Spirit Awards

Now THIS Is How It Should Be Done: Seth Rogen's Independent Spirit Awards Opening Monologue (In Case You Missed It)

Edward Davis — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:39:23 GMT

To paraphrase host Seth Rogen, there was this show on Saturday that you didn't watch and barely knew even existed, taking place in a tent for some fucking reason. It was the Spirit Awards, aka the Independent Spirit Awards as they used to call it (we posted the winners on Saturday), and if you want to watch the antithesis of Billy Crystal's pretty tame, often anemic, and self-congratulatory Oscar monologue and jokes, this is surely it (and it's NSFW, btw).

Rogen, in his trademark cheeky "I don't really give a fuck" style swung for the fences, took no prisoners, and was the definition of irreverent (and funny to boot). His targets? The Spirits themselves ("completely inconsequential, nothing will come from this literally, nothing," he quipped), Brett Ratner and the slurs that got him fired from his Oscar gig ("without awards season we wouldn't know what a horrible bigot Brett Ratner was"), the audience ("I was committed to watching all your movies and I made it through the first five minutes of every one...some of them start pretty fucking slow") and Chris Brown and the Grammys ("you could literally beat the shit out of a nominee and they'll ask you perform twice at the Grammys"). Oh, let's not forget the pointed digs at at disgraced actor when discussing the antagonist Jews (Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks) in Nicolas Winding Refn's neo-noir drama "Drive" ("Seriously, that movie made Jews look so scary I thought Mel Gibson directed it," he said).

Overall, this is kind of the irreverence and danger that awards shows need and yet there's something about his flippant nature that didn't make any of it come across too mean-spirited (god forbid a celebrity get truly offended). A host bordering so closely to outrageous you're actually paying attention to what he might say because you might be one of his targets; gee, sounds like a damn good idea, Academy. With Ricky Gervais safely in his penalty box this year, we tip our cap to Seth Rogen for keeping celebrities on their toes, and more importantly, making us laugh. Watch below. And Seth? If Only "50/50" woulda been this funny. ;) [via Movieline]

'The Artist' Sweeps Spirit Awards Taking Best Picture, Director, Actor & Cinematography

Kevin Jagernauth — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:44:11 GMT

The awards season train continues for "The Artist," and while in years past the Spirit Awards have tended to honor edgier or more decidedly independent fare, this year it looks like even they have the fever for the silent movie sensation. Taking home the big prizes for Best Picture, Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Actor (Jean Dujardin) and Best Cinematography (Guillaume Schiffman) it looks like the stage has been set for the film to repeat these honors, and maybe more, tomorrow night at the venue formerly known as the Kodak Theater.

How did our awards season prognosticator do on his predictions? He came in about 41% or 7 for 17. Truthfully, we figured that Spirit Awards favorite Alexander Payne might do some repeat business at the ceremony with "The Descendants," but it only came away from the event with an award for Shailene Woodley for Best Supporting Female and Best Screenplay for Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. We're please to see "Without" director Mark Jackson take the Someone To Watch award which should be a nice profile boost, while "The Interrupters" deservedly took Best Documentary and Christopher Plummer got in a practice round of his acceptance speech for tomorrow by winning Best Supporting Actor here. It was also a big evening for "Margin Call" that took Best First Feature and the Robert Altman Award home.

Full list of winners below and you can watch the fun tonight on IFC at 10 PM.

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
"The Artist"

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
"Margin Call," Director: J.C. Chandor; Producers: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto

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

BEST SCREENPLAY
"The Descendants," Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
"50/50," Will Reiser

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

BEST MALE LEAD
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Artist," Guillaume Schifmann

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
"The Interrupters," Steve James

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
"A Separation," Asghar Farhadi

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
"Margin Call," Director: J.C. Chandor; Casting Director: Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey; Ensemble Cast: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Sophia Linn - "Take Shelter"

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Mark Jackson - "Without"

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Heather Courtney – "Where Soldiers Come From"

'The Artist' Sweeps Indie Spirit Awards

Peter Knegt — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:45:00 GMT

Michel Hazanavicius's "The Artist" swept the 27th Film Independent's Spirit Awards this afternoon, taking prizes for best feature, best director, best actor and best cinematography in what is surely foreshadowing for tomorrow's Oscars.

Other major winners included "Margin Call" -- which took best first feature and the Robert Altman Award, and "The Descendants," which won best screenplay best supporting female.

The complete list of Spirit Award winners is below. Also check out our minute by minute rundown from the ceremony.

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
"The Artist"

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

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

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

BEST SCREENPLAY
"The Descendants"

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
"50/50"

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

BEST MALE LEAD
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Artist"

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
"The Interrupters"

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
"A Separation"

MROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
"Margin Call"

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Sophia Linn - "Take Shelter"

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Mark Jackson - "Without"

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Heather Courtney – "Where Soldiers Come From"

The Predictions | The Nominees | The Indiewire Poll | Twitter

SPIRIT AWARDS LIVE | The Complete Event, Minute By Minute

Nigel M Smith — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:01:23 GMT

The 27th Film Independent's Spirit Awards are currently going down here in Santa Monica. Indiewire is on the scene to offer minute by minute coverage of everything Spirit Awards.

The Winners | The Predictions | The Nominees | The Indiewire Poll | Twitter

3:50PM: And that's a wrap folks. See you tomorrow at the Oscars. Thanks for tuning in.

3:43PM: Gotta love the press: "Michelle! Do you feel sexier now that you've played a bombshell?" Michelle: "No, not really."

3:40PM: Williams bringing some serious star wattage to the backstage press tent. On winning her award, "People were saying I was like the Susan Lucci of the Spirit Awards." Not any more.

3:39PM: "The Artist" wins Best Feature. You don't say.

3:33PM: Williams onstage: "Thank you for supporting me, welcoming me and making me feel at home in this room and in this community, back when the only thing I owned that I wore was my dignity."

3:32PM: Williams wins for "My Week With Marilyn."

3:31PM: Michelle Williams is sure keeping her BFF Busy Phillips busy. The blonde bombshell is once again by her side.

3:30PM: Olivia Wilde and Willem Dafoe presenting Best Female Lead to...

3:23PM: "The Artist" helmer Michel Hazanavicius wins. Quelle surprise...

3:22PM: J.C. Chandor and his "Margin Call" crew invade the press tent. Press won't be privy to hearing the winning director accept the award.

3:20PM: Kirsten Dunst, sporting a very mini mini, onstage with Jonah Hill to present the Best Director Award.

3:17PM: "Margin Call" director J.C. Chandor onstage, "I'm just glad we made a good little movie."

3:15PM: "Margin Call" trumps "Martha Marcy May Marlene" to take the award. Some applause backstage.

3:14PM: Onstage Rosario Dawson is telling her Best First Feature co-presenter Anthony Mackie to settle down. Somebody's clearly been enjoying the bubbly.

2:57PM: "A Separation" wins Best International Feature.

2:54PM: James on his hometown, "Chicago is the quintessential American city. Every story you want to tell is right there."

2:53PM: "The Interrupters" director Steve James met with big applause backstage.

2:51PM: "The Descendants" wins Best Screenplay. Oscar tomorrow? Seems likely.

2:50PM: Elizabeth Banks and Joseph Gordon-Levitt getting friendly onstage in presenting Best Screenplay.

2:44PM: Despite not getting an Oscar nomination, "The Interrupters" wins Best Documentary. Well deserved.

2:41PM: His co-star, Penelope Ann Miller, onstage accepting the award on his behalf, mistakenly states that Dujardin won the Cesar award just last night for Best Actor. Didn't happen. He lost out to Omar Sy for "Untouchable."

2:41PM: And the guy's not even here! On Oscar week no less...

2:40PM: Nope. Jean Dujardin wins for "The Artist."

2:39PM: Jessica Chastain and Chris Pine on stage to present the Best Male Lead. Will Chastain be presenting it to her co-star, Shannon?

2:39PM: Rogen is back and still picking on Michael Shannon. "He'll kill somebody before the show's over."

2:26PM: "Pariah" wins the John Cassavetes award.

2:25PM: Woodley says she has no movies in store. What you waiting for?! Says she's waiting "for something dark and small."

2:22PM: For such a young talent, Woodley is remarkably well spoken and very poised. She'll go far.

2:20PM: Shailene Woodley looking sparkly and gorgeous backstage. "Being on a film as an 18 year old, the experience was a catalyst for me coming into my own."

2:16PM: Patricia Clarkson on Bingham Ray: "This man was an independent film." A moving salute. "Thank you Bingham. Wish you were here."

2:13PM: Wow, first upset of the night! Shailene Woodley beats Chastain for Best Supporting Actress. "This is nerve racking," she says upon taking to the stage. "I'm so excited, my heart is pumping!"

2:13PM: Will Reiser is done making the rounds with the press so audio is back on!

2:11PM: Best Supporting Actress race is ON from the looks of the monitors backstage. Jessica Chastain expected to win.

2:07PM: Will Reiser backstage looking dapper. "Winning a Spirit Award is really special. Independent film to be is about telling great stories about real people. It seems like there's less and less room for films like these. These are films that I want to continue making."

2:04PM: "The Artist" wins Best Cinematography.

2:03PM: Plummer takes on "The Artist"'s beloved dog Uggie: "Our dog [in "Beginners"] had soul!" Ouch.

2:01PM: Plummer backstage: "I'm not crazy about the red carpet. I was so grateful at one of the award nights to see a grey carpet. It was such a relief!"

2:00PM: "I hope my winning this award helps the film," Plummer says.

1:59PM: Plummer backtage in press tent, so we're cut off from hearing Reiser accept his award. Plummer looks dashing and very proud.

1:58PM And the winner for Best First Screenplay goes to Will Reiser for "50/50."

1:56PM: Julia Ormond and Benjamin Bratt onstage to present Best First Screenplay. Attempted jokes were met with silence...

1:52PM: Plummer calls his "Beginners" co-star Ewan McGregor, "a scene stealing swine."

1:51PM: And the award goes to, who else, Mr. Plummer.

1:47PM: Zoe Saldana and Jeffrey Dean Morgan taking to the stage to present Best Supporting Male. Christopher Plummer? Who are we kidding...

1:45PM: Rogen on Best Actress nominee Elizabeth Olsen, the other Olsen sister: "I can't believe she was a mistake!"

1:42PM: Press folks are opting to skip out of listening to Rogen's speech in favor of getting lunch in an adjacent tent. This year: Lunch boxes!

1:40PM: Rogen admits to being scared of Best Actor nominee Michael Shannon. Who can blame him?

1:38PM: Rogen is a fan of "Drive." "I liked that all the villains were Jewish."

1:33PM: Seth Rogen has the audience (and press) in stitches. "I was commited to watching the movies. I watched the first five minutes of every one of them."

1:32PM: Host Seth Rogen: "I have no fucking clue why we're in a tent right now. You know you're at a wonderful awards show when you have to use a porta potty."

1:31PM: Consider us corrected. And the show if officially OFF with a lively video montage.

1:25PM: Announcer is annoucing, LOUDLY, that the show is set to start in 5 minutes. We want to believe him, but we know better.

12:50PM: 40 minutes and counting until the 27th Film Indpendent Spirit Awards are set to start. Indiewire's set up in the press tent, which we're glad to report is rather toasty, unlike last year when the wind threatened to blow off the roof. "Take Shelter" director/writer Jeff Nichols is walking the red carpet, alongside his stars Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, both rumored to win at today's ceremony according to Indiewire's annual Spirits poll.

