Paramount release of Young Adult (directed by Jason Reitman and featuring Charlize Theron) and A Dangerous Method from Sony Pictures Classics (directed by David Cronenberg).
“We are truly honored to pay tribute to four cinematic film luminaries, all of whom have greatly contributed to independent film, and have steadfastly supported the film community in their own individual and unique ways,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of the IFP.
Oscar-winner, Charlize Theron, is one of the great actresses of our time. The South African native captivated audiences as female serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster for which she received the Independent Spirit Award and the National Broadcast Film Critics Association as well as winning the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy Award for Best Actress. Theron’s incredible performance as Josey Aimes in North Country garnered her another set of best actress nominations (Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice, and Academy) and she also appeared in HBO’s The Life and Death of Peter Sellers opposite Geoffery Rush, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Emmys.
Moviegoers were first introduced to the seductive charm of Charlize Theron in her feature film debut, 2 Days in the Valley with James Spader. She co-starred alongside Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves in Devil’s Advocate, with Tom Hanks in That Thing You Do and in Jonathan Lynn’s Trial and Error. In addition, Theron starred in Woody Allen’s Celebrity, which she then followed with Mighty Joe Young with Bill Paxton. In 1999, Theron starred in the Oscar nominated The Cider House Rules and in New Line Cinema’s The Astronaut’s Wife with Johnny Depp. Then following in 2000, the much in-demand Theron tackled back-to-back roles in the following movies: Robert Redford’s The Legend of Bagger Vance with Will Smith and Matt Damon, Men of Honor with Robert DeNiro and Cuba Gooding, Jr., John Frankenheimer’s Reindeer Games with Ben Affleck and The Yards co-starring Mark Wahlberg. In 2001, Theron illuminated the screen in the Warner Bros. tearjerker Sweet November alongside Keanu Reeves, as well as in Woody Allen’s Curse of the Jade Scorpion. In the fall of 2002, Theron starred opposite Patrick Swayze in Waking Up in Reno, which she then moved on to star alongside Kevin Bacon in the feature film Trapped, directed by Luis Mandoki.
Next up, Charlize will be starring in Jason Reitman’s Young Adult, written by Diablo Cody and also starring Patton Oswalt, Elizabeth Reaser, and Patrick Wilson. Recently, Charlize wrapped up filming Prometheus directed by Ridley Scott and is currently filming Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart. She was last seen in Guillermo Arriaga’s directorial debut The Burning Plain, co-starring with Kim Basinger, which she also produced. In addition to producing the Burning Plain through her production company Denver and Delilah, Charlize is developing and executive producing an HBO series called Mind Hunter with director David Lynch.
Director, David Cronenberg’s reputation as an authentic auteur has been firmly established by his uniquely personal body of work which includes Shivers, Rabid, Fast Company, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Crash, eXistenz, The Dead Zone, M. Butterfly, Spider, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises and the recent opera version of The Fly. He is a member of the French Legion d’Honneur, and an Officer in the Order of Canada. In 1999, he was President of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival. David is releasing his film, A Dangerous Method, this fall and is in post production on his current project, Cosmopolis.
Earlier this year, at the 2011 Empire Awards, Gary Oldman was honored with the Icon Award for Achievement. An acclaimed presence in motion pictures for 25 years, he is regarded as one of the foremost actors of his generation. Mr. Oldman is known to millions throughout the world for playing Sirius Black (Harry Potter’s godfather), Commissioner Jim Gordon (Batman/Bruce Wayne’s crime-fighting partner), Dracula, Beethoven, Pontius Pilate, Lee Harvey Oswald, Joe Orton, and Sid Vicious, to name just a few of his iconic characterizations.
Over the past 18 years, the U.K. native has appeared in 11 movies that have opened #1 at the box office. As part of the two most successful franchises in movie history, he has appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates, respectively; and Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
Mr. Oldman’s acting career began in 1979, and for several years he worked exclusively in the theatre; from 1985 through 1989, he alternated film work with stage work at London’s Royal Court Theatre. Among his early telefilms were Mike Leigh’s Meantime and the late Alan Clarke’s The Firm.
His features include Alex Cox’s Sid and Nancy; Stephen Frears’ Prick Up Your Ears; Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead; Phil Joanou’s State of Grace; Oliver Stone’s JFK; Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula; Peter Medak’s Romeo is Bleeding; Tony Scott’s True Romance; Bernard Rose’s Immortal Beloved; Luc Besson’s The Professional (a.k.a. Leon) and The Fifth Element; Wolfgang Petersen’s Air Force One; the late Marc Rocco’s Murder in the First; Roger Young’s telefilm Jesus; Ridley Scott’s Hannibal; and Albert and Allen Hughes’ The Book of Eli.
With Douglas Urbanski, Mr. Oldman produced the feature Nil by Mouth. The film marked his screenwriting and directing debut, and was selected to world premiere as the opening-night film of the 1997 [50th Anniversary of the] Cannes International Film Festival, at which the film’s leading lady Kathy Burke won for Best Actress. Subsequent honors for Nil by Mouth included the prestigious Channel Four Director’s Prize, at the Edinburgh International Film Festival; six British Independent Film Award (BIFA) nominations, and three wins including for Ms. Burke and her fellow actors Ray Winstone and Laila Morse; the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as BAFTA’s Alexander Korda Award for the Outstanding British Film of the Year, the latter shared by Mr. Oldman and Mr. Urbanski.
The team’s subsequent productions have included Rod Lurie’s The Contender, starring Joan Allen and Jeff Bridges. The film received two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, including one for Best Supporting Actor (Mr. Oldman). Additionally, the ensemble of The Contender and the writer/director were honored with the Broadcast Film Critics Association’s Alan J. Pakula Award.
Next up for Mr. Oldman will be Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, opening on December 9th; John Hillcoat’s The Wettest County; and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, opening in 2012.
This year’s Gotham Awards tribute recipients join a prestigious group of previous honorees including: James Schamus, Bob & Harvey Weinstein, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sheila Nevins, David Linde, Jonathan Sehring and film critic Roger Ebert; actors Robert Duvall, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Portman, Javier Bardem, Pénelope Cruz, Hilary Swank and Kate Winslet; filmmakers Darren Aronofsky, Mira Nair, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese.
Nominees for the 21st Anniversary Gotham Independent Film Awards™ will be announced on October 20th and winners will be honored at a star-studded ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28th.
The Premier Sponsors of the 21st Annual Gotham Awards™ are Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and The New York Times. The Presenting Sponsor is Euphoria Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection, with Official Sponsors Heineken USA, Russian Standard Vodka and Andaz Wall Street as well. Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times on November 18th, 2011.
About Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP)
The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organizations for independent filmmakers. Since its debut at the 1979 New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and fostering activism. The organization has championed early work by pioneering, independent filmmakers, including Charles Burnett, Edward Burns, Jim Jarmusch, Barbara Kopple, Michael Moore, Mira Nair and Kevin Smith.
IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world. Through its workshops, seminars, conferences, mentorships and Filmmaker Magazine, IFP schools its members in the art, technology and business of independent filmmaking. The year-round program includes an Independent Film Week, The Gotham Awards, Filmmaking Labs and Seminars, and a range of programs to promote racial, ethnic, religious, ideological, gender and sexual diversity. IFP, often in collaboration with other cultural institutions, builds audiences by hosting premieres and special screenings. The IFP fosters the development of 300 feature and documentary films each year. Recently, the organization licensed the popular Festival Genius software platform through which IFP now reaches over 200,000 film fans worldwide.
For more information: www.ifp.org

About the Gotham Independent Film Awards™
The Gotham Independent Film Awards, selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that IFP does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.

Fox's Tom Rothman to Receive Gotham Awards Tribute

Brian Brooks — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:59:44 GMT

Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, will be feted by the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), at the 21st annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, set for November 28th at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, the organizations said Monday. Nominations for the Gotham Awards will be unveiled October 20th. The submission deadline for this year's Gothams is September 16th.