The Amazing Race: Our Predictions For The 2012 Spirit Awards

Oliver Lyttelton — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:30:04 GMT

This weekend isn't just about the Oscars, for the record. Saturday night, as is traditional, sees the warm-up for the big show with the 2012 Spirit Awards, Film Independent's antidote to the Academy Awards, intended to honor the best of independent cinema. With recent winners of the top prize including "Juno," "The Wrestler," "Precious" and "Black Swan," they've provided the opportunity for films that are perhaps a little too dark, small or offbeat to win Best Picture from the Academy the chance to grab some gold.

This year, things may be a little different, with oscar front-runner "The Artist" nominated in multiple categories, so we could end up seeing the two ceremonies mirroring each other more closely than ever. But will that actually be the case? True to their name, the Independent Spirits have been known to go their own way. We've run down our predictions below, and stay tuned for our final Oscar guesses later on as well.

Best Feature
"50/50"
"Beginners"
"Drive"
"Take Shelter"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
Barring a real shock, this should be between the two Best Picture Oscar-nominated films in the running -- "The Artist" and "The Descendants." The former's obviously had the narrative on its side of late, and only a fool would bet against it completely, but the Spirit Awards are big Alexander Payne fans -- both "Sideways" and "Election" won the top prize -- and "The Descendants" feels more like their speed. Not to mention that Fox Searchlight have won five out of the last ten years.
Should Win: "Beginners"
Will Win: "The Descendants"

Best Director
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
Jeff Nichols - "Take Shelter"
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"
Again, Payne and Michel Hazanavicius, as the two Oscar nominees, have an advantage here, but we'd also put Nicolas Winding Refn close in the running too; "Drive" is very much a director's film, arguably more so than the other two. Any of the three could win here, but we're going to stick with Mr. Payne here.
Should Win: Nicolas Winding Refn
Will Win: Alexander Payne

Best First Feature
"Another Earth"
"In The Family"
"Margin Call"
"Martha Marcy May Marlene"
"Natural Selection"
Historically speaking, this category tends to be won by the best known film in the running, the victory for 2005's "Sweet Land" being the most obvious exception. As such, one can probably rule out the under-the-radar "Natural Selection" and "In The Family." "Another Earth" has something of a chance, but has proven divisive, so this is really a two-horse race, and while either "Margin Call" or "Martha Marcy May Marlene" has the right stuff, we suspect it's the latter that'll win out.
Should Win: "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Will Win: "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Best Male Lead
Demian Bichir - "A Better Life"
Jean Dujardin - "The Artist"
Ryan Gosling - "Drive"
Woody Harrelson - "Rampart"
Michael Shannon - "Take Shelter"
With George Clooney surprisingly missing out, this is very open: virtually anyone could take this, although Harrelson's chance are fairly slim. We're going to lean towards Oscar front-runner Dujardin here; when they can honor an Oscar nominee, they generally do. But that means that Demian Bichir is certainly in the mix too.
Should Win: Michael Shannon
Will Win: Jean Dujardin

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose - "Think Of Me"
Rachel Harris - "Natural Selection"
Adepero Oduye - "Pariah"
Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Michelle Williams - "My Week With Marilyn"
Again, the Spirit Awards have tended to give the Actress prize to whoever among the group has an Oscar nomination, and with Michelle Williams being a frequent nominee, but never having won, the stats point towards her. That being said, the film isn't really their bag (as shown by a general lack of nominations), and we wonder if Elizabeth Olsen could come in and steal it?
Should Win: Adepero Oduye
Will Win: Elizabeth Olsen

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks - "Drive"
John Hawkes - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"
John C. Reilly - "Cedar Rapids"
Corey Stoll - "Midnight In Paris"
Christopher Plummer actually has a more competitive field here than he's had at most ceremonies, with all bar perhaps Reilly posing a real threat. Hawkes won the category last year, which might rule him out, but Brooks or Stoll could surprise, particularly the former. Plummer's the safe bet, though.
Should Win: Albert Brooks
Will Win: Christopher Plummer

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain - "Take Shelter"
Angelica Huston - "50/50"
Janet McTeer - "Albert Nobbs"
Harmony Santana - "Gun Hill Road"
Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"
Two Oscar nominees here, although Chastain is up for "Take Shelter" rather than "The Tree of Life." That being said, we don't see McTeer as a serious threat: Shailene Woodley likely has a better chance. But we imagine this is going to Chastain, as much as a recognition for her work elsewhere as anything else.
Should Win: Jessica Chastain
Will Win: Jessica Chastain

John Cassavettes Award
"Bellflower"
"Circumstance"
"Hello Lonesome"
"Pariah"
"The Dynamiter"
Given for a film with a budget of less than $500,000, this tends to lean towards relatively widely seen festival favorites like "The Station Agent," "Mean Creek" and "Humpday," although more obscure options, like last year's winner, "Daddy Longlegs," are possible. So in theory, this could be anyone's, but we think the ecstatic reviews for "Pariah" will push it over the edge.
Should Win: "Circumstance"
Will Win: "Pariah"

Best Documentary
"An African Election"
"Bill Cunningham New York"
"The Interrupters"
"The Redemption of General Butt Naked"
"We Were Here"
A far better shortlist than the Oscars' in the same category, Steve James' outstanding "The Interrupters" is the clear front-runner here. That being said, "Bill Cunningham New York" could end up surprising many here.
Should Win: "The Interrupters"
Will Win: "The Interrupters"

Best International Film
"A Separation"
"Melancholia"
"Shame"
"The Kid With The Bike"
"Tyrannosaur"
Thanks to the inclusion of English-language fare, and the not-submitted-by-France "The Kid With A Bike," "A Separation" has a tougher battle than it's faced at similar ceremonies, and we can certainly see a world in which any of the five walk away with the prize. The Iranian film is probably just about the front-runner, but don't be surprised if "Melancholia" or "Shame" win out.
Should Win: "The Kid With The Bike"
Will Win: "A Separation"

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge - "Bellflower"
Benjamin Kasulke - "The Off Hours"
Darius Khondji - "Midnight In Paris"
Guillaume Schiffman "The Artist"
Jeffrey Waldron - "The Dynamiter"
In a wildly mixed category, this feels like the only one that "The Artist" has truly locked up, with only "Midnight In Paris" as potential competition, but even that may not have enough support to truly be a threat.
Should Win: Joel Hodge
Will Win: Guillaume Schiffman

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar - "Footnote"
Michel Hazanivicius - "The Artist"
Tom McCarthy - "Win Win"
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash - "The Descendants"
A tricky one to call. Unless "The Artist" sweeps, we doubt that Hazanavicius is in the lead, but on the other hand, we're not convinced that "The Descendants" has it in the bag either, with both McCarthy and Mills being well-liked figures in the community. We're going to lean towards the latter, but it could probably be any of the five.
Should Win: Tom McCarthy
Will Win: Mike Mills

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling - "Another Earth"
J.C. Chandor - "Margin Call"
Patrick DeWitt - "Terri"
Phil Johnston - "Cedar Rapids"
Will Reiser - "50/50"
Another strong category, with several writers who made a real splash, we've got to lean towards J.C. Chandor, who has an Oscar nod - five out of the last six years saw this prize go to an eventual Oscar winner, with Lena Dunham the outlier last year. That being said, Will Reiser's autobiographical cancer tale has done well through most of the season, so don't be entirely surprised if that wins out.
Should Win: Patrick DeWitt
Will Win: J.C. Chandor

Truer Than Fiction Award
"Where Soldiers Come From"
"Hell and Back Again"
"Bombay Beach"
Given to the director of an outstanding nonfiction film, we have to confess we've only seen one film on the list, but we'd be happy to see it go to that one -- "Bombay Beach." That being said, Oscar nominee "Hell And Back Again" probably has this sewn up.
Should Win: "Bombay Beach"
Will Win: "Hell And Back Again"

Someone To Watch
Simon Arthur - "Silver Tongues"
Mark Jackson - "Without"
Nicholas Ozeki - "Marnitas"
Again, we've only seen the one, but that one -- Mark Jackson's excellent "Without," is more than deserving. Hopefully, if he does win, it'll help the film finally gain some kind of distribution.
Should Win: Mark Jackson
Will Win: Mark Jackson

Piaget Producers Award
Chad Burris - "Mosquito Y Mari"
Sophia Lynn - "Take Shelter"
Josh Bond - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Given to a single producer who made a splash in the previous year, this is most likely a two-horse race between the better-known entries, and we're inclined to lean towards Mr. Bond, given our feeling that 'Martha Marcy' will do well at the awards this year.
Should Win: Josh Bond
Will Win: Josh Bond

Ben Kingsley, Anthony Mackie, Patricia Clarkson & More To Present At The Spirit Awards; My Morning Jacket & K'Naan To Perform

Kevin Jagernauth — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:14:03 GMT

EXCLUSIVE: Before the big Oscar show takes place on Sunday, as the tradition goes, the Film Independent Spirit Awards will honor their nominees and winners the night before, with festivities set to get underway on Saturday evening. It is shaping up to another memorable night, with the stars lining up to celebrate the best in independent film over the past year. Seth Rogen will host what is sure to an enjoyable evening, and to help hand out the awards, a lineup of starry names are confirmed to appear.

Past nominees Ethan Hawke (screenplay for "Before Sunset"), Ben Kingsley ("House Of Sand And Fog"), Terrence Howard ("Hustle & Flow," "The Best Man"), Anthony Mackie ("The Hurt Locker," "Brother To Brother"), Giovanni Ribisi ("The Gift"), Patricia Clarkson ("Pieces Of April," "High Art") and Laura Dern ("Blue Velvet," "Smooth Talk" and in 2007 honored with an award for her collaborative work with David Lynch) will be presenting awards to this year's winners tomorrow evening. Joining them to present will also be Lucy Liu and Benjamin Bratt.

But that's not all. The Spirit Awards will also be boasting some pretty solid musical guests, as rockers My Morning Jacket and Canadian hip hop star K'Naan are slated to perform.

All told, it should be a great night. You can tune in to the Film Independent Spirit Awards tomorrow night at 10 PM on IFC.

Spirit Awards 2012 | Indiewire Poll: Who Will Win & Who Should Win

Peter Knegt — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:31:34 GMT

Indiewire conducted a poll of its writers as well over 25 of its Criticwire participants, asking two simple questions about this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards: Who will win, and who should win? In thirteen categories, insiders suggested who might take home an award at the ceremony this Saturday afternoon in Santa Monica, California.

If they're correct, look for a very spread out afternoon. "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Beginners," "Take Shelter," "Martha Marcy May Marlene," "Margin Call," "Pariah," "A Separation" and "The Interrupters" are among the films being predicted for wins.

As for who should win, things were generally quite divisive. "The Artist" - predicted as the winner of best feature - was not championed by the majority of those polled in any category, with "Drive," "Take Shelter," "Martha Marcy May Marlene" and "Beginners" proving more popular choices.

Check out all the results below, followed by links to each individual ballot.

Best Feature
Who Will Win: Exactly fifty percent of those polled agree that this is "The Artist"'s award to lose. But 37% said "The Descendants," suggesting this is much less of a closed deal than it is at the Oscars/

Who Should Win: "Drive" and "Take Shelter" tied here, each taking 25% of the vote, though it was a very spread out field: "The Descendants" had 21%; "Beginners" had 17% and "The Artist" had 14%. Only "50/50" failed to get any support"

Best Director
Who Will Win: While "The Artist" was predicted for best feature, its director Michel Hazanavicius was only predicted to win best director by 27% of those polled. Forty-two percent instead said Alexander Payne was en route to his third win in this category (a record) for "The Descendants."

Who Should Win: All five directors got support here, though "Drive" director Nicolas Winding Refn topped them all with 38% of the vote. Behind him was Alexander Payne (21%), Jeff Nichols (21%), Mike Mills (13%) and Michel Hazanavicius (8%).

Best Female Lead
Who Will Win: A bit of a showdown, with "Martha Marcy May Marlene" actress Elizabeth Olsen narrowly topping "My Week With Marilyn" star Michelle Williams by a 54% to 46% margin.

Who Should Win: Elizabeth Olsen is again the choice with 45% of the vote, but its a lot more spread out this time: Williams was second with 26%, Adepero Oduye took 22% and Rachael Harris found 4%. Sorry Lauren Ambrose.

Best Male Lead
Who Will Win: Another tight race, this time with three horses: Thirty-nine percent said "Take Shelter" actor Michael Shannon would win, topping Jean Dujardin (30%) and Ryan Gosling (21%).

Who Should Win: Michael Shannon found 50% of the support, but Dujardin (17%), Demian Bichir (17%), Ryan Gosling (13%) and Woody Harrellson (4%) all found support as well.

Best Supporting Female
Who Will Win: 2011 breakout Jessica Chastain has 64% of those polled saying she'll win this award for "Take Shelter," topping Shailene Woodley (27%) and Janet McTeer (9%). Technically, McTeer is only performance here also nominated for an Oscar, as Chastain was nominated there for not-so-indie-spirited "The Help."

Who Should Win: Jessica Chastain was the voters' hope as well, taking 42% over Woodley (22%), McTeer (14%), Harmony Santana (14%) and Anjelica Huston (9%).

Best Supporting Male
Who Will Win: In what our pollees suggest will be the only acting crossover with Oscar night, a whopping 74% say Christopher Plummer will win this, beating Oscar snubee Albert Brooks (who took the remaining 26%)

Who Should Win: Forty-two percent say Christopher Plummer also deserves it, though Brooks and John Hawkes (who won in this category this year) each took 25%.

Best Screenplay
Who Will Win: Voters say Alexander Payne will add yet another Spirit Award to his mantel here, for co-writing the screenplay for "The Descendants." The "Descendants" team took 76% of the vote, topping Mike Mills' script for "Beginners" (which took 19% for second place).

Who Should Win: This time it was "Beginners" that was the top choice, with 33% saying it should win. All five nominees got votes though, with "Footnote" and "Win Win" each getting 19% of the support, and "The Artist" and "The Decendants" getting 14%.

Best First Feature
Who Will Win: Sean Durkin narrowly is the favorite for "Martha Marcy May Marlene," topping J.C. Chandor's "Margin Call" by 62%-38% margin.

Who Should Win: Its "Martha" vs. "Margin" again, with "Martha Marcy May Marlene" narrowly topping its fellow Sundance alum 36% to 32%. "Another Earth" and "In The Family" each got multiple votes as well.

John Cassavetes Award
Who Will Win: Dee Rees' "Pariah" is the overwhelming favorite in this category that celebrates low-budget filmmaking, with 81% saying it will win. "Bellflower" was the only other vote-getter.

Who Should Win: "Pariah" again, but by a less wider margin. 64% voted for Rees' film, while "Bellflower" (37%) and "Circumstance" (19%) found support as well.

Best First Screenplay
Who Will Win: Sixty-seven percent say this is J.C. Chandor's to lose for "Margin Call," though 29% say "50/50" could upset.

Who Should Win: "Margin Call" is also the favorite here, taking 43% of the vote, though a surpising 26% went for Patrick DeWitt's script for the little seen "Terri."

Best Documentary
Who Will Win: They might have snubbed it at the Oscars, but 75% say "The Interrupters" is taking this one home, with the remaining saying "Bill Cunningham, New York" will upset.

Who Should Win: "The Interrupters" was also our poll's favorite, taking 45% of the vote, while "Bill Cunningham" (30%) and "We Were Here" (25%) found considerable support as well.

Best Foreign Film
Who Will Win: The only category with 100% consensus: "A Separation" will win this award.

Who Should Win: "A Separation" winning would make our voters much happier, as 45% wished it well... "The Kid With The Bike" was second with 32% and "Melancholia" third with 18%.

Best Cinematography
Who Will Win: If "The Artist" is going to win any Spirit Award, its this one, with 72% predicting it over "Midnight in Paris"

Who Should Win: "Bellflower" topped the Oscar fave here, taking 50% of the vote over "The Artist" (30%) and "Midnight in Paris" (20%).

Check out all of the individual ballots below, which also include picks for the Oscars:
Jason Apuzzo
Dwight Brown
Matt Brunson
Daryl Chin
Edward Copeland
Dennis Cozzalio
Mike D'Angelo
Jim Emerson
Stephen Farber
Cynthia Fuchs
Patrick Gamble
Ed Gonzalez
Steve Greene
Melissa Hanson
Eugene Hernandez
Peter Knegt
Robert Koehler
Eric Kohn
Dan Kois
Gary Kramer
Manolis Kranakis
Guy Lodge
Leonard Maltin
Matt Mueller
Govindini Murty
Micha Oleszczyk
Jordan Raup
Bryce Renninger
Rania Richardson
Nigel M. Smith
Matthew Wilder

2012 Spirit Awards Predictions: Will They Think Outside 'The Artist' Box?

Peter Knegt — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:36:50 GMT

It came as something of a shock when Michel Hazanavicius's "The Artist" topped the Spirit Award nominations last November. Not because people didn't think it wasn't good enough, but because most assumed it was ineligible due to being a French production with a French filmmaker. But it turns out it was eligible because it had partial US financing and the director has status as a US permanent resident. Who knew?

Nearly three months later, that eligibility poses a big question heading into Saturday afternoon's award ceremony: Are the Spirits going to join "The Artist" bandwagon like seemingly everyone else has?

The Spirits do indeed tend to pick the most Oscar-favored possibility in this category (see: "Black Swan," "Precious," "Little Miss Sunshine," etc), but perhaps there'll be some "Artist" fatigue -- or resentment toward the fact that it's not really an American film -- and something else will triumph. There's lots to pick from, including another Oscar possibility, Alexander Payne's "The Descendants."

Indiewire's predictions in all categories are below, which suggest that while "The Artist" might take a prize or two (including the big one), overall the Spirits should spread things out much more than the Oscars are likely to:

Best Feature: Considering it has won basically every other award out there and is poised to do the same on Oscar night, one would think it would do so again come Spirit Award afternoon. But you actually have to go way back to 1987 to find a year where the Spirits and Oscars matched up in terms of best picture ("Platoon"... though clearly this should have happened again with "Brokeback Mountain").

Alexander Payne films have won in this category twice already, and perhaps "The Descendants" will give him the hat trick. While we're prepared to bet against "The Artist" on a few occasions in these predictions, we're sticking with it for the night's biggest prize. In spirit, the Spirits have tended to play it quite safe over years, and so shall we.

Who Will Win: "The Artist"
Who Could Win: "The Descendants"
Who Should Win: "Drive"

Best Director: Just as he has in the best feature category, Alexander Payne has already won this trophy twice, tying him with Ang Lee and Joel Coen for the all-time record. Can he pull off a hat trick? Even if the big prize goes to "The Artist," the Spirits might want to diversify the winners. They have split up the feature/director twice in the past four years, so perhaps they will again here. But in a rather risky prediction, something tells me it will be "Drive" director Nicolas Winding Refn that benefits, not Alexander Payne. People really love Refn and "Drive" and Spirit voters could opt to throw the Oscar-snubbed film a considerable -- and deserving -- bone in this category.

Who Will Win: Nicolas Winding Refn, "Drive"
Who Could Win: Michel Hazanavicius or Alexander Payne
Who Should Win: Nicolas Winding Refn, "Drive"

Best Female Lead: The Spirits didn't seem to like "My Week With Marilyn." It only got one nomination, which was for Michelle Williams in the best female lead category. But Williams -- a five-time Spirit nominee (but never a winner) -- seems poised to win, anyway. She's the only Oscar nominee and 11 out of the past 12 years this award has gone to one. Her greatest (only?) competition is "Martha Marcy May Marlene" breakout Elizabeth Olsen, who could benefit from the fact that "Martha" is much more of an American indie than the British-produced "Marilyn."

Who Will Win: Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Who Could Win: Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Who Should Win: Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Best Male Lead: With the extremely bizarre omission of George Clooney in the nominations here, one would think Jean Dujardin has this one sewn up. But he faces serious competition from two Oscar snubees -- Ryan Gosling and Michael Shannon. Both huge contributors to American indie cinema, they give towering performances in "Drive" and "Take Shelter," and one hopes Spirit voters will make up for what Oscar voters failed to do and give one of them (likely Shannon over Gosling) a trophy. It wouldn't be unprecedented. Eventual Oscar winners Nicolas Cage ("Leaving Las Vegas") and Sean Penn ("Milk") lost at the Spirits, too.

Who Will Win: Michael Shannon, "Take Shelter"
Who Could Win: Ryan Gosling, "Drive" or Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Who Should Win: Ryan Gosling, "Drive" or Michael Shannon, "Take Shelter"

Best Supporting Female: Technically, the only Oscar-nominated performance in this category is Janet McTeer for "Albert Nobbs." It seems unlikely she'll win, simply because Spirit voters clearly weren't bowled over by the film (they didn't nominate Glenn Close, for example). More likely is that Jessica Chastain -- nominated here for "Take Shelter," though she has an Oscar nomination for "The Help" -- caps off a year as an indie princess (outside "The Help," at least) with a Spirit Award for what many consider her best performance of the dozen or so she pulled off this year. Spoiler could be Shailene Woodley more than McTeer, who got snubbed at the Oscars and gives a breakout performance in a film the Spirits liked very much.

Who Will Win: Jessica Chastain, "Take Shelter"
Who Could Win: Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"
Who Should Win: Jessica Chastain, "Take Shelter"

Best Supporting Male: Up until Oscar, this awards season largely split the best supporting actor trophies between two men: Christopher Plummer and Albert Brooks. But then the Oscars snubbed Brooks and it's become the Plummer show. It's bet that will continue at the Spirits, though Plummer's old foe Brooks is back at it here, with a much different voting contingency than the Oscars. He could definitely pull off an upset (especially now that he has Oscar-snub sympathy votes), but for now we'lll stick with Plummer.

Who Will Win: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Who Could Win: Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Who Should Win: Brooks or Plummer both work fine for me.

Best First Feature: This definitely seems like a race between JC Chandor's "Margin Call" and Sean Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene." The former has already won the pre-announced Robert Altman Award, and surprised many as it swept the "best first feature" awards at many critics groups and took a best original screenplay Oscar nod. So it seems poised to sneak by "Martha," even though "Martha" definitely has its share of fans.