Full release follows:

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation's oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, announced today that Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, will be presented with the 21st annual Industry Tribute at the 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards(TM) on Monday, November 28th at Cipriani Wall Street, in New York City.
Signaling the official kick-off for the film awards season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards(TM) is one of the leading awards for independent film. Anchoring the evening's seven competitive awards for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You and the new Audience Award are four tributes to film community icons, including the Industry Tribute, as well as a director, actor and an actress to be announced.
Each year, the Industry Tribute is awarded to a career veteran who has significantly influenced the motion picture business. Tom Rothman's extensive experience in all facets of the film industry makes him the ideal recipient of this award. Mr. Rothman, in addition to overseeing some of the biggest blockbusters in motion picture history, has long been a steadfast supporter of independent cinema. In 1994, Mr. Rothman founded Fox Searchlight Pictures, which is one of the most successful producers and distributors of specialized fare in the industry, and continues to receive consistent and unwavering backing from its parent studio. Before Searchlight, Mr. Rothman began his film career in New York City at Samuel Goldwyn Films, where he served as President at then one of the most respected independent houses in the business.
Mr. Rothman is one of the longest tenured studio heads in the modern Hollywood era. During Mr. Rothman's 17 years at Fox, the Studio has released such enduring films as "Black Swan," "Cast Away," "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," "Walk the Line," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Water for Elephants," "The Simpsons Movie," the "X-Men" and "Ice Age" film series, "Juno," "Sideways," "127 Hours," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Moulin Rouge," and the two top grossing movies of all time: "Titanic" and "Avatar." Also during this period, Fox films were nominated for over 100 Academy Awards, winning three Best Picture awards, including "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2008; and Fox films have grossed more than $42 billion at the worldwide box office.
"We are truly honored to dedicate our Industry Tribute to Tom Rothman, who has made an indelible impact in the film community. Through his work, he has supported the spirit of independent film and given these voices the means to reach audiences, irrespective of the budget size of their work," said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of the IFP. "This year's tribute embodies an astonishing breadth of work that we are proud to celebrate."
Throughout his career, he has championed the work of many of the greatest filmmakers of the era, from supporting the early films of then emerging talents like Jim Jarmusch, Ang Lee, Kenneth Branagh, Anthony Minghella, Spike Lee, Danny Boyle, Baz Luhrmann and Bryan Singer to backing hugely ambitious undertakings by giants like James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Ridley Scott and Peter Weir, among numerous others.
Rothman also currently writes and hosts a series on the Fox Movie Channel entitled Fox Legacy, giving history and commentary on classic films from the Fox library, which has received favorable notices in many publications, including The New York Times.
This year's Gotham Awards tribute recipients join a prestigious group of previous honorees including: James Schamus, Bob & Harvey Weinstein, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sheila Nevins , David Linde, Jonathan Sehring and film critic Roger Ebert; actors Robert Duval, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Portman, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet; filmmakers Mira Nair, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese.
Nominees for the 21st Anniversary Gotham Independent Film Awards(TM) will be announced on October 20th and winners will be honored at a star-studded ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28th. The submission deadline for this year's Gotham Independent Film Awards is September 16th.
The Premier Sponsors of the 21st Annual Gotham Awards(TM) are Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and The New York Times, Presenting Sponsor euphoria Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection, Official Sponsors Heineken USA, Russian Standard Vodka and Andaz Wall Street. Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times on November 18th, 2011.
About Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP)
The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is one of the nation's oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organizations for independent filmmakers. Since its debut at the 1979 New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and fostering activism. The organization has championed early work by pioneering, independent filmmakers, including Charles Burnett, Edward Burns, Jim Jarmusch, Barbara Kopple, Michael Moore, Mira Nair and Kevin Smith.
IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world. Through its workshops, seminars, conferences, mentorships and Filmmaker Magazine, IFP schools its members in the art, technology and business of independent filmmaking. The year-round program includes an Independent Film Week, The Gotham Awards, Filmmaking Labs and Seminars, and a range of programs to promote racial, ethnic, religious, ideological, gender and sexual diversity. IFP, often in collaboration with other cultural institutions, builds audiences by hosting premieres and special screenings. The IFP fosters the development of 300 feature and documentary films each year. Recently, the organization licensed the popular Festival Genius software platform through which IFP now reaches over 200,000 film fans worldwide.
For more information: www.ifp.org
About the Gotham Independent Film Awards(TM)
The Gotham Independent Film Awards, selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that IFP does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.
For information on attending: http://gotham.ifp.org

A Complete Guide To 2010-11 Awards Season

Peter Knegt — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:41:22 GMT

Award season is over, with over two months worth of announcements from critic groups, guilds, boards, academies, and organizations behind us. To help everyone keep up, indieWIRE has this comprehensive summary of all the announced awards since the season's early winter beginnings.

Below are links to all of the announcements, as well as a compilation of the winners in various categories, listed in order of how many kudos each have received. Currently, David Fincher's "The Social Network" has dominated best picture (but not at Oscar), best director and best screenplay kudos, while Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), Colin Firth ("The King's Speech"), Christian Bale ("The Fighter") and Melissa Leo ("The Fighter") are the leaders in each respective acting category, all of them taking Oscars as well. "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," "Exit Through the Gift Shop" and "Toy Story 3" are leading in the foreign language, documentary and animated feature categories, respectively.

Announced Awards:
Academy Awards
ACE Eddies
AFI Honorees
African-American Film Critics
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
American Society of Cinematographers Awards
Annie Awards
Art Directors Guild
Austin Film Critics
BAFTAs
Black Film Critics Circle
Boston Film Critics
British Independent Film Awards
Broadcast Film Critics Association (Critics Choice)
Central Ohio Film Critics
Chicago Critics Association Awards
Cinema Audio Society
Cinema Eye Honor
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics
Detroit Film Critics
Directors Guild Awards
European Film Awards
Florida Film Critics Circle
Gay & Lesbian Film Critics
Golden Globe Awards
Gotham Awards
Houston Area Film Critics
International Documentary Association Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
Indiana Film Journalists' Association
International Cinephile Society
Iowa Film Critics
Kansas City Film Critics
Las Vegas Film Critics
LA Film Critics Association Awards
London Film Critics Circle Awards
National Board of Review Awards
National Society of Film Critics Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Online Awards
North Texas Critics Association
Oklahoma Film Critics
Online Film Critics Society
Phoenix Film Critics Society
Producers Guild Awards
Producers Guild Documentary Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards
San Diego Film Critics
San Francisco Film Critics
Satellite Awards
Southeastern Film Critics
St. Louis Film Critics
Toronto Film Critics
USC Scripter
Utah Film Critics
Vancouver Film Critics Circle
Washington DC Critics Awards
Women Film Critics Circle
Writers Guild of America Awards

Summary of Winners

Best Picture
The Social Network 30 wins (Globes, NY, LA, BFCA, NSFC, Boston, London, NBR, NYFCO, SF, Toronto, Detroit, Online, Dallas, Las Vegas, St. Louis, DC, Houston, Utah, Florida, Kansas City, Chicago, Satellites, African-American, Indiana, Southeastern, Oklahoma, Vancouver, Black Critics, Iowa, Alliance of Women), 10 noms (Oscar, PGA, AFI, BAFTA, San Diego, Phoenix, Central Ohio, ICS, Gay & Lesbian)
The Kings Speech 5 wins (Oscar, PGA, BAFTA, Phoenix, BIFA), 16 noms (Globes, BFCA, Houston, San Diego, Detroit, Satellites, St. Louis, London, Southeastern, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Alliance of Women, Central Ohio, North Texas)
Black Swan 2 wins (Spirits, Austin) 22 noms (Oscar, PGA, Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, AFI, Houston, Online, London, Toronto, San Diego, DC, Gothams, ICS, Southeastern, Chicago, Gay & Lesbian, Alliance of Women, Dallas, Las Vegas, Central Ohio, Vancouver)
Inception 2 wins (North Texas, Central Ohio) 22 noms (Oscar, PGA, Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, AFI, Houston, Detroit, DC, San Diego, Satellites, Indiana, Pheonix, Online, St. Louis, ICS, Southeastern, Utah, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Alliance of Women)
Winter's Bone 2 wins (San Diego, Gothams), 16 noms (Oscar, BFCA, AFI, Online, Iowa, Houston, Detroit, Spirits, Satellites, Phoenix, Southeastern, Chicago, Dallas, Alliance of Women, Las Vegas, Central Ohio)
127 Hours 1 win (Utah) 14 noms (Oscar, PGA, BFCA, AFI, Houston, Spirits, Phoenix, Detroit, DC, Satellites, Southeastern, Dallas, Las Vegas, Central Ohio)
The Kids Are All Right 1 win (Globes), 13 noms (Oscar, PGA, AFI, Phoenix, Houston, London, Dallas, Spirits, Satellites, Gothams, Gay & Lesbian, Southeastern, Central Ohio)
The Ghost Writer 1 win (EFA), 2 noms (Satellites, Central Ohio)
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World 1 win (Satellites), 2 noms (Central Ohio, Las Vegas)
I Am Love 1 win (Gay & Lesbian), 1 nom (ICS)
A Prophet 1 win (ICS)
Mother and Child 1 win (Women)
True Grit 15 noms (Oscar, PGA, BAFTA, BFCA, AFI, Phoenix, Utah, Online, Houston, Southeastern, Dallas, Las Vegas, Central Ohio, Iowa, Vancouver)
Toy Story 3 14 noms (Oscar, PGA, BFCA, AFI, Boston, Online, London, Utah, Phoenix, Houston, DC, Southeastern, Central Ohio, Gay & Lesbian)
The Fighter 12 noms (Oscar, PGA, Globes, BFCA, AFI, St. Louis, San Diego, Southeastern, Dallas, Las Vegas, Central Ohio, North Texas)
The Town 6 noms (PGA, BFCA, AFI, Satellites, Dallas, Las Vegas)
Blue Valentine 3 noms (Satellites, ICS, Gothams)
Red 2 noms (Globes, Satellites)
Never Let Me Go 2 noms (Phoenix, BIFA)
Kick-Ass 2 noms (BIFA, Houston)
Carlos 2 noms (LA, ICS)
Exit Through The Gift Shop 2 noms (ICS, Central Ohio)
Greenberg 1 nom (Spirits)
Let Me In 1 nom (Gothams)
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives 1 nom (Toronto)
Four Lions 1 nom (BIFA)
Monsters 1 nom (BIFA)
Shutter Island 1 nom (Phoenix)
Burlesque 1 nom (Globes)
Alice in Wonderland 1 nom (Globes)
The Tourist 1 nom (Globes)
Animal Kingdom 1 nom (Satellites)
Get Low 1 nom (Satellites)
Cyrus 1 nom (Satellites)
Made in Dagenham 1 nom (Satellites)
The Other Guys 1 nom (Satellites)
Please Give 1 nom (Satellites)
Another Year 1 nom (ICS)
Everyone Else 1 nom (ICS)