Who Will Win: "Margin Call"
Who Could Win: "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Who Should Win: "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

John Cassavetes Award: Dee Rees' "Pariah" seems like the obvious choice for this award for the best film made under $500,000. It won a similar award at the Gothams and is arguably the most acclaimed of the nominees. Though watch out for the buzzy "Bellflower."

What Will Win: "Pariah"
What Could Win: "Bellflower"
What Should Win: "Pariah"

Best Screenplay: A very odd category that snubbed "Midnight in Paris" and "Take Shelter" in favor of Joseph Cedar's Israeli film "Footnote," it seems very likely to be the one trophy Alexander Payne and his "Descendants" team is destined to win. Unless the Spirits go gaga for "The Artist" in a bigger way than we expected.

What Will Win: "The Descendants"
What Could Win: "The Artist"
What Should Win: "Beginners"

Best First Screenplay: The sentimental factor should help Will Reiser's semi-autobiographical script for cancer dramedy "50/50" potentiallly sneak by "Margin Call" here. Given "50/50" star Seth Rogen is hosting the festivities, it might be nice for his film to win something.

What Will Win: "50/50"
What Could Win: "Margin Call"
What Should Win: "Terri"

Best Cinematography: Another oddly chosen category (where's "Martha Marcy May Marlene"?), it seems the most likely of all wins for "The Artist," with "Midnight in Paris" its only feasible competition.

What Will Win: "The Artist"
What Could Win: "Midnight in Paris"
What Should Win: "Bellflower"

Best Documentary: Given this is a great opportunity to give the middle finger to the Academy's documentary branch and reward what many feel was the very best documentary of 2011, it seems likely Steve James' "The Interrupters" is all but assured this win.

What Will Win: "The Interrupters"
What Could Win: "Bill Cunningham New York" or "We Were Here"
What Should Win: "The Interrupters"

Best Foreign Film: A pretty remarkable lineup featuring the likes of the Dardenne Brothers, Lars von Trier, Steve McQueen and "A Separation," this could go a lot of ways. Though given its intense acclaim and winning streak this season, it seems more likely than not that Iran's "A Separation" will top this uncharacteristically English-language fueled foreign film category.

What Will Win: "A Separation"
What Could Win: "Melancholia" or "Shame"
What Should Win: They are all fantastic movies.

Indiewire will be on the scene at the Spirit Awards this Saturday afternoon, and will be offering full updates as they come in.

Meet the 2012 Best First Feature Spirit Award Nominees #6: Robbie Pickering, "Natural Selection"

Indiewire Staff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:45:02 GMT

Robbie Pickering's "Natural Selection" premiered at last year's South by Southwest Festival and garnered breakthrough performance nominations for actors Rachael Harris and Matt O'Leary.

Pickering wrote the script while his stepfather was dying of cancer. He knew that his mother would soon be alone, but the script was therapeutic for him, a way to know that she would be okay. Now the film is nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

"The fact that I got to make the movie at all and share those extreme emotions with an audience was amazing enough," says Pickering. "But to be nominated for such a huge award is an honor that I never would have had the audacity to imagine for myself.'

What's it about? "It's a coming-of-age story about a woman in her 40's. The main character is a barren Texas housewife named Linda who discovers that her dying husband has a 23-year old illegitimate son living in Florida. Somewhere on the edge of fear and loneliness, Linda sets out to track the kid down and bring him back to Texas before her husband dies. Did I mention it's a comedy?

"It's funny, scrappy, it'll surprise you, and it's got one of the best goddamned female performances you'll see in a movie this year... or any year for that matter."

Robbie says: "I grew up in a little town called Jersey Village right outside of Houston. Nobody I knew was in the movies or had anything to do with the industry. But from a very early age, I knew I wanted to be involved with movies in some way. I think that back then, coming from where I came from, I naturally just thought that actors made the movies -- so that was my initial impulse, to act. But then, at around 12 or 13, I started reading film criticism and became obsessed with a bunch of Coppola's post-'One From the Heart' films like 'Tucker' and 'Peggy Sue Got Married,' and that's really when I first became conscious of a director and started thinking that was really what I wanted to do. From there, I began writing plays and directing short films and quit acting altogether -- which was definitely a wise choice. That being said, I made a damn fine Dogberry in my high school's esteemed sophomore-year production of 'Much Ado About Nothing.'

Robbie's greatest challenge making the film: "Coordinating all of the cocaine runs for Rachael Harris. She's insatiable.

"But seriously -- just getting the first draft of the script written. That's by far the hardest part of the entire filmmaking process for me. There's nothing more terrifying than a blank page."

Robbie's inspiration: "Everything I learned about female protagonists, I learned by watching 'The Secret of Nimh.'"

Future projects: "Right now, I'm attached to direct an insanely funny script called 'The Kitchen Sink.' It's written by a guy I really admire named Oren Uziel, and God willing, it will go into production sometime this year. I'm also working on a couple of new original scripts and I just directed a play that's running all through February in Los Angeles. That's right, you heard me -- theatre in Los Angeles."

Indiewire invited Best First Feature and John Cassavettes 2012 Spirit Award Nominees to tell us about their films, including what inspired them, the challenges they faced and what they're doing next. We'll be publishing their responses leading up to the awards ceremony on February 25.

Keep checking here for the latest profiles.

Meet the 2012 Best First Feature Spirit Award Nominees #5: Patrick Wang, 'In The Family'

Indiewire Staff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:03 GMT

Patrick Wang's "In The Family" was hailed by the NYTimes as "remarkably fresh," "topical and timeless." First time director (and leading man) Wang studied physics and economics before jumping into theater, where he learned about design and how to work with actors. Now he's up for the Indie Spirit Awards' John Cassavettes First Feature prize.

Wang says his purpose in moviemaking is "to defend a certain set of priorities in film that seem to be out of favor these days: literature, humanity, insight, wisdom even. I also think we have a lot to learn about how to capture an actor’s performance on film for our generation, and I would like to take part in that discovery." Cheers to that.

What's it about? Two dads are raising a kid in Tennessee. Tragedy strikes and separates father from son. The dad searches for a way back into his kid’s life.

Director Wang says: "The biggest challenge was defending the differences in the film. Parts of the world can be very hostile to differences, social or artistic.

""Scenes From a Marriage" and "A Woman Under the Influence" were my reference films for my design team. These movies make beautiful use of domestic spaces, and the shot design feels organic and inspired. Watching "Scenes From a Marriage," I learned a lot about how to balance information coming from different departments. And as far as acting goes, Liv Ullmann’s performance is the high-water mark."

What's next? "I’ve written a screenplay that is a series of monologues and songs; they form this sort of human tapestry across time and place. The form is strange, but I find it really fascinating. My favorite part of that project will be getting to work with a lot of actors. I’m also working on adapting a novel for film. I’m particularly excited about this because I don’t think film adaptations of novels have been particularly ambitious in trying to match the dexterity and density of novels. With a healthy dose of invention, I think it can be done, and this particular novel is the perfect candidate."

Here's a scene from the film:

Indiewire invited Best First Feature and John Cassavettes 2012 Spirit Award Nominees to tell us about their films, including what inspired them, the challenges they faced and what they're doing next. We'll be publishing their responses leading up to the awards ceremony on February 25.

Keep checking here for the latest profiles.

Meet the 2012 Best First Feature Spirit Award Nominees #4: J.C. Chandor, 'Margin Call'

Indiewire Staff — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:00:03 GMT

J.C. Chandor broke out in 2011 with his feature debut, "Margin Call." Featuring a cast of acting heavies like Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany, Zachary Quinto and Demi Moore, the financial drama was a success in limited release and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The film is also nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

Chandor says that his biggest challenge in making "Margin Call" was convincing financiers that there was an audience for the film. Thanks to the film's financial success and nominations, it seems like Chandor was right all along.

What's it about? The film follows a single piece of devastating information up the chain of command at a prominant NY based investment bank. How each of those characters react to that information hopefully gives audiences a window into how we got to where we are as a country.

Chandor says: "I have been making movies in one form or another since I was seven or eight years old. There was always something that drew me to it. In my later years the financial realities and responsibilities of supporting my young family almost pulled me away from film but I gave it one last shot with 'Margin Call' and it has been a heck of a ride ever since.

"It is humbling after all these years to have our film recognized by the Spirit Awards. I have watched these proceedings from afar and am so excited to come together to celebrate a great year for independent film."

Chandor's future projects: "I am currently developing several different projects and hope one of them comes together soon so I don't have to wait another 15 years to make my next one."

Chandor's take on his film: "Be first, be smarter, or cheat."

Indiewire invited Best First Feature and John Cassavettes 2012 Spirit Award Nominees to tell us about their films, including what inspired them, the challenges they faced and what they're doing next. We'll be publishing their responses leading up to the awards ceremony on February 25.

Keep checking here for the latest profiles.

Meet the 2012 John Cassavettes Spirit Award Nominees #3: Matthew Gordon, 'The Dynamiter'

Indiewire Staff — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:19:45 GMT

Good news came for Matthew Gordon's "The Dynamiter," up for the Spirits Awards' John Cassavettes Best First Feature honor; just last week the film got picked up by Film Movement for distribution in the second quarter of 2012.

Variety calls the film a low-key cousin to the likes of "Ballast" and "Shotgun Stories"; that's good company. Gordon, the oldest of three children from a Maryland family that broke up when he was young, says, "I was always trying to make sense of loss and sadness and the role of dreams. I guess thats what I am trying to do in making films."

What's it about? A 15 year old boy doing his best to protect his younger brother and achieve his dream to reunite his family. In the end, he is forced to make tough decisions when he accepts that his dreams are not possible to realize.

Director Gordon says: "The film was made with all local people and non-actors from the area around where the film was shot in the Mississippi Delta. It was a real work of teamwork and community spirit and talent.

"The single biggest challenge I had was to believe in myself and the story enough to risk making the film. Just getting over the question- can I/we really do this? The team really lifted the project forward. Then, of course, money is a very big challenge too.

"While making this movie, I was inspired very much by "The 400 Blows" of Truffaut. We would watch it over and over to see how natural the acting and emotions of the lead character felt, and try to figure out how they created such a powerful film.

"Cassavettes was one of my first great loves as a filmmaker, especially "Woman under the Influence." I cannot express what an honor it is for our film to be nominated. I still feel like its not real. Maybe it will really set in at the ceremony.

What's next? "Right now trying to read as many scripts from other writers as possible while writing two different scripts with co-writers. I wish I could head out there today and start making another film but for now job one is being with my wife and trying to find a safe home for our film."

Indiewire invited Best First Feature and John Cassavettes 2012 Spirit Award Nominees to tell us about their films, including what inspired them, the challenges they faced and what they're doing next. We'll be publishing their responses leading up to the awards ceremony on February 25.

Keep checking here for the latest profiles.

Meet the 2012 John Cassavetes Spirit Award Nominees #2: Adam Reid, 'Hello Lonesome'

Indiewire Staff — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:45:00 GMT

"Filmmaking is a terrible business, but one of the greatest hobbies ever," says director Adam Reid, Independent Spirit Award nominee for his film "Hello Lonesome." Reid's film is a collection of three interwoven short stories about the desire to love and be loved. Reid got his start in filmmaking when, after years struggling as a "terrible" actor in Los Angeles, he took a job producing promos for Comedy Central in New York. While he doesn't enjoy the business aspect of making movies, Reid hopes to make 30 more films. But in the meantime, Reid is preparing for his new role as a father.

What's it about? It’s about a bunch of characters looking for a spark of true connection wherever they can find it.

Reid says: "I tell everyone we made 'Hello Lonesome' for $50,000, which is true. What I always forget to tell people is that I don’t want it to be judged any differently because of that. As part of the audience, when I watch a movie I don’t care how much it was made for, I just want to be transported or entertained or touched, you know? At the same time, as a filmmaker, I always find it inspiring that it’s possible to make a movie outside of the system with limited resources and get some real recognition for it.

"With 'Hello Lonesome,' I decided to pick up the camera and shoot it myself even though I’m a rookie cinematographer. All of our locations were donated. We didn’t have an art department or a stylist. The entire crew on set was five people. I thought it would be a struggle working this way, but really, it was a gift. Working super small made it a more intimate experience. We were able to spend every minute of our fifteen-day shoot focusing on the actors, getting right down to the real business of mining their souls and making each other laugh.

"I was one of those nerdy kids playing with cameras in the backyard. I have a distinct memory of freezing a movie on the VCR and realizing that it was a made-up world and that someone was responsible for creating it. My background producing promos spoiled me. I was always given the control to see my projects through from inception through post. Most directors do not have that luxury. I’ve since been very fortunate to be able to write, produce and direct almost everything I work on. I treat every project like a mini-film. Making an actual film was only a matter of time.

"I love the [filmmaking] process so much at every phase; writing the script, creating the world, working with the actors, post production… all of it. The challenge is also the joy, making it a cost-effective and sustainable hobby.

"I want to make thirty more films. At the same time, I don’t enjoy asking for permission or borrowing millions of dollars to do it. I want my work to be successful on it’s own terms, just for existing. Of course, films do soak up resources and require a team. So, finding that balance and getting only the help you really need becomes so important. It makes you examine all of your decisions with a microscope and prioritize accordingly."

Reid's inspirations: "For me it was less about direct inspiration from specific films, and much more about appreciating how filmmakers I admire approach their work.

"Robert Altman is a genius with both his actors and the camera. He knew how to get out of the way and let everyone do what they do best. I’ve also always admired Woody Allen, for his loose approach and for finding a way to just make the movies he wants without the business side infecting his films.

"Creatively, Spike Jonze brings so much sensitivity, lightness, and wonder to all his projects. His movies always excite me. If I could steal anyone’s career it would be his. Yet he creates on this huge scale, which is the opposite of my approach. My latest thinking is that the technology has changed so much these past few years, that now we can make true magic with so much less."

Reid on his John Cassavetes Award nomination: "More than anything, getting this nomination means that 'Hello Lonesome' is that much more likely to be seen and appreciated. To me, the Cassavetes Award in particular is the ultimate Spirit Award, being the Independent-iest of all the categories. It’s about resourcefulness, and all of the films in this category are mind-blowing examples of what’s possible on a limited budget.

"I’m learning that a film is a little bit like a child and directors are like parents. You have all these hopes and dreams for your film. You want to support it every way you can but ultimately you need to get out of the way, let it be what it wants to be and try not to fuck it up.

"So here we are, and 'Hello Lonesome' is up for this very cool award, and I’m the proud parent. Honestly, it doesn’t quite feel like it’s happening to me. It’s a bit more like I’m watching from the sidelines. Mostly, I’m just so happy for my team and for the actors and everyone who put so much time and love into making it."

Future projects: "I have a feature project I’m working on that is a nerd fantasy come true and quite different from anything I’ve done before.

"Meanwhile, I have an amazing job as the Executive Creative Director at Bodega where I get to be creative and play with a ton of supremely talented people. We’re always making something different and cool. This week I’m directing a book trailer I wrote, which is really more of a short film, for a 'Godfather' prequel coming out in May. My wife is also nine months pregnant with our first child, so that will surely be an exciting production.

"I have too many ideas and I’m not sure when I will get to make them all. But maybe that’s a good thing. There’s a quote from Leonard Bernstein I like, 'To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.'"

Indiewire invited Best First Feature and John Cassavettes 2012 Spirit Award Nominees to tell us about their films, including what inspired them, the challenges they faced and what they're doing next. We'll be publishing their responses leading up to the awards ceremony on February 25.

Keep checking here for the latest profiles.

Meet the 2012 Best First Feature/John Cassavettes Spirit Award Nominees #1: Mike Cahill, 'Another Earth'

Indiewire Staff — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:00:01 GMT

Mike Cahill's "Another Earth," which he co-wrote and produced with star Brit Marling, premiered at Sundace 2011 before getting a theatrical release courtesy of Fox Searchlight in July.

Cahill hails from Connecticut, and insists that "with movies, you experience two hours of someone else's life and ironically can get closer to understanding your own life." Film, he believes, is one of the most affective ways to "emotions and truths about the magic and beauty of being human." Sure, music can do it too (as well as poetry, art, etc), but because he's not musical he's ended up becoming up filmmaker -- one up for the Spirit Awards' John Cassavettes First Feature honor no less.

Up next is a film about reincarnation. Five minutes into it, Cahill believes, anyone "who doesn't believe in reincarnation, will believe in it... guaranteed."

What's it about? "Another Earth" is about a girl, a guy, and 7 billion doppelgangers. It's about the meeting place between self-judgement and self-empathy.

Director Cahill says: The biggest challenge was probably finding a male lead. I saw many different, and very talented actors for the part of John - but no one was exactly right. So we began shooting everything we could without that part being cast. Halfway through, our casting directors suggested sending the script to William [Mapother]. I knew immediately he would be perfect, and thankfully he liked the project and signed on.

Did any films inspire this movie? "Double Life of Veronique" by Krzysztof Kieslowski. "Basquiat" by Julian Schnabel. "Die Hard" was the first R rated film I ever saw - so maybe that too. You have to watch very carefully to find the "Die Hard" reference in the film.

On being nominated: It's a huge honor, especially given the abundance of great first features out there this past year. It's also really special because it's kind of like losing your virginity. You can only have one first feature, so in a sense it's like being nominated for best first time having sex - which is special.

Go here for Indiewire's interview with Cahill.

Indiewire invited Best First Feature and John Cassavettes 2012 Spirit Award Nominees to tell us about their films, including what inspired them, the challenges they faced and what they're doing next. We'll be publishing their responses leading up to the awards ceremony on February 25.

Keep checking here for the latest profiles.

Film Movement Takes Indie Spirit Nominee 'The Dynamiter' from First-Timer Mathew Gordon

Sophia Savage — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:53:25 GMT

"The Dynamiter," which debuted at Berlin 2011 and recently received Indie Spirit Award nominations (John Cassavettes Award, Best Cinematography), has been acquired by Film Movement for North American distribution.

The film will be released theatrically in New York during the second quarter of 2012, followed by a limited national release and VOD.

"The Dynamiter" is Mathew Gordon's first feature; he shot the film in Mississippi with professional and non-professional actors to tell the story of a teen boy growing up in the rural South.

Film Movement's Rebeca Conget says the film "grabs you and doesn’t let go, and you don’t even realize it until hours and days after you finish watching it. "The Dynamiter" won the Durban Film Festival's Best 1st Feature awards, as well as Deauville's Jury Prize.

The synopsis is below:

All fourteen-year-old Robbie Hendrick ever wanted was a family. Yet, as another Mississippi Summer begins, his wayward mother has run off again fearing a breakdown, and he’s left to burn the days caring for his half brother, Fess. As the deep days and nights pass without her return, and with older brother Lucas dangerously in their lives again, Robbie must face the fact that his dreams of a family may only be a dream and he might just lose the only family he’s ever had: Fess.

A Complete Guide To 2011-12 Awards Season

Peter Knegt — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:03:00 GMT

Award season is in full swing, with months of announcements from critic groups, guilds, boards, academies, and organizations underway.

To help everyone keep up, Indiewire has this comprehensive summary of all the announced awards and will continue to update through February 2012's grand Oscar finale.

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, "The Artist" is the most rewarded across best picture categories.

Announced Awards:

AFI Awards
African-American Film Critics Awards
Austin Film Critics Association Awards
Alliance of Women Film Journalists (EDA Awards)
B lack Film Critics Circle Awards
B oston Society of Film Critics Awards
B ritish Independent Film Awards
B roadcast Film Critics Association Awards (Critics Choice)
Central Ohio Film Critics Awards
Chicago Film Critics Awards
Cinema Eye Honors
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Detroit Film Critics
Dublin Film Critics
European Film Awards
Florida Film Critics Awards
Golden Globes
Gotham Awards
Houston Film Critics
IDA Awards
Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Indiana Film Critics Awards
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
London Film Critics Awards
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
National Board of Review
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Online Awards
Oklahoma Film Critics Circles
Online Film Critics Society Awards
PGA Awards
Pheonix Film Critics Awards
SAG Awards
San Diego Film Critics Awards
San Francisco Film Critics Awards
St. Louis Film Critics Awards
Satellite Award Nominations
Southeastern Film Critics Awards
Toronto Film Critics Awards
Utah Film Critics Awards
Vancouver Film Critics Awards
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards
Women Film Critics Circle

Summary of Winners:

Best Picture:

The Artist: 9 wins (NYFFC, NYFCO, Indiana, Las Vegas, St. Louis, San Diego, Boston, Oklahoma, Detroit, DC), 17 noms (BFCA, PGA, London, Vancouver, Pheonix, Chicago Houston, Spirits, Utah, EDA, Online, Southeastern, Central Ohio, Satellites, Globes, EFA, NBR)

The Tree of Life: 6 wins (SF, Gothams, Online, Toronto, Chicago, African-Americans), 14 noms (BFCA, London, Detroit, Phoenix, St. Louis, Online, Houston, Southeastern, San Diego, LA, AFI, NBR, Central Ohio, Vancouver)

The Descendants: 5 wins (Dallas-Forth Worth, Southeastern, Satellites, LA, Houston), 17 noms (PGA, Globes, BFCA, Detroit, St. Louis, Phoenix, AFI, NBR, Chicago, Gothams, EDA, Online, Spirits, Central Ohio, Vancouver, Indiana, DC)

Drive: 2 wins (Utah, Dublin), 14 noms (BFCA, London, Houston, Chicago, Southeastern, Phoenix, St. Louis, Online, NBR, Central Ohio, DC, Spirits, San Die Satellites)

Hugo: 2 wins (Austin, NBR), 15 noms (PGA, Globes, BFCA, Chicago, Southeastern, Detroit, AFI, Phoenix, Boston, DC, EDA, Online, Central Ohio, Satellites, San Diego)

The Help: 1 win (Black Film Critics), 8 noms (PGA, Globes, BFCA, Southeastern, Houston, AFI, Phoenix Satellites)

Melancholia: 1 win (EFA), 2 noms (EDA, Central Ohio)

Beginners: 1 win (Gothams), 1 nom (Spirits)

We Need To Talk About Kevin: 1 win (Women), 1 nom (BIFA)

Tyrannosaur: 1 win (BIFA)

The Iron Lady: 1 win (Women)

Midnight in Paris: 11 noms (PGA, Globes, BFCA, Southeastern, San Diego, Pheonix, Houston, AFI, EDA, Satellites, Central Ohio)