Best Director
David Fincher - The Social Network 28 wins (BAFTA, Globes, NY, LA, BFCA, NSFC, NBR, SF, Toronto, NYFCO, Boston, DC, Southeastern, Las Vegas, Iowa, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Satellites, London, Florida, St. Louis, Utah, Online, Oklahoma, Vancouver, Alliance of Women), 7 noms (Oscar, DGA, Detroit, ICS, San Diego, Phoenix, Central Ohio)
Christopher Nolan - Inception 7 wins (Kansas City, Central Ohio, Utah, Phoenix, North Texas, Indiana, African-American), 19 noms (DGA, BAFTA, Globes, BFCA, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, Toronto, Online, San Diego, London, Chicago, Las Vegas, Satellites, San Diego, Iowa, Alliance of Women, DC, Southeastern)
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan 5 wins (Spirits, SF, Austin, San Diego, Black Critics) 19 noms (Oscar, DGA, Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, Boston, Houston, Toronto, Chicago, Online, Las Vegas, London, ICS, Alliance of Women, Satellites, St. Louis, DC, Vancouver, Central Ohio)
Tom Hooper - The King’s Speech 2 wins (Oscar, DGA) 12 noms (Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, Detroit, BIFA, Phoenix, St. Louis, Chicago, Las Vegas, Alliance of Women, Satellites, Central Ohio)
Danny Boyle - 127 Hours 1 win (Detroit) 14 noms (BFCA, BAFTA, Houston, Las Vegas, San Diego, Satellites, St. Louis, Phoenix, Utah, Iowa, Online, DC, Spirits, Central Ohio)
Roman Polanski - The Ghost Writer 1 win (EFA), 1 nom (Satellites)
Olivier Assayas - Carlos 1 win (LA), 1 nom (ICS)
Gareth Edwards - Monsters 1 win (BIFA)
Jacques Audiard - A Prophet 1 win (ICS)
Joel & Ethan Coen - True Grit 10 noms (Oscar, Phoenix, London, Online, Utah, Houston, North Texas, DC, Central Ohio, Vancouver)
Debra Granik - Winter's Bone 7 noms (Detroit, Spirits, Chicago, San Diego, Satellites, Alliance of Women, Indiana)
David O. Russell - The Fighter 4 noms (Oscar, DGA, Globes, North Texas)
Lisa Cholodenko - The Kids Are All Right 3 noms (Spirits, Alliance of Women, Satellites)
Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim vs the World 2 noms (Utah, Detroit)
John Cameron Mitchell - Rabbit Hole 1 nom (Spirits)
Matthew Vaughn - Kick-Ass 1 nom (BIFA)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul – Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives 1 nom (London)
Gareth Edwards - Monsters 1 nom (BIFA)
Mark Romanek - Never Let Me Go 1 nom (BIFA)
Ben Affleck - The Town 1 nom (Satellites)
David Michod - Animal Kingdom 1 nom (Satellites)
Mike Leigh - Another Year 1 nom (ICS)

Best Actress
Natalie Portman - Black Swan 26 wins (Oscar, Spirits, SAG, BAFTA, Globes, NYFCO, BFCA, Boston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Indiana, Southeastern, Houston, Chicago, Black Critics, Iowa, Florida, Austin, Kansas City, Central Ohio, Online, Phoenix, Utah, St. Louis, Oklahoma) 11 noms (Toronto, San Diego, Detroit, DC, Alliance of Women, London, Satellites, Gay & Lesbian, ICS, Vancouver)
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right 6 wins (Globes, NY, London, Women Film Critics, Alliance of Women, Gay & Lesbian), 16 noms (Oscar, SAG, BFCA, BAFTA, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Online, Houston, DC, Spirits, North Texas, Iowa, Satellites, Vancouver, Central Ohio)
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone 5 wins (DC, San Diego, Vancouver, Toronto), 21 noms (Oscar, SAG, BFCA, LA, Houston, Chicago, Online, Las Vegas, London, Iowa, Phoenix, Indiana, Utah, Alliance of Women, St. Louis, Spirits, Satellites, Southeastern, Central Ohio, North Texas)
Lesley Manville - Another Year 2 wins (NBR, ICS), 5 noms (Chicago, Online, Alliance of Women, EFA, Gay & Lesbian)
Giovanna Mezzogiorno - Vincere 2 wins (NSFC, ICS)
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine 1 win (SF) 14 noms (Oscar, Globes, BFCA, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, San Diego, Spirits, Satellites, Utah, ICS, Alliance of Women)
Noomi Rapace - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 1 win (Satellites) 6 noms (BFCA, BAFTA, St. Louis, London, Las Vegas, Houston)
Carey Mulligan - Never Let Me Go 1 win (BIFA), 3 noms (San Diego, Detroit, Phoenix)
Anne Hathaway - Love & Other Drugs 1 win (Satellites) 2 noms (Globes, DC)
Halle Berry - Frankie & Allie 1 win (African-American) 1 nom (Globes)
Kim Hye-Ja - Mother 1 win (LA) 1 nom (Online)
Sylvie Testud - Lourdes 1 win (EFA)
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole 15 noms (Oscar, SAG, Globes, BFCA, Las Vegas, Online, Houston, Detroit, DC, St. Louis, Spirits, Satellites, Alliance of Women, Utah, Central Ohio)
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right 5 noms (Globes, BAFTA, Satellites, Phoenix, Central Ohio)
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit 3 noms (BAFTA, London, Utah)
Tilda Swinton - I Am Love 3 noms (San Diego, ICS, Satellites)
Sally Hawkins - Made In Dagenham 2 noms (BIFA, Satellites)
Naomi Watts - Fair Game 2 noms (St. Louis, Satellites)
Greta Gerwig - Greenberg 1 nom (Spirits)
Ruth Sheen - Another Year 1 nom (BIFA)
Manjinder Virk - The Arbor 1 nom (BIFA)
Andrea Riseborough - Brighton Rock 1 nom (BIFA)
Helen Mirren - The Tempest 1 nom (Satellites)
Catherine Keener - Please Give 1 nom (Satellites)
Mary Louise Parker - Red 1 nom (Satellites)
Marisa Tomei - Cyrus 1 nom (Satellites)
Zrinka Cvitesic - Na Putu 1 nom (Satellites)
Sibel Kekilli - When We Leave 1 nom (Satellites)
Lotte Verbeek - Nothing Personal 1 nom (Satellites)
Angelina Jolie - The Tourist 1 nom (Globes)
Emma Stone - Easy A 1 nom (Globes)
Hilary Swank - Conviction 1 nom (SAG)
Do-yeon Jeon – Secret Sunshine 1 nom (ICS)