War Horse: 8 noms (PGA, Globes, BFCA, Southeastern, Houston, AFI, NBR, Central Ohio, Satellites)

Moneyball: 8 noms (PGA, Globes, BFCA, Southeastern, AFI, Pheonix, Central Ohio, Satellites)

Take Shelter: 4 noms (Detroit, Spirits, Gothams, Central Ohio)

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: 4 noms (PGA, Central Ohio, AFI, NBR)

The Ides of March: 4 noms (Globes, PGA, Central Ohio, NBR)

Win Win: 4 noms (Central Ohio, Houston, Southeastern, DC)

Bridesmaids: 3 noms (PGA, AFI, Globes)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 3 noms (Satellites, London, BIFA)

My Week With Marilyn: 3 noms (Globes, Phoenix, St. Louis)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: 2 noms (BFCA, Houston)

Shame: 2 noms (Satellites, BIFA)

J. Edgar: 2 noms (AFI, NBR)

Super 8: 2 noms (Central Ohio, Phoenix)

50/50: 2 noms (Globes, Spirits)

Margin Call: 1 nom (Central Ohio)

Martha Marcy May Marlene: 1 nom (Central Ohio)

Pariah: 1 nom (Women)

The Whistleblower: 1 nom (Women)

A Separation: 1 nom (London)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: 1 nom (NBR)

Senna: 1 nom (BIFA)

Meek's Cutoff: 1 nom (Gothams)

The Kid With The Bike: 1 nom (EFA)

Le Havre: 1 nom (EFA)

Best Actor:

George Clooney, The Descendants: 7 wins (Dallas-Fort Worth, Southeastern, Oklahoma, Women, St. Louis, NBR, DC), 14 noms (Globes, SAG, Phoenix, BFCA, EDA, Online, Detroit, Central Ohio, London, Houston, San Diego, Chicago, Satellites, Boston)

Michael Fassbender, Shame: 6 wins (LA, BIFA, Detroit, Online, Florida, Houston), 14 noms (Globes, BFCA, Vancouver, San Diego, Pheonix, London, DC, Chicago, EDA, Central Ohio, Southeastern, Satellites, Boston, St. Louis)

Michael Shannon, Take Shelter: 6 wins (NYFCO, Austin, Toronto, Chicago, San Diego, Houston), 9 noms (EDA, Central Ohio, Vancouver, Online, Detroit, LA, DC, Spirits, Satellites)

Brad Pitt, Moneyball: 2 wins (NYFCC, Boston), 11 noms (Globes, SAG, Phoenix, BFCA, Detroit, St. Louis, San Diego, Houston, DC, EDA, Satellites)

Ryan Gosling, Drive: 2 wins (Dublin, Satellites), 6 noms (BFCA, Central Ohio, London, St. Louis, Women, Spirits)

Jean Dujardin, The Artist: 1 win (Las Vegas), 18 noms (Globes, SAG, Chicago, Phoenix, BFCA, London, Utah, Women, St. Louis, EDA, Online, Central Ohio, Vancouver, Detroit, Houston, DC, Spirits, EFA)

Gary Oldman, TInker Tailor Soldier Spy: 1 win (SF), 7 noms (Online, Chicago, Pheonix, London, Satellites, St. Louis, BIFA)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50: 1 win (Utah), 2 noms (Globes, Spirits)

Woody Harrelson, Rampart: 1 win (African-American), 2 noms (Satellites, Spirits)

Colin Firth, The King's Speech: 1 win (EFA)

Paul Giamatti, Win Win: 1 win (Indiana)

Olivier Litondo, The First Grader: 1 win (Black Film Critics)

Leonardo diCaprio, J. Edgar: 4 noms (Globes, SAG, BFCA, Satellites)

Brendan Gleeson, The Guard: 4 noms (Globes, Satellites, BIFA, San Diego)

Demian Bichir, A Better Life: 2 noms (SAG, Spirits)

Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March: 1 nom (Globes)

Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love: 1 nom (Globes)

Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris: 1 nom (Globes)

Tom Hardy, Warrior: 1 nom (Satellites)

Peter Mullan, Tyrannosaur: 1 nom (BIFA)

Neil Maksell, Kill List: 1 nom (BIFA)

Ralph Fiennes, Corionalus: 1 nom (Indiana)

Tom Hardy, Warrior: 1 nom (Women)

Best Actress:

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn: 10 wins (Boston, Toronto, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Chicago, Oklahoma, Florida, Utah, Las Vegas, DC), 14 noms (Globes, BFCA, SAG, London, Phoenix, Houston, Online, EDA, Central Ohio, Vancouver, Spirits, St. Louis, San Diego, Satellites)

Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin: 6 wins (SF, Austin, Online, NBR, EFA, Houston), 11 noms (Globes, BFCA, SAG, London, Indiana, Southeastern, Women, DC, BIFA, EDA, San Diego)

Viola Davis, The Help: 4 wins (Satellites, Women, Black Film Critics, African-Americans), 11 noms (Globes, SAG, Pheonix, BFCA, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, DC, San Diego, EDA, Central Ohio)

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady: 3 wins (NYFCC, NYFCO, Southeastern), 16 noms (Globes, SAG, Phoenix, BFCA, Chicago, London, Houston, Detroit, Boston, EDA, Online, DC, St. Louis, Satellites, Central Ohio, Vancouver)

Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene: 1 win (Indiana), 12 noms (BFCA, Chicago, Pheonix, Houston, DC, Spirits, San Diego, St. Louis, Online, Central Ohio, Vancouver, Satellites)

Rooney Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: 1 win (St. Louis), 2 noms (Utah, Globes)

Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur: 1 win (BIFA), 1 nom (Satellites)

Yun Jung-Hee, Poetry: 1 win (LA)

Brit Marling, Another Earth: 1 win (San Diego)

Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life: 1 win (Dublin)

Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia: 7 noms (LA, EDA, Central Ohio, Online, London, Chicago, EFA)

Charlize Theron, Young Adult: 5 noms (Globes, BFCA, Detroit, Central Ohio, Satellites)

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs: 3 noms (Globes, SAG, Satellites)

Anna Paquin, Margaret: 2 noms (London, Chicago)

Jodie Foster, Carnage: 1 nom (Globes)

Kate Winslet, Carnage: 1 nom (Globes)

Kristin Wiig, Bridesmaids: 1 nom (Globes)

Saorise Ronan, Hanna: 1 nom (St. Louis)

Felicity Jones, Like Crazy: 1 nom (Detroit)

Vera Farmiga, Higher Ground: 1 nom (Satellites)

Emily Watson, Oranges and Sunshine: 1 nom (Satellites)

Michelle Yeoh, The Lady: 1 nom (Satellites)

Rebecca Hall, The Awakening: 1 nom (BIFA)

Mia Wasikowska, Jane Eyre: 1 nom (BIFA)

MyAnna Buring, Kill List: 1 nom (BIFA)

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melancholia: 1 nom (EFA)

Rachael Harris, Natural Selection: 1 nom (Spirits)

Adepero Oduye, Pariah: 1 nom (Spirits)

Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me : 1 nom (Spirits)

Best Supporting Actor:

Albert Brooks, Drive: 16 wins (SF, NYFCC, Oklahoma, Las Vegas, Houston, Boston, NYFCO, DC, Utah, Austin, African-Americans, Black Film Critics, Florida, Chicago, Satellites, St. Louis), 13 noms (Globes, BFCA, Indiana, London, Detroit, Pheonix, Spirits, San Diego, EDA, Online, Southeastern, Vancouver, Central Ohio)

Christopher Plummer, Beginners: 8 wins (Southeastern, Dallas-Fort Worth, LA, NBR, Toronto, Indiana, Detroit, Online,), 15 noms (Globes, SAG, Chicago, Phoenix, BFCA, Central Ohio, London, Utah, EDA, Vacouver, San Diego, Houston, DC, Spirits, Satelllites)

Nick Nolte, Warrior: 1 win (San Diego), 5 noms (SAG, Online, Chicago, BFCA, Satellites)

Michael Smiley, Kill List: 1 win (BIFA), 1 nom (London)

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn: 10 noms (Globes, SAG, Phoenix, London, BFCA, Detroit, EDA, DC, Satelltes, Vancouver)

Jonah Hill, Moneyball: 5 noms (Globes, SAG, Phoenix, St. Louis, Satellites)

John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene: 7 noms (St. Louis, EDA, DC, Spirits, Phoenix, Online, Central Ohio)

Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes: 6 noms (BFCA, Houston, DC, Satellites, San Diego, EDA)

Patton Oswalt, Young Adult: 5 noms (BFCA, Chicago, LA, Detroit, Central Ohio)

Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life: 3 noms (Online, Chicago, Central Ohio)

Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method: 2 noms (Globes, Satellites)

Armie Hammer, J. Edgar: 2 noms (SAG, Houston)

Alan Rickman, Harry Potter: 2 noms (EDA, St. Louis)

Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: 1 nom (San Diego)

Colin Farrell, Horrible Bosses: 1 nom (Satellites)

Christoph Waltz, Carnage: 1 nom (Satellites)

Hugo Weaving, Oranges and Sunshine: 1 nom (Satellites)

Tom Hardy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 1 nom (BIFA)

Benedict Cumberbatch, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 1 nom (BIFA)

Eddie Marsan, Tyrannosaur: 1 nom (BIFA)

Simon Russell Beale, The Deep Blue Sea: 1 nom (London)

Ezra Miller, We Need To Talk About Kevin: 1 nom (BIFA)

Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris: 1 nom (Spirits)

John C Reilly, Cedar Rapids: 1 nom (Spirits)

Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love 1 nom (Detroit)

Alex Shaffer, Win Win: 1 nom (Houston)

John Goodman, The Artist: 1 nom (St. Louis)

Best Supporting Actress:

Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Help, etc: 7 wins (LA, NYFCC, for all films; Toronto and Austin, for "Take Shelter"; Chicago, Online and Satellites, for "The Tree of Life"), 15 noms (St. Louis, Vancouver and Central Ohio for "The Tree of Life"; Spirits and Detroit for "Take Shelter"; Globes, SAG, BFCA, EDA, London, Phoenix, Central Ohio, Houston and San Diego for "The Help" )

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants: 5 wins (Dallas-Fort Worth, Florida, NBR, San Diego, Houston), 11 noms (BFCA, Globes, Southeastern, Chicago, St. Louis, Phoenix, DC, Spirits, Online, Central Ohio, Vancouver)

Octavia Spencer, The Help: 4 wins (Oklahoma, DC, Black Film Critics, African-Americans), 11 noms (Globes, SAG, Phoenix, BFCA, London, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, EDA, Satellites)

Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids: 3 wins (Boston, NYFCO, Las Vegas), 8 noms (SAG, BFCA, Chicago, Houston, DC, Online, Central Ohio, Vancouver)

Vanessa Redgrave, Corionalus: 2 wins (SF, BIFA), 4 noms (London, Detroit, Utah, Satellites)

Carey Mulligan, Shame: 1 win (Detroit), 9 noms (BFCA, Central Ohio, Chicago, San Diego, DC, BIFA, Satellites, EDA, Online)

Berenice Bejo, The Artist: 1 win (St. Louis), 7 noms (Globes, SAG, BFCA, Pheonix, Detroit, DC, EDA)

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs: 1 win (Southeastern), 7 noms (Globes, SAG, Houston, Satellites, Spirits, EDA, Online)

Amy Ryan, Win Win: 1 win (Utah), 1 nom (Indiana)

Viola Davis, The Help: 1 win (Indiana)

Sareh Bayat, A Separation: 1 nom (London)

Elle Fanning, Super 8: 1 nom (Satellites)

Lisa Feret, Mozarts Sister: 1 nom (Satellites)

Judy Greer, The Descendants: 1 nom (Satellites)

Rachel McAdams, Midnight in Paris: 1 nom (Satellites)

Kate Winslet, Carnage: 1 nom (Satellites)

Felicity Jones, Albatross: 1 nom (BIFA)

Sally Hawkins, Submarine: 1 nom (BIFA)

Kathy Burke, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 1 nom (BIFA)

Anjelica Huston, 50/50: 1 nom (Spirits)

Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road: 1 nom (Spirits)

Cate Blanchett, Hanna: 1 nom (St. Louis)

Melanie Laurent, Beginners: 1 nom (San Diego)

Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help: 1 nom (Phoenix)

Best Director:

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist: 7 wins (NYFCC, NYFCO, Oklahoma, St. Louis, Detroit, Indiana, Utah), 15 noms (Globes, BFCA, London, Online, EDA, Pheonix, Southeastern, Chicago, Vancouver, Houston, Boston, DC, San Diego, Satellites, Spirits)

Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive: 6 wins (Austin, Satellites, Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston, Dublin), 9 noms (BFCA, Central Ohio, St. Louis, Online, London, DC, Chicago, Spirits, Utah, Detroit)

Martin Scorsese, Hugo: 5 wins (Boston, NBR, DC, Southeastern, Florida), 12 noms (Globes, BFCA, Chicago, Pheonix, EDA, Online, LA, San Diego, Satellites, Detroit, Central Ohio, Vancouver)

Terrance Malick, The Tree of Life: 5 wins (SF, LA, Chicago, Toronto, Online), 9 noms (St. Louis, Detroit, London, EDA, Vancouver, Central Ohio, San Diego, Indiana, Houston)

Alexander Payne, The Descendants: 1 win (Dallas-Fort Worth) 8 noms (Globes, St. Louis, Pheonix, DC, Satellites, Spirits, EDA, Houston)

Steve McQueen, Shame: 1 win (African-Americans), 2 noms (Satellites, BIFA)

Lynne Ramsay, We Need To Talk About Kevin: 1 win (BIFA), 1 nom (London)

Susanne Bier, In a Better World: 1 win (EFA)

Dee Rees, Pariah: 1 win (Black Film Critics)

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris: 7 noms (Globes, DC, Pheonix, EDA, Satellites, San Diego, Houston)

Lars von Trier, Melancholia: 3 noms (EFA, Central Ohio, Online)

Steven Spielberg, War Horse: 2 noms (BFCA, Satellites)

Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter: 2 noms (Detroit, Spirits)

Tate Taylor, The Help: 2 noms (Phoenix, Satellites)

David Fincher, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: 2 noms (Central Ohio, St. Louis)

Tomas Alfredson, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 2 noms (Satellites, BIFA)

Asghar Farhadi, A Separation: 1 nom (London)

George Clooney, The Ides of March: 1 nom (Globes)

John Michael McDonagh, The Guard: 1 nom (Satellites)

Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: 1 nom (BFCA)

Paddy Considine, Tyrannosaur: 1 nom (BIFA)

Ben Wheatley, Kill List: 1 nom (BIFA)

Mike Mills, Beginners: 1 nom (Spirits)

Best Screenplay:

The Descendants: 7 wins (Satellites, Florida, St. Louis, Southeastern, Dallas-Fort Worth, Utah, NYFCO, NBR, DC, Houston Indiana), 9 noms (BFCA, LA, Chicago, Globes, San Diego, Spirits, Phoenix, Online, EDA)

Moneyball: 6 wins (Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Las Vegas, Oklahoma, NYFCC), 9 noms (BFCA, Globes, Southeastern, St. Louis, Detroit, DC, Satellites, San Diego, Indiana, Online, EDA)

The Artist: 4 wins (Florida, Chicago, Oklahoma, St. Louis), 10 noms (BFCA, DC, Southeastern, Globes, San Diego, Satellites, Spirits, Houston, Detroit, Phoenix, EDA)

50/50: 3 wins (NBR, Utah, DC), 5 noms (BFCA, St. Louis, San Diego, Houston, Detroit)

Midnight in Paris: 1 win (Austin), 10 noms (BFCA, Chicago, Globes, San Diego, St. Louis, Houston, DC, Phoenix, Online, EDA)

Win Win: 1 win (Indiana), 8 noms (BFCA, St. Louis, San Diego, DC, Online, EDA, Spirits, Houston)

The Help: 1 win (Black Film Critics), 5 noms (BFCA, DC, St. Louis, Satellites, Phoenix)

Drive: 1 win (Austin), 4 noms (Online, Chicago, St. Louis, San Diego)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 1 win (SF), 4 noms (Online, EDA, Chicago, DC)

The Tree of Life: 1 win (Satellites), 3 noms (Online, St. Louis, Chicago)

A Separation: 1 win (LA), 2 noms (Online, Chicago)

Margin Call: 1 win (SF), 1 nom (Indiana)

Submarine: 1 win (BIFA)

Pariah: 1 win (Black Film Critics)

The Kid With The Bike: 1 win (EFA)

Hugo: 6 noms (BFCA, EDA, San Diego, Chicago, DC, Phoenix)

Beginners: 6 noms (EDA, San Diego, Utah, Spirits, Detroit, Phoenix)

We Need To Talk About Kevin; 3 noms (EDA, Online, BIFA)

The Guard: 2 noms (Satellites, BIFA)

Shame: 2 noms (Satellites, BIFA)

Martha Marcy May Marlene: 2 noms (Online, Chicago)

Bridesmaids: 2 noms (EDA, DC)

The Muppets: 2 noms (Utah, St. Louis)

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: 1 nom (BFCA)

The Ides of March: 1 nom (Globes)

Young Adult: 1 nom (BFCA)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: 1 nom (San Diego)

Take Shelter: 1 nom (Detroit)

Margaret: 1 nom (Boston)

Tyrannosaur: 1 nom (Satellites)

Mozarts Sister: 1 nom (Satellites)

The Adventures of Tintin: 1 nom (Satellites)

Albert Nobbs: 1 nom (Satellites)

War Horse: 1 nom (Satellites)

Footnote: 1 nom (Spirits)

Hanna: 1 nom (St. Louis)

Best Foreign Language Film:

A Separation: 8 wins (Chicago, Southeastern, Dallas-Fort Worth, NYFCC, NBR, Utah, Dublin, BIFA), 7 noms (BFCA, Globes, LA, EDA, Online, Boston, Satellites, Spirits)

The Skin I Live In: 4 wins (Oklahoma, Indiana, Florida, DC), 8 noms (BFCA, Globes, Southeastern, Phoenix, BIFA, Houston, EDA, Online)

I Saw The Devil: 2 wins (Austin, Houston), 2 noms (St. Louis, DC)

Mysteries of Lisbon: 2 wins (Satellites, Toronto)

13 Assassins: 1 win (St. Louis), 7 noms (Utah, Indiana, NBR, DC, Satellites, Houston, Online)

Certified Copy: 1 win (SF), 2 noms (Online, DC)

Incendies: 1 win (Boston), 2 noms (Chicago, Phoenix)

Kinyarwanda: 1 win (African-Americans)

City of Life and Death: 1 win (LA)

Le Havre: 4 noms (BFCA, EDA, NBR, Satellites)

Point Blank: 3 noms (St. Louis, NBR, Phoenix)

The Kid With The Bike: 3 noms (Satellites, Globes, Spirits)

Pina: 3 noms (DC, EDA, BIFA)

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within: 2 noms (NBR, Houston)

Troll Hunter: 2 noms (EDA, St Louis)

In The Land of Blood and Honey: 1 nom (Globes)

Flowers of War: 1 nom (Globes)

In Darkness: 1 nom (BFCA)

Where Do We Go Now: 1 nom (BFCA)

Poetry: 1 nom (Boston)

Footnote: 1 nom (NBR)

Faust: 1 nom (Satellites)

Las Acadias: 1 nom (Satellites)

Miss Bala: 1 nom (Satellites)

Mozarts Sister: 1 nom (Satellites)

The Turin Horse: 1 nom (Satellites)

The Artist: 1 nom (Houston)

Winter in Wartime: 1 nom (St Louis)

The Double Hour: 1 nom (San Diego)

Happy Happy: 1 nom (San Diego)

Of Gods and Men: 1 nom (San Diego)

Le Quattro Volte: 1 nom (San Diego)

A Somewhat Gentle Man: 1 nom (San Diego)

Best Documentary:

Project Nim: 6 wins (Indiana, Florida, Southeastern, Las Vegas, Boston, Houston), 12 noms (BFCA, NBR, BIFA, Chicago, Pheonix, DC, Satellites, San Diego, Utah, EDA, Online, Cinema Eye)

Senna: 5 wins (Austin, Satellites, Utah, Dublin, BIFA), 2 noms (NBR, Cinema Eye)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams: 4 wins (Dallas-Fort Worth, LA, NYFCC, DC), 7 noms (BFCA, Houston, Chicago, San Diego, Satellites, EDA, Online)

Nostalgia For The Light: 2 wins (IDA, Toronto), 1 nom (Cinema Eye)

Being Elmo: 2 wins (Black Film Critics, St. Louis), 1 nom (DC)

The Interrupters: 1 win (Chicago), 7 noms (St. Louis, Satellites, Gothams, Spirits, Cinema Eye, EDA, Online, )

Tabloid: 1 win (SF), 6 noms (Online, St. Louis, Chicago, Southeastern, Satellites, Detroit)

Page One: 1 win (Oklahoma, 3 noms (BFCA, Phoenix, San Diego)

Better This World: 1 win (Gothams), 1 nom (IDA)

Paradise Lost 3: 1 win (NBR)

Buck: 7 noms (BFCA, EDA, St Louis, San Diego, NBR, DC, Houston)

Into The Abyss: 6 noms (Indiana, Online, Chicago, San Diego, DC, Detroit)

Bill Cunningham New York: 4 noms (EDA, Boston, Spirits, Gothams)

The Arbor: 2 noms (Cinema Eye, LA)

Redemption of General Butt Naked: 2 noms (Spirits, IDA)

Hell and Back Again: 2 noms (BIFA, Gothams)

Pina: 2 noms (Chicago, Satellites)

We Were Here: 2 noms (Detroit, Spirits)

Undefeated: 2 noms (Houston)

George Harrison: Living in the Material World: 2 noms (BFCA, NBR)

Born To Be Wild (NBR)

The Elephant in the Room (Houston)

Into Eternity (Detroit)

Marwencol (Detroit)

American The Bill Hicks Story (Satellites)

My Perestroika (Satellites)

One Lucky Elephant (Satellites)

Under Fire (Satellites)

Life in a Day (BIFA)

TT3D: Closer to the Edge (BIFA)

An African Election (Spirits)

The Woodmans (Gothams)

How To Die In Oregon (IDA)

The Tiniest Place (IDA)

Position Among The Stars (Cinema Eye)

Conan O'Brien Cant Stop (St Louis)

African Cats (Phoenix)

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Phoenix)

Seth Rogen to Host 27th Film Independent Spirit Awards

Brian Brooks — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:55:02 GMT

"50/50" star Seth Rogen will host the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. The 27th annual awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 25th. Additionally, Diana Zahn-Storey, a longtime executive producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, will be returning this year.