Best Actor
Colin Firth - The King's Speech 27 wins (Oscar, SAG, BAFTA, Globes, NY, LA, BFCA, SF, DC, BIFA, Southeastern, Florida, Chicago, Satellites, St. Louis, Women Critics, Alliance of Women, North Texas, Vancouver Austin, Kansas City, Phoenix, Iowa, London, Black Critics, Online), 9 noms (Las Vegas, Utah, Boston, Toronto, San Diego, Central Ohio, ICS, Gay & Lesbian)
James Franco - 127 Hours 8 wins (Spirits, NYFCO, Las Vegas, Dallas, Utah, Black Critics, Indiana, Central Ohio), 21 noms (Oscar, SAG, Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, Toronto, San Diego, Online, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Detroit, St. Louis, DC, Satellites, Gay & Lesbian, Iowa, North Texas, Alliance of Women, Southeastern, Vancouver)
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network 6 wins (NSFC, Houston, Boston, Toronto, Oklahoma, NBR), 21 noms (Oscar, SAG, Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, Chicago, Indiana, London, St. Louis, Detroit, San Diego, Online, ICS, Phoenix, DC, Satellites, Iowa, Alliance of Women, Utah, Vancouver, Central Ohio)
Edgar Ramirez - Carlos 1 win (ICS) 3 noms (LA, London, Online)
Mark Wahlberg - The Fighter - 1 win (African-American) 1 nom (Globes)
Paul Giamatti - Barney's Version 1 win (Globes)
Ewan McGregor - The Ghost Writer 1 win (EFA)
Michael Cera - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 1 win (Satellites)
Colin Farrell - Ondine 1 win (San Diego)
Jeff Bridges - True Grit 17 noms (Oscar, SAG, BFCA, BAFTA, Chicago, London, Online, Las Vegas, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, Phoenix, DC, Alliance of Women, Utah, North Texas, Central Ohio)
Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine 9 noms (Globes, Chicago, ICS, London, BFCA, Detroit, Online, Utah Satellites)
Robert Duvall - Get Low 7 noms (SAG, BFCA, Las Vegas, Houston, Phoenix, DC, Satellites)
Javier Bardem - Biutiful 5 noms (Oscar, BAFTA, St. Louis, Satellites, Alliance of Women)
Leonardo diCaprio - Inception 3 noms (Las Vegas, Satellites, Central Ohio)
Aaron Eckhart - Rabbit Hole 2 noms (San Diego, Spirits)
John C. Reilly - Cyrus 2 noms (Spirits, Satellites)
Jake Gyllenhaal - Love and Other Drugs 2 noms (Globes, Satellites)
Ben Stiller - Greenberg 1 nom (Spirits)
Ronald Bronstein - Daddy Longlegs 1 nom (Spirits)
Johnny Depp - The Tourist 1 nom (Globes)
Johnny Depp - Alice in Wonderland 1 nom (Globes)
Kevin Spacey - Casino Jack 1 nom (Globes)
Jim Broadbent - Another Year 1 nom (BIFA)
Riz Ahmed - Four Lions 1 nom (BIFA)
Scoot McNairy - Monsters 1 nom (BIFA)
Aidan Gillen - Treacle Junior 1 nom (BIFA)
Michael Douglas - Solitary Man 1 nom (Satellites)
Romain Duris - Heartbreaker 1 nom (Satellites)
Steve Carell - Dinner With Smucks 1 nom (Satellites)
Andy Garcia - City Island 1 nom (Satellites)
John Malkovich - Red 1 nom (Satellites)
Tahar Rahim – A Prophet 1 nom (ICS)

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Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo - The Fighter 14 wins (Oscar, SAG, Globes, BFCA, Florida, NY, NYFCO, Phoenix, St. Louis, Dallas, DC, North Texas, Iowa, Black Critics), 15 noms (Toronto, San Diego, Chicago, Las Vegas, Indiana, Boston, Houston, Detroit, Southeastern, Online, Alliance of Women, Utah, Vancouver, Central Ohio)
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit 11 wins (Chicago, Houston, Austin, Toronto, Southeastern, Central Ohio, Indiana, Online, Kansas City, Alliance of Women, Vancouver), 8 noms (Oscar, SAG, BFCA, Las Vegas, Phoenix, St. Louis, DC, Iowa)
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom 5 wins (LA, SF, NBR, Utah, Satellites), 13 noms (Oscar, Globes, BFCA, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston, Detroit, Online, Alliance of Women, DC, ICS, Central Ohio)
Olivia Williams - The Ghost Writer 3 wins (NSFC, London, ICS) 1 nom (LA)
Amy Adams - The Fighter 2 wins (Las Vegas, Detroit) 16 noms (Oscar, SAG, BAFTA, Globes, BFCA, Toronto, Chicago, St. Louis, DC, Satellites, Utah, Alliance of Women, Online, Vancouver, North Texas Central Ohio)
Helena Bonham Carter - The King’s Speech 2 wins (BAFTA, BIFA), 12 noms (Oscar, SAG, Globes, BFCA, North Texas, St. Louis, Chicago, Phoenix, Houston, Iowa, Alliance of Women, Detroit)
Mila Kunis - Black Swan - 1 win (Oklahoma) 6 noms (SAG, Globes, BFCA, Online, Utah, Las Vegas)
Lesley Manville - Another Year 1 win (San Diego) 3 noms (BAFTA, BIFA, Utah)
Dale Dickey - Winter's Bone 1 win (Spirits) 1 nom (San Diego)
Kimberly Elise - For Colored Girls 1 win (African-American)
Juliette Lewis - Conviction 1 win (Boston)
Barbara Hershey - Black Swan - 4 noms (BAFTA, St. Louis, ICS, Central Ohio)
Naomi Watts - Mother and Child 2 noms (Spirits, ICS)
Kristin Scott Thomas, Nowhere Boy 2 noms (Phoenix, Satellites)
Miranda Richardson - Made in Dagenham 1 nom (BAFTA)
Dianne Weist - Rabbit Hole 1 nom (Satellites)
Anne-Marie Duff, Nowhere Boy 1 nom (Satellites)
Vanessa Redgrave - Letters To Juliet 1 nom (Satellites)
Alison Janney - Life During Wartime 1 nom (Spirits)
Daphne Rubin-Vega - Jack Goes Boating 1 nom (Spirits)
Ashley Bell - The Last Exorcism 1 nom (Spirits)
Rosamund Pike - Made In Dagenham 1 nom (BIFA)
Keira Knightley - Never Let Me Go 1 nom (BIFA)
Tamsin Greig - Tamara Drewe 1 nom (BIFA)
Greta Gerwig - Greenberg 1 nom (Detroit)
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right 1 nom (Houston)
Blake Lively - The Town 1 nom (San Diego)
Chloe Moretz - Kick Ass 1 nom (Phoenix)
Elle Fanning - Somwhere 1 nom (ICS)

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Fighter 28 wins (Oscar, SAG, Globes, BFCA, NYFCO, Boston, NBR, DC, Detroit, Las Vegas, Dallas, Indiana, Chicago, Satellites, Florida, Utah, Online, Kansas City, Phoenix, St. Louis, Austin, Oklahoma, Houston, Iowa, Black Critics, Alliance of Women, Vancouver, North Texas), 7 noms (BAFTA, Toronto, San Diego, Southeastern, ICS, Central Ohio)
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech 4 wins (BAFTA, NSFC, BIFAs, Central Ohio), 20 noms (Oscar, SAG, Globes, BFCA, LA, Toronto, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, Chicago, Online, Alliance of Women, Utah, Las Vegas, Detroit, DC, North Texas, Satellites, St. Louis, Vancouver)
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone 3 wins (Spirits, SF, San Diego) 13 noms (Oscar, SAG, Detroit, DC, Chicago, St. Louis, Indiana, Online, Utah, Alliance of Women, Vancouver, ICS, Central Ohio)
Niels Arestrup - A Prophet 2 wins (LA, ICS)
Andrew Garfield - The Social Network 1 win (London); 15 noms (Globes, BFCA, BAFTA, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Houston, Online, Detroit, DC, Utah, Iowa, Phoenix, Satellites, Central Ohio)
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right 1 win (NY) 10 noms (Oscar, SAG, BAFTA, BFCA, Chicago, Las Vegas, Detroit, Phoenix, Spirits, Central Ohio)
Armie Hammer - The Social Network 1 win (Toronto)
Michael Ealy - For Coloured Girls 1 win (African-American)
Jeremy Renner - The Town 8 noms (Oscar, SAG, Globes, North Texas, St. Louis, BFCA, Houston)
Sam Rockwell - Conviction 6 noms (St. Louis, Utah, Iowa, BFCA, Detroit, DC)
Bill Murray - Get Low 3 noms (Houston, San Diego, Satellites, Spirits)
Matt Damon - True Grit 2 noms (Phoenix, Alliance of Women)
Pete Postlethwaite - The Town 1 nom (BAFTA)
Michael Douglas - Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps 1 nom (Globes)
Justin Timberlake - The Social Network - 1 nom (Las Vegas)
Sean Penn - Fair Game 1 nom (Satellites)
Tommy Lee Jones - The Company Men 1 nom (Satellites)
Pierce Brosnan - The Ghost Writer 1 nom (Satellites)
Jeremy Renner - The Town 1 nom (Satellites)
Samuel L. Jackson - Mother and Child 1 nom (Spirits)
John Ortiz - Jack Goes Boating 1 nom (Spirits)
Andrew Garfield - Never Let Me Gor 1 nom (BIFA)
Bob Hoskins - Made In Dagenham 1 nom (BIFA)
Guy Pearce - The King’s Speech 1 nom (BIFA)
Kayvan Novak - Four Lions 1 nom (BIFA)
John Hurt - 44 Inch Chest 1 nom (San Diego)
Michael Fassbender – Fish Tank 1 nom (ICS)
Filippo Timi – Vincere 1 nom (ICS)

Best Screenplay
Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network 37 wins (Oscar, WGA, USC Scripter, BAFTA, Globes, LA, BFCA, NSFC, NYFCO, Toronto, SF, San Diego, Las Vegas, Dallas, Boston, NBR, DC, Indiana, Southeastern, Chicago, ICS, Online, Kansas City, London, Central Ohio, Utah, Phoenix, Houston, Satellites, Florida, St. Louis, Austin, Oklahoma, Vancouver, Alliance of Women, Black Critics)
Christopher Nolan - Inception 10 wins (WGA, DC, Online, Kansas City, Phoenix, Florida, Oklahoma, Central Ohio, Chicago, Black Critics), 15 noms (Oscar, BAFTA, Globes, BFCA, San Diego, Las Vegas, Houston, Satellites, Utah, Indiana, St. Louis, Southeastern, Alliance of Women, Vancouver)
David Seidler 8 wins (Oscar, BAFTA, BFCA, IFA, SF, Southeastern, Satellites), 11 noms (Globes, LA, Toronto, Chicago, London, San Diego, DC, Online, Alliance of Women, Central Ohio)
Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko - The Kids Are All Right 4 wins (Spirits, NY, Women Critics, Alliance of Women) 13 noms (Oscar, WGA, BAFTA, Globes, Phoenix, BFCA, Houston, Chicago, London, Satellites, Online, DC, Central Ohio)
Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin - Black Swan 1 win (Austin) 11 noms (WGA, BAFTA, BFCA, Chicago, Las Vegas, Phoenix, DC, Online, Alliance of Women, St. Louis, Central Ohio)
Mike Leigh - Another Year 1 win (ISC) 4 noms (Oscar, BFCA, Alliance of Women, DC)
Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Morris - Four Lions 1 win (San Diego) 4 noms (Chicago, London ,BIFA, Central Ohio)
Robert Harris & Roman Polanski - The Ghost Writer 1 win (EFA), 2 noms (USC Scripter, Satellites)
Chris Sparling - Buried 1 win (NBR)
Tanya Hamilton - Night Catches Us 1 win (African-American)
Joel and Ethan Coen - True Grit 17 noms (Oscar, WGA, BAFTA, USC Scripter, BFCA, Pheonix, Chicago, Las Vegas, London, Toronto, St. Louis, DC, Online, Alliance of Women, Utah, Vancouver, Central Ohio)
Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini - Winter's Bone 15 noms (Oscar, BFCA, USC Scripter, Chicago, San Diego, Houston, Satellites, St. Louis, Spirits, DC, Online, Alliance of Women, Utah, Southeastern, Central Ohio)
Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy - 127 Hours 12 noms (Oscar, WGA, BAFTA, USC Scripter, Globes, BFCA, St. Louis, Satellites, DC, Online, Alliance of Women, Central Ohio)
Michael Arndt - Toy Story 3 8 noms (Oscar, BFCA, San Diego, Chicago, Houston, Satellites, DC, Central Ohio)
Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson - The Fighter 7 noms (Oscar, WGA, BAFTA, BFCA, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Central Ohio)
Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 5 noms (St. Louis, San Diego, Satellites, Online, Utah)
David Lindsay-Abaire - Rabbit Hole 3 noms (Chicago, Spirits, Alliance of Women)
Nicole Holofcener - Please Give 3 noms (WGA, Boston, Spirits)
Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Sheldon Turner - The Town 2 noms (BFCA, San Diego)
Alejandro González Iñárritu - Biutiful 2 noms (St. Louis, Satellites)
Alex Garland - Never Let Me Go 2 noms (BIFA, Phoenix)
Noah Baumbach - Greenberg - 2 noms (Central Ohio, Online)
John Requa & Glenn Ficarra - I Love You, Phillip Morris 1 nom (WGA)
Todd Solondz - Life During Wartime 1 nom (Spirits)
Jorge Guerricaechevarria & Daniel Monzon - Cell 211 1 nom (EFA)
Samuel Maoz - Lebanon 1 nom (EFA)
Radu Mihaileanu - The Concert 1 nom (EFA)
Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn - Kick-Ass 1 nom (BIFA)
William Ivory - Made In Dagenham 1 nom (BIFA)
Neil Jordan - Ondine 1 nom (San Diego)
Leata Kalogridis - Shutter Island 1 nom (San Diego)

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Best Documentary Feature
Exit Through the Gift Shop 15 wins (Spirits, NYFCO, Cinema Eye, Chicago, Toronto, Online, Kansas City, ICS, DC, Austin, Oklahoma, Indiana, San Diego, Central Ohio, Vancouver), 8 noms (Oscar, BFCA, LA, BIFA, IDA, Utah, Southeastern, Gay & Lesbian)
Inside Job 8 wins (Oscar, PGA, DGA, WGA, NY, NSFC, Southeastern, Alliance of Women), 15 noms (BFCA, Chicago, Online, Las Vegas, Boston, Toronto, San Diego, Satellites, Phoenix, Gay & Lesbian, Gothams, DC, North Texas, Central Ohio, Vancouver)
Waiting For "Superman" 6 wins (BFCA, NBR, North Texas, Las Vegas, Dallas, Black Critics), 14 noms (Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Satellites, DC, St. Louis, PGA, Online, Alliance of Women, Utah, Central Ohio, Gay & Lesbian, Vancouver)
The Tillman Story 3 wins (SF, St. Louis, Florida) 12 noms (BFCA, San Diego, Chicago, Las Vegas, Houston, Satellites, Phoenix, Indiana, PGA, DC, Utah, Alliance of Women)
Restrepo 3 wins (Houston, Phoenix, Satellites) 11 noms (Oscar, DGA, BFCA, Chicago, Online, St. Louis, North Texas, Gay & Lesbian, Spirits, DC, Alliance of Women)
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work 1 win (Gay & Lesbian) 7 noms (BFCA, Satellites, Utah, Online, Alliance of Women, North Texas, Central Ohio)
Marwencol 1 win (Boston), 4 noms (Houston, Toronto, Cinema Eye, Spirits)
The Oath 1 win (Gothams), 2 noms (IDA, Cinema Eye)
Catfish 1 win (Utah) 3 noms (Central Ohio, Gay & Lesbian, Online)
Last Train Home 1 win (LA) 2 noms (DGA, Cinema Eye)
Wasteland 1 win (IDA), 2 noms (Oscar, BIFA)
Enemies of the People 1 win (BIFA)
Nostalgia For The Light 1 win (EFA)
Client 9 4 noms (Satellites, DGA, PGA, Gay & Lesbian)
Sweetgrass 3 noms (IDA, Gothams, Spirits)
Waking Sleeping Beauty 2 noms (Gay & Lesbian, St. Louis)
Armadillo 2 noms (EFA, Cinema Eye)
A Film Unfinished 2 noms (San Diego, St. Louis)
Steam of Life 2 noms (EFA, IDA)
Gasland 1 nom (Oscar)
Thunder Soul 1 nom (Spirits)
Earth Made of Glass 1 nom (PGA)
Smash His Camera 1 nom (PGA)
The Arbor 1 nom (BIFA)
Fire in Babylon 1 nom (BIFA)
12th & Delaware 1 nom (Gothams)
Public Speaking 1 nom (Gothams)
Countdown To Zero 1 nom (Satellites)
Behind the Burly Q 1 nom (Gothams)
Sequestro 1 nom (Gothams)
Babies 1 nom (Las Vegas)

Best Foreign Language Film
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 8 wins (BAFTA, BFCA, Houston, Satellites, Las Vegas, Alliance of Women, North Texas, Black Critics) 7 noms (Chicago, St Louis, St. Louis, Utah, Online, DC, Central Ohio)
Mother 6 wins (SF, Online, Kansas City, Central Ohio, Southeastern, Boston) 10 noms (LA, ICS, Toronto, Chicago, San Diego, Houston, Alliance of Women, Satellites, DC, Vancouver)
A Prophet 6 wins (Chicago, Utah, ICS, Austin, Oklahoma, BIFA), 6 noms (Online, Alliance of Women, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Central Ohio, Vancouver)
Carlos 4 wins (NY, LA, NSFC, Vancouver), 3 noms (ICS, Online, Houston)
I Am Love 3 wins (NYFCO, Florida, San Diego), 14 noms (Globes, BAFTA, ICS, Chicago, London, Las Vegas, Phoenix, BFCA, Satellites, BIFA, Alliance of Women, North Texas, DC)
Biutiful 3 wins (DC, Phoenix, Dallas), 14 noms (Oscar, Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, Chicago, Utah, Las Vegas, San Diego, Southeastern, Houston, Satellites, St. Louis, Indiana, Alliance of Women)
Of Gods and Men 2 wins (London, NBR), 3 noms (Toronto, BAFTA, Spirits)
Micmacs 2 wins (Utah, St. Louis) 1 nom (Central Ohio)
In a Better World 2 wins (Oscar, Globes)
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives 1 win (Toronto) 2 noms (London, Spirits)
Lebanon 1 win (Indiana)
The Secret in Their Eyes 6 noms (Central Ohio, London, BAFTA, Vancouver, Phoenix, Houston)
Dogtooth 5 noms (Oscar, London, Online, ICS, BIFA)
White Material 3 noms (Satellites, ICS, DC)
Outside The Law 2 noms (Oscar, Satellites)
Incendies 1 nom (Oscar)
The Edge 1 nom (Globes)
The Concert 1 nom (Globes)
Mademoiselle Chambon 1 nom (Spirits)
Soul Kitchen 1 nom (Satellites)
Northface 1 nom (St. Louis)
No One Knows About The Persian Cats 1 nom (San Diego)
Terribly Happy 1 nom (Utah)
Applause 1 nom (Alliance of Women)
The White Ribbon 1 nom (Central Ohio)
Wild Grass 1 nom (ICS)
Everyone Else 1 nom (ICS)
Vincere 1 nom (ICS)
Secret Sunshine 1 nom (ICS)

Best Animated Film
Toy Story 3 28 wins (Oscar, PGA, BAFTA, Globes, LA, BFCA, SF, NYFCO, Boston, Chicago, Satellites, Central Ohio, Houston, NBR, DC, North Texas, San Diego, Las Vegas, Dallas, St. Louis, Oklahoma, Austin, Southeastern, Online, Utah, Kansas City, Phoenix, Black Critics, Iowa), 3 noms (Annies, Indiana, Toronto)
How to Train Your Dragon 3 wins (Annies, Toronto, Indiana) 18 noms (Oscar, PGA, Globes, BAFTA, BFCA, San Diego, Houston, Satellites, Phoenix, DC, Chicago, Las Vegas, Online, Utah, North Texas, St. Louis, Southeastern, Central Ohio)
The Illusionist 3 wins (NY, EFA, ICS), 12 noms (Oscar, Globes, BFCA, Chicago, Utah, Online, Las Vegas, San Diego, LA, Boston, Satellites, Annies)
Despicable Me 16 noms (PGA, BAFTA, Globes, BFCA, Chicago, Las Vegas Houston, Toronto, San Diego, Satellites, DC, Annies, Online, St. Louis, North Texas, Central Ohio)
Tangled 13 noms (Globes, BFCA, Chicago, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Online, Utah, San Diego, Houston, Annies, DC, St. Louis, Central Ohio)
Megamind 3 noms (Houston, Utah, DC)
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole 2 noms (Satellites, St. Louis)
Planet 51 1 nom (EFA)
Sammy’s Adventures: The Secret Passage 1 nom (EFA)

Where the Little Guys Lie: Way Ahead of the Oscars, a Gotham Movie Triumphs

Eric Kohn — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:49:07 GMT

When the Gotham Awards celebrated twenty years of honoring independent film on Monday night, a number of presenters referenced the past with a heavy dose of nostalgia. There was also a lot of sarcasm. "Everyone thinks that once you've won, you work for free," said John Turturro, opening the evening by recalling his Gotham acting award in 1991. Turturro, currently onscreen in "The Nutcracker 3-D," obviously didn't continue working for free. Nor will the team behind "Winter's Bone," which won Best Feature at the Gothams this year and now has a distant shot at landing a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. (Having grossed well over $6 million in limited release, the backwoods drama is among the significant box office success stories of 2010.)

But there's another aspect to the Gothams that practically exists as a separate awards show altogether. The crop of five features nominated for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You generally stay true to the category's title. Chosen from the recent lineup of festival offerings without distribution, they don't fit the paradigm of the awards season rush. For these contenders, the Gothams serve as both the first and last brush with luxury at a time when the red carpet staples are just warming up.

They won't make it to the Golden Globes, but they do get seats at the ritzy Cipriani's on Wall Street, where the Gothams took place on Monday for the third year in a row. At a gathering that found everyone from Harvey Weinstein to Natalie Portman and Bill Murray wandering through the room, the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You nominees created a provocative contrast to the big-timers of the business. Robert Greene's observant coming-of-age portrait "Kati with an I" documents his half-sister's graduation in small-town America with poetic concentration. Laurel Nakadate's "The Wolf Knife," a mesmerizing character study about two nubile sixteen-year-old girls in Tennessee, gradually develops into a harsh sexual thriller with an explosive, devastating finale.

Only "Littlerock," Mike Ott's quietly engaging, bittersweet tale of two Japanese youth stuck in a dead-end California town, has some semblance of mainstream appeal, but not the built-in resources to find it. Coping with insurmountable language barriers, a pair of siblings (Rintaro Sawamoto and co-screenwriter Atsuko Okatsuka) party with the aimless locals and run into a series of engaging situations with mixed results. Romance happens. Hearts get broken. With a light, endearing touch, Ott navigates between the perspectives of the Japanese characters and their new American friends with an attentiveness to the universality of youth alienation. Here's a challenge for you: Try putting that on a billboard. "Littlerock" has made a small dent on the festival circuit, but that wasn't enough to get it into theaters.

Randomly enough, I found myself seated next to Ott and Okatsuka at the Gothams on Monday, just a few hours after watching the movie myself. Fortunately, I liked it a lot, and told them so, but that didn't seem to effect Ott's subdued demeanor. I couldn't tell if he was just nervous or dazzled by the spectacle that the Gothams puts together. Maybe it was both. Ott admitted that this was his first real trip to New York, having arrived a few days earlier for a special screening of the movie at the Museum of Modern Art. You couldn't ask for a better welcoming party than Cipriani's, but the cameras lingered elsewhere. As we made small talk before the ceremony began, Okatsuka casually joked about our table's placement on the far side of the room, away from "the important people."

A scene from Mike Ott's "Littlerock."

The shadow presence of "Littlerock" and the other nominees at the Gothams made me think about how the awards season isn't simply a costly affair -- it emphasizes costly movies. With the exception of "The Kids Are Alright," none of the current Oscar contenders up for serious consideration in the top categories cost under $10 million. Pitted against such monetary forces, the Not Playing at a Theater Near You category looks like the Make-A-Wish foundation for independent film: It offers fleeting recognition before the inevitable arrival at a morbid final destination. The Oscar blitz puts so much emphasis on potential winners that it becomes easy to forget everyone left behind.

This year, however, things happened slightly differently. Midway through the ceremony, Rosie Perez took the stage alongside a representative from the Royal Bank of Canada (one of more random pairings of the night). They introduced a series of clips from the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You category. Ott and Okatsuka politely clapped as scenes from the other movies played, and nodded silently at the brief applause following a scene from their own work. Then Perez opened the envelope and read a single word.

"Littlerock."

Okatsuka's jaw dropped. An exclamatory "Whaaaaaat?" seeped out of her mouth. Ott froze and stared at the table, then slowly stood as the lights and the cameras -- and every face in the room -- turned in his direction. He squinted through the brightness and looked at Okatsuka. "Come with me," he said, and together they bounded toward the stage. When they arrived, Perez revealed the final kicker of their victory: "Littlerock" will receive a week of theatrical distribution, $15,000 and free publicity, among other treats. "This is totally terrifying," Ott said to the crowd. After the evening's barrage of celebrity faces that looked at ease under the spotlight, his discomfort held a unique charm. The duo sauntered offstage and eventually resumed their dinner. The awards campaign for "Littlerock" came to an end, but not before it found an audience. Presumably, more await.

'Winter's Bone' Begins Awards Season Run Winning Best Picture At The Gotham Awards

Kevin Jagernauth — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:55:18 GMT

Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone" is off to a strong awards season start, picking up two awards at last night Gotham Awards in New York City hosted by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson.

The film walked away with two awards, taking home Best Feature (beating out a strong list of contenders including "Black Swan," "Blue Valentine," "The Kids Are All Right" and "Let Me In") and Best Ensemble Performance (the film features great supporting work by John Hawkes and Garret Dillahunt among others). However, the biggest surprise of the night was that the hotly buzzed Jennifer Lawrence lost out on the Breakthrough Actor award to Ronald Bronstein who won for "Daddy Longlegs." Other winners of note include Kevin Asch who now has a Breakthrough Director trophy his mantle for his work on "Holly Rollers," while the school system doc "Waiting For 'Superman'" won the Festival Genius Audience Award.

We couldn't be more pleased for "Winter's Bone" win and we hope this momentum helps carry it through the rest of the awards season. It's a stunner of a drama anchored by a steely turn by Jennifer Lawrence and if you haven't seen get yourself to a video store or Netflix immediately. Full list of winners after the jump.

Best Feature
Winter’s Bone

Best Documentary
The Oath, directed by Laura Poitras

Best Ensemble Performance
Winter’s Bone

Breakthrough Director
Kevin Asch, Holy Rollers

Breakthrough Actor
Ronald Bronstein, Daddy Longlegs

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
Littlerock, directed by Mike Ott

Festival Genius Audience Award
Waiting For ‘Superman’, directed by Davis Guggenheim

"Winter's Bone" Leads 2010 Gotham Award Winners

Peter Knegt — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:55:16 GMT

Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone" led the 20th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, which were announced tonight at Cipriani Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. Though the film's star Jennifer Lawrence was snubbed in the breakthrough performance category (one of the night's biggest surprises), the film ended up winning both Best Feature and Best Ensemble performance.

In addition to the competition, this year's starry Gotham Awards, hosted by Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, offered tributes to Darren Aronofsky, Robert Duvall, James Schamus, and Hilary Swank, and welcomed Natalie Portman, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Julianna Marguiles, Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Bill Murray and Winona Ryder among its many presenters.

indieWIRE was on the scene, and has published all the winners below, as well as offering a play-by-play from the event here.

Best Feature
"Winter's Bone", directed Debra Granik, produced by Alix Madigan-Yorkin

Best Documentary
"The Oath", directed and produced by Laura Poitras

Best Ensemble Performance
"Winter's Bone", Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Lauren Sweetser, Garret Dillahunt, Kevin Breznahan

Breakthrough Director
Kevin Asch, "Holy Rollers"

"Littlerock" director Mike Ott with the film's star and co-writer Atsuko Okatsuka. Photo by Peter Knegt.

Breakthrough Actor
Ronald Bronstein, "Daddy Longlegs"

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
"Littlerock", directed by Mike Ott, produced by Frederick Thornton, Laura Ragsdale, Sierra Leoni

Festival Genius Audience Award
"Waiting For 'Superman'", directed by Davis Guggenheim, produced by Lesley Chilcott

Get the latest from awards season anytime in indieWIRE's special Awards Watch section.

Can They Do The Oscars Too, Please? Stanley Tucci & Patricia Clarkson To Host Gotham Awards

Kevin Jagernauth — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:23:01 GMT

While "Easy A" was a show for the film's star Emma Stone, we would be remiss in talking about the film if we didn't mention that Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are equally hilarious and charming as her parents in the film. So we can't really be too surprised then that the duo have been tapped to host 20th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards on November 29.

We wish the Oscar producers could get this clever with their selections but considering they recently offered Hugh Jackman the hosting role (which he turned down) it looks like they are going for another high profile bore to helm the show. Hell, even the Golden Globes recognize that Ricky Gervais slayed last year and were smart enough to hire him on again. Conan O'Brien seems to be a natural choice for the Academy particularly if they want to get buzz and ratings and we'd kill for the Masturbating Bear to present Best Picture. But considering how terribly David Letterman went over we would guess it will be a while before they can be convinced a late night host should get the gig.

Anyway, we're digressing a bit. The awards will be handed out on November 29th and a number of celebs will be on hand to hand out statues including Julianne Moore, Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Barbara Kopple, Anthony Mackie, Leighton Meester, Rosie Perez, Sam Rockwell, John Turturro and Michelle Williams.

Tucci and Clarkson To Host Celeb-Heavy Gotham Awards

Peter Knegt — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:41:07 GMT

The Independent Filmmaker Project announced today that actors Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson will serve as hosts of the 20th Anniversary Gotham Independent Film Awards on November 29th in New York City.

“We were delighted to hear that Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman passed on hosting the Gotham Awards this year,” said Patricia and Stanley in a statement. “It encouraged the two of us to launch a massive Twitter and Facebook campaign to get the hosting gig. As two actors who love and respect each other’s work, and happen to be incredibly good friends too, what could be more fun than hosting the Gotham Awards on their 20th Anniversary. We took the job with the understanding that every time either of us says the word “independent,” everyone at home watching or attending the awards themselves must take a shot. Here’s to a fun evening for all.”

The Academy Award nominated pair, recently on screen together as Emma Stone's parents in teen comedy hit "Easy A," also worked together in Tucci's directorial effort "Blind Date."

“We are thrilled that last year’s actor tributee, Stanley and indie stalwart, Patti Clarkson will be co-hosting the 20th Anniversary Gotham Awards,” said Joana Vicente, executive director of IFP, in a statement.

IFP also announced the first batch of confirmed presenters at the awards including: Julianne Moore, Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Barbara Kopple, Anthony Mackie, Leighton Meester, Rosie Perez, Sam Rockwell, John Turturro and Michelle Williams

IFP’s 20th Anniversary Gotham Independent Film Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 29 at Cipriani Wall Street. Check out a complete list of nominations here.

Updated: "Bone" & "Superman" Join Inaugural Gotham & Festival Genius Audience Noms

Nigel M Smith — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 06:19:49 GMT

Debra Granik's indie sensation "Winter's Bone," which led the nominations for the 20th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, picked up an additional nomination this evening in Midtown Manhattan, joining a group of five films to pick up nods for the Gotham's first ever Festival Genius Audience Award. Actor Oliver Platt unveiled the five nominees at an event at the Dunhill store on Madison Avenue in New York.

Rounding out the competition - made up of audience award winners from the top 50 North American film festivals - are a batch of fest favorites: Davis Guggenheim's "Waiting for 'Superman'" (Sundance Audience Award), John Gray's "White Irish Drinkers" (Woodstock Film Festival Audience Award for Narrative Feature) Will Canon's "Brotherhood" (SXSW Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature) and Doug Dearth's documentary "9000 Needles" (Phoenix Film Festival Cox Audience Award).

All five nominees were selected by voters from a pool of 26 eligible films, with over 12,000 votes cast on the Gotham Awards website.

IFP head Joana Vicente with director Whit Stillman Tuesday night. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

"We are thrilled to share IFP’s first Festival Genius Audience Award in partnership with Slated at our 20th Anniversary Gotham Awards," said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of the IFP in a press release. "The purpose of the award is to promote films on the festival circuit through audience participation. This year we launch a true audience award, where the independent film community gets a chance vote for their favorite films."

Voting to select a final winner is open to the public from November 10 - 29. To cast a ballot, visit the Award's site.

For Your Consideration: Assessing Those Gotham Award Nominations

Peter Knegt — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 10:03:00 GMT

Earlier this week, awards season really kicked off with the year's first actual awards announcement: The Gotham Independent Film Awards. Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone" led the pack with three nominations, including best feature, best ensemble performance (for Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Lauren Sweetser, Garret Dillahunt, and Kevin Breznahan), and best breakthrough performance (Lawrence).

Those are the same three nominations Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" grabbed last year in the film's very first stop on the way to dominating the Academy Awards. At the time, few were brave enough to predict that outcome, just like essentially no one would do the same regarding "Bone" at this point in time. Which is not at all to suggest that "Winter's Bone" is going to surprise anyone in that regard. The most it can truly hope for is a few major nominations - notably best picture, best actress (Lawrence), and best adapted screenplay (Granik and Anne Rosellini). And if there's one thing the Gothams just did to the bigger picture, it's throwing a bone to "Bone"'s momentum in making that happen.

Beyond that, there's probably very little the Gothams have suggested about the overall awards race. Handed out by Independent Feature Project (IFP) for the past twenty years, they have always offered an interesting and generally deserving batch of nominations. But they are also quite inconsistent both category to category and year to year, which to some degree makes them a bit difficult to prove a stable predictor of anything beyond them.

Last year, for example, they nominated tiny, deserving films like "Amreeka," "Big Fan" and "The Maid" alongside Oscar players "A Serious Man" and "The Hurt Locker" (and over "Precious" and "A Single Man"). This year, "Bone" was by far the smallest film of the bunch (both in terms of production budget and mainstream accessibility) as it was joined by Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” Derek Cianfrance’s “Blue Valentine,” Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are All Right,” and, most surprisingly, Matt Reeves’ “Let Me In.” Though they are certainly all independent films, most of them had budgets, star and distributor power that far exceeds the likes of "Winter's Bone," and most definitely the likes of "Big Fan" or "The Maid."

This isn't a new phenomenon. Their rather vague submission criteria (budgets have to made "within a limited means") has allowed everything from $40 million budgeted "The Departed" to multiple micro budgeted features to make it into the race.

Another result of the Gothams' strange rules was Derek Cianfrance not making the breakthrough director category because it was Cianfrance's second film. One would think it was more of a definitive breakthrough then actual nominees like "The Company Men"'s John Wells and "I Love You Phillip Morris"'s Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (who while its their debuts, have been prominent names in the industry).

While "Valentine" should remain happy with its nomination in the feature film category, some films were surprisingly left out altogether. John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole," Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere," Aaron Schneider's "Get Low," and Jay and Mark Duplass's "Cyrus" were all shut out. "Hole" seemed like a strong contender for best feature; "Low" seemed likely for breakthrough director; and all three of them seemed like reasonable contenders for ensemble. Perhaps December releases "Somewhere" and "Hole" didn't end up submitting in time, but "Get Low" and "Cyrus" surely did (and for any decrying "Animal Kingdom"'s snubs, it was not eligible as a non-U.S. production).

Director Lisa Cholodenko (middle) on the set of "The Kids Are All Right" with stars Annette Benning and Julianne Moore. Image courtesy of Focus Features

"Rabbit Hole"'s Miles Teller also would have made a fine addition to the breakthrough performance category, which ended up nomination sure-fire winner Jennifer Lawrence alongside Prince Adu ("Prince of Broadway"), Ronald Bronstein ("Daddy Longlegs"), Greta Gerwig ("Greenberg") and John Ortiz ("Jack Goes Boating"). All fine choices, though "The Kids Are All Right"'s Josh Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska were definitely more obvious ones. They both had done work previously, but certainly no more than Gerwig, who has been well known in indie circles for some time. Unlike "breakthrough director," the rules here are simply that the film "brought them to prominence."

Other notable snubs came in the best documentary category, where the likes of "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work," "Marwencol," "Restrepo," "The Tillman Story," and "Waiting For 'Superman'" were among the many deserving docs left out (if they did all submit) for an equally deserving batch that included "12th & Delaware," "Inside Job," "The Oath," "Public Speaking," and "Sweetgrass." The latter two of which probably caught folks the most off guard, though the Gothams have always been very unpredictable in this category. Last year saw relatively unknown docs like Anne Aghion's "My Neighbor My Killer" and Michael Almereyda's "Paradise" in over "The Cove," "The September Issue," "We Live In Public," and "Anvil! The Story of Anvil."

But instead of continuing on decrying what didn't make this year's Gothams, it's appropriate to celebrate what did. It's overall an excellent group of work, and in many ways will draw attention to films that definitely need it. And that's not referencing the "Black Swan"'s and the "Blue Valentine"'s. It's doubtful much in the way of box office will come their way as a result of their nomination here. But it will should aid all five nominated docs in getting a few more looks, and will definitely help the nominees for Best Film Not Playing In a Theater Near You (bizarrely sponsored by The Royal Bank of Canada): Robert Greene's "Kati with an i," Mike Ott's "Littlerock," Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood's "On Coal River," Lynn True and Nelson Walker's "Summer Pasture," and Laurel Nakadate's "The Wolf Knife."

The awards also once again has brought some notable attention to female filmmakers. Last year, female directors Kathryn Bigelow and Ry Russo-Young both ended up winning awards, and this year there's 10 possibilities for that to happen again. The doc category also has two female-directed nominees, and two of the "breakthrough directors" are women. More over, Lisa Cholodenko's "The Kids Are All Right” and Lena Dunham’s “Tiny Furniture” were the only films besides "Winter's Bone" to garner multiple nominations, making the three most nominated films all directed by women. And it would be quite surprising if a few of them didn't go home with awards come November 29th. While "Kids" and "Bone" could very well also go onto Oscar noms (and are assured to dominate the Spirit Awards), that's not really what the Gothams are all about. It's probably mildly helpful for both films to get some attention here, but in the end they could have survived what would have been a bizarre snub and made it to Oscar night anyway ("Precious" certainly did). So while the Gothams may not be much of an "Oscar precursor," that's an excellent thing for a lot of deserving films and filmmakers that probably wouldn't get near an Oscar anyway.

For Your Consideration is a weekly column by indieWIRE's Associate Editor and awards guru, Peter Knegt. Follow him on Twitter and check out his weekly Oscar prediction chart

Previous editions of this column:
For Your Consideration: 10 Underdog Actors
For Your Consideration: 10 Underdog Actresses
For Your Consideration: Save For "Love" Snub, Foreign Language Submissions Uncontroversial
For Your Consideration: Post-Toronto Oscar Predictions
For Your Consideration: Updating Oscar Contenders In The Eye of The Storm
For Your Consideration: 10 Things The Fall Fests Should Say About Awards Season
For Your Consideration: Assessing Oscar In The Calm Before The Storm
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"Winter's Bone" Leads 2010 Gotham Award Nominations

Peter Knegt — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:55:19 GMT

Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone" led the nominations for the 20th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, which were announced this afternoon. "Bone" took three nominations, including best feature, best ensemble performance (for Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Lauren Sweetser, Garret Dillahunt, and Kevin Breznahan), and best breakthrough performance (Lawrence). In the best feature category, the film was joined by Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan," Derek Cianfrance's "Blue Valentine," Lisa Cholodenko's "The Kids Are All Right," and, perhaps most surprisingly, Matt Reeves' "Let Me In."

"Bone" was joined by "The Kids Are All Right" and Lena Dunham's "Tiny Furniture" as the awards' only multiple nominees, each taking two. That made it so all three multiple nominated films were directed by women. Female-directed films also made up 2 of the 5 documentary nominees ("The Oath," "12th and Delaware"), and figured very prominently in the ensemble performance category with the likes of "Kids" and female-heavy casts like "Please Give" and "Life During Wartime."

Last year, another woman - Kathryn Bigelow - saw her eventual big Oscar winner "The Hurt Locker" be the Gothams' big winner, taking awards for best feature and best ensemble performance. Oddly enough, "Winter's Bone" is nominated in the exact same three categories as "Locker" was a year ago.

The awards - organized by IFP - already announced the recipients of their honorary awards, including filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, actors Hilary Swank and Robert Duvall, and Focus Features CEO James Schamus. The winners will be announced Monday, November 29th at Cipriani Wall Street, and are considered the first major ceremony of the awards season.

The nominees for the 20th Anniversary Gotham Independent Film Awards are:

Best Feature
Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky, director; Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Blue Valentine
Derek Cianfrance, director; Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky, producers (The Weinstein Company)

The Kids Are All Right
Lisa Cholodenko, director; Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Jordan Horowitz, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Philippe Hellmann, producers (Focus Features)

Let Me In
Matt Reeves, director; Simon Oakes, Alex Brunner, Guy East, Tobin Armbrust, Donna Gigliotti, John Nording, Carl Molinder, producers (Overture Films)

Winter’s Bone
Debra Granik, director; Anne Rosellini, Alix Madigan-Yorkin, producers (Roadside Attractions)

Best Documentary
12th & Delaware
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors/producers (HBO Documentary Films)

Inside Job
Charles Ferguson, director; Charles Ferguson, Audrey Marrs, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Oath
Laura Poitras, director/producer (Zeitgeist Films and American Documentary/POV)

Public Speaking
Martin Scorsese, director; Martin Scorsese, Graydon Carter, Margaret Bodde, Fran Lebowitz, producers (HBO Documentary Films)

Sweetgrass
Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash, directors; Ilisa Barbash, producer (Cinema Guild)

Best Ensemble Performance
The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson (Focus Features)

Life During Wartime
Shirley Henderson, Ciarán Hinds, Allison Janney, Michael Lerner, Chris Marquette, Rich Pecci, Charlotte Rampling, Paul Reubens, Ally Sheedy, Dylan Riley Snyder, Renée Taylor, Michael Kenneth Williams (IFC Films)

Please Give
Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Ann Guilbert, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele, Thomas Ian Nicholas (Sony Pictures Classics)

Tiny Furniture
Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons, Grace Dunham, Rachel Howe, Merritt Wever, Amy Seimetz, Alex Karpovsky, David Call, Jemima Kirke, Sarah Sophie Flicker, Garland Hunter, Isen Hunter (IFC Films)

Winter’s Bone
Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Lauren Sweetser, Garret Dillahunt, Kevin Breznahan (Roadside Attractions)

Breakthrough Director
John Wells for The Company Men (The Weinstein Company)

Kevin Asch for Holy Rollers (First Independent Pictures)

Glenn Ficarra and John Requa for I Love You Phillip Morris (Roadside Attractions)

Tanya Hamilton for Night Catches Us (Magnolia Pictures)

Lena Dunham for Tiny Furniture (IFC Films)

Breakthrough Actor
Prince Adu in Prince of Broadway (Elephant Eye Films)

Ronald Bronstein in Daddy Longlegs (IFC Films)

Greta Gerwig in Greenberg (Focus Features)

Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone (Roadside Attractions)

John Ortiz in Jack Goes Boating (Overture Films)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
Kati with an i
Robert Greene, director; Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, producers

Littlerock
Mike Ott, director; Frederick Thornton, Laura Ragsdale, Sierra Leoni, producers

On Coal River
Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood, directors; Jillian Elizabeth, Adams Wood, Francine Cavanaugh, producers

Summer Pasture
Lynn True and Nelson Walker, directors/producers; Tsering Perlo, co-director/co-producer

The Wolf Knife
Laurel Nakadate, director/producer

Get the latest from awards season anytime in indieWIRE's special Awards Watch section.

Gotham Honors for Duvall, Swank, Aronofsky, Schamus

Eugene Hernandez — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:49:54 GMT

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, actors Hilary Swank and Robert Duvall, as well as Focus Features CEO James Schamus, will all be honored at this year's Gotham Independent Film Awards.

James Schamus won the group's producing award in 1996, while Aronofsky was honored as Breakthrough Director in 1998.

"We are moved and honored to give tribute to four cinematic film luminaries, all of whom have had their roots in independent film, and have steadfastly focused on the art of film, irrespective of the size of the budget of their work" said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of the IFP, in a statement. "This year's tributes personify independent spirit and have created an astonishing breadth of work that we are proud to celebrate."

Set for Monday, November 29th at Cipriani Wall Street, the prizes are presented by IFP.