The full Film Independent release follows:

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced that Seth Rogen will serve as host for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. The 27th annual awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 25, and the premiere broadcast will air later that evening at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on IFC.

Diana Zahn-Storey, a longtime executive producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards will be returning this year. After executive producing the show for fifteen years and the Los Angeles Film Festival for eight, Diana left Film Independent in 2009 to co-found Nuts-n-Bolts Productions. Over the past two years, Nuts-n-Bolts has produced several events including the Children Mending Hearts Peace Please Gala, Los Angeles Point Honors Gala and the treats! Magazine Launch party. In past years, Diana has worked on the PacSun Summer Solstice Beach Ballyhoo, the 2010 Glee premiere and the 2010 Entertainment Weekly Emmy Party, in conjunction with Larry Abel Designs. Diana has more than twenty-five years experience in film, television and event production.

"We're incredibly excited to have Seth as the host for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards and join us in celebrating this year's exquisite films and talented filmmaking artists. Seth's charm, intelligence and quick wit are sure to light up the room and will make for a truly entertaining afternoon," said Film Independent Senior Director Sean Mc Manus. "We're also pleased to welcome back Diana. Her creativity and passion for independent film has delivered some of the Spirit Awards' most memorable moments. I can't wait to see what she comes up with this year."

"Seth is one of the smartest and funniest actors today and we look forward to him making this one of the most entertaining Spirit Awards yet," said Jennifer Caserta, Executive Vice President & General Manager, IFC. "IFC is a growing brand for original comedy programming, and our viewers are in for a good time with Seth hosting."

Seth Rogen has emerged as a prominent figure in a new generation of comedic actors, writers and producers. Rogen most recently starred in and executive produced the dramatic comedy and Film Independent Spirit Award nominated 50/50, inspired by the real life experiences of his best friend, Will Reiser, who also wrote the screenplay. Nominated for an Emmy Award in 2005 for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy for Da Ali G Show, Rogen began his career doing standup comedy in Vancouver, Canada at the age of 13. After moving to Los Angeles, Rogen landed supporting roles in Judd Apatow's two critically acclaimed network television comedies, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, the latter of which Rogen was also hired as a staff writer at the age of 18. Shortly after, Rogen was guided by Apatow toward a film career with the box office smash hit, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which took home Best Comedy Movie at the 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards and which Rogen co-produced. In 2007, he headlined two summer blockbusters: Knocked Up, which Rogen also executive produced and Superbad, a semi-autobiographical comedy that he co-wrote and executive produced with writing partner Evan Goldberg. The duo also found success the following summer in the action-comedy Pineapple Express, which Rogen also acted in alongside James Franco and Danny McBride.

Rogen continued to demonstrate his wide-ranging ability as he co-wrote, executive produced and starred as the main character, Britt Reid, in the comic book-turned action film, The Green Hornet. In addition to his on-screen roles, he has also found great success lending his voice for animated films, which include the title character in Greg Mottola's comedy Paul, the character Mantis in Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, and the voice of B.O.B. in the 3D animation phenomenon Monsters vs. Aliens. Other film credits include Horton Hears a Who!, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Observe and Report and Funny People. Rogen is currently working on the script for the Ben Stiller/Vince Vaughn comedy Neighborhood Watch and will next be seen in the comedy My Mother's Curse, opposite Academy Award winner Barbra Streisand. Also in the works for the versatile actor is another dramatic turn in the recently acquired Magnolia Pictures film Take This Waltz, starring Sarah Silverman and Michelle Williams and directed by Sarah Polley.

Additional members of the producing team behind this year's show includes: Director and Producer Ivan Dudynsky from Live Animals, who directed last year's show; Producer Shawn Davis, who has been a part of the show and produced the Spirit Awards for 9 years; Producer John Hamilton, who has produced the Spirit Awards for 6 years; and Live Animals' Audrey Morrissey who was an executive producer last year and will serve as Consulting Producer this year.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors ELLE, Piaget and Jamesona Irish Whiskey and Principal Sponsors Nokia and Stella Artois. WireImage is the Official Photographer and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

For more information on submission guidelines, voting, media and publicist credentials, and the history of the Spirit Awards, please visit SpiritAwards.com.

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"!....

The 10 Biggest Surprises of the Spirit Award Nominations

Peter Knegt — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:20:09 GMT

There were considerable surprises among the nominations for the 27th Film Independent's Spirit Awards, which were announced this morning in Los Angeles.

While the expected likes of "Beginners," "Drive," "The Descendants," "Martha Marcy May Marlene" and "Take Shelter" found many a nomination, they were joined (or not joined) by quite a few unexpected developments.

Check out 10 major surprises from the announcement below. A full list of nominations is available here.

1. "The Artist" was eligible. And it DOMINATED.

The one thing no one seemed to see coming was that Michel Hazanavicius's "The Artist" would lead the nominations. Largely because no one seemed to realize it was even eligible for anything beyond best foreign film. The Spirits' guidelines firmly state:

Except for the category of Best International* Film, all nominations go to American productions. The Spirit Awards defines an “American production” as:

a. A film in which U.S. citizens or permanent residents are credited in at least two of the following categories of responsibilities: director, writer, or producer. This can be fulfilled by one person with multiple duties or by separate individuals; or

b. The film is set primarily in the United States and at least partially financed by a company whose principal office is in the U.S. Documentary films are only eligible for Best Documentary; foreign films are only eligible for Best International Film.

It turns out "The Artist" was eligible because it had partial US financing and the director has status as a US permanent resident. Who knew?

Either way, this sets the stage for awards season domination care of "The Artist."

2. "Albert Nobbs"'s Janet McTeer got nominated, but Glenn Close did not.

Nothing against McTeer's performance, but nominating her over her co-star (who co-wrote and co-produced "Nobbs" as a decades long passion project), was quite the slap in the face. It also really hurts Close's Oscar chances, which many considered to be all-but-assured.

3. "Like Crazy" was snubbed altogether.

Joining close in the lead actress snubbery was "Like Crazy"'s Felicity Jones, seen as a shoo-in after big wins at Sundance and the Gotham Awards. But Jones - and "Crazy" altogether - were nowhere to be found, breaking the three years running streak of Sundance Grand Jury Prize winners getting nominated for the Spirit Awards' top prize.

4. Rachael Harris and Lauren Ambrose got noms for best female lead over Close and Jones.

"Natural Selection"'s Harris and "Think of Me"'s Ambrose aren't necessarily undeserving inclusions, they are just completely out-of-nowhere. Close and Jones were surprise omissions in their wake, as were (to lesser degrees) Brit Marling, Mia Wasikowska, Miranda July and Vera Farmiga. That said, it does give a nice boost to two films few have heard of.

5. No George Clooney!

Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" scored 4 nominations, including best feature and best director. But in perhaps the most shocking snub of the morning, its lead actor George Clooney (who some see as the Oscar frontrunner) was left out. Perhaps what's most shocking is that the Spirits gave up the opportunity to have such serious star wattage attend their ceremony...

6. Anjelica Huston gets nominated for "50/50" but her co-stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and Anna Kendrick get snubbed.

Anjelica Huston is fantastic in "50/50," but it's more-or-less a cameo. The heart and soul of that film belong to Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Clooney's "Up In The Air" co-star Anna Kendrick, both of whom failed to get Spirit Award noms.

7. No "Martha Marcy May Marlene" in first screenplay?

Sean Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene" did quite well at the Spirits, nabbing four major nominations. But it's the subtle snubs that hurt, and that came in the form of losing out on a very deserved first screenplay nomination. I mean, sure, it's funny, but can anyone argue that "Cedar Rapids" was a better screenplay than "Martha Marcy"?

8. Very little love for "Midnight in Paris"

While it received nominations for both cinematography and supporting actor (Corey Stoll), Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" was shut out of the major categories, including feature, director, screenplay and lead actor (Owen Wilson). Maybe the Spirits figured a $50 million+ domestic gross was award enough for the Woodman.

9. "Footnote" for best screenplay?

Joseph Cedar's Israeli drama "Footnote" was bizarrely included among the screenplay nominees, over the likes of "Midnight in Paris," "Take Shelter" and "Like Crazy." Like "The Artist," no one seemed to have any idea that the Israeli production (which is not set in the US, though Cedar himself is American) was even eligible.

10. There can only be one win for "Win Win" (and it probably won't happen)

After winning best first screenplay for "The Station Agent" and best director for "The Visitor," the Spirits' love for Tom McCarthy seems to have stalled. His "Win Win" got only one nomination in the best screenplay category, a trophy he's sure to lose to Alexander Payne and company's script for "The Descendants."

Spirit Awards Nominations Announced, 'Take Shelter' And 'The Artist' Lead The Pack

Oliver Lyttelton — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:06:53 GMT

You know it's the start of the awards season when two big groups are announcing their awards simultaneously, and despite the NYFCC's attempts to gain attention of late, the big news of the day is the nominations for the 27th Film Independent's Spirit Awards, which were unveiled by Anthony Mackie and Kate Beckinsale this morning.

Despite focusing on independent film, with (relatively) strict budgetary cut-offs, it's not a bad signifier to certain degrees as to how the Oscars might be heading, and it's certainly given a few films a boost, while being something of a blow to other hopefuls. Awards front-runner "The Artist," which despite the assumptions of some, was eligible, leads the pack with five nominations, including Best Feature, but it was matched by Jeff Nichols' "Take Shelter," more traditional Spirit fare, which also scored five, including acting nods for Jessica Chastain and lead Michael Shannon.

Just behind were "Beginners," which is having an excellent week, having been the joint winner of Best Film at the Gotham Awards last night, and Alexander Payne's "The Descendants," both of which received four, although in the case of the latter, interestingly not for George Clooney in the Best Actor category. "Martha Marcy May Marlene" and "Drive" also managed four nods, although Sean Durkin's film was nominated, as is tradition, only in the Best First Feature category, rather than the main prize.

Obviously, the Spirits march to the beat of their own drum somewhat -- hence nominations for the teeny-tiny likes of "Gun Hill Road," "In The Family" and "Think of Me," further down the list, and we wouldn't want it to any other way. But "Take Shelter"'s success does bode well for Michael Shannon's Best Actor chances in more mainstream ceremonies, while conversely Michael Fassbender's absence (and indeed, the almost total lack of attention for "Shame," bar a token Best International Film nod, seems to be a poor signifier for that film, and for its star (although we wonder if it was eligible, although if "The Artist" was, surely it would be too?)

We'll get more into these picks, and the NYFCC awards, in our Amazing Race column later in the week. But in the meantime, check out the full list of awards below. The winners will be announced just ahead of the Oscars, on February 25th.

Best Feature
"50/50"
"Beginners"
"Drive"
"Take Shelter"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"

Best Director
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
Jeff Nichols - "Take Shelter"
Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"

Best First Feature
"Another Earth"
"In The Family"
"Margin Call"
"Martha Marcy May Marlene"
"Natural Selection"

Best Male Lead
Demian Bichir - "A Better Life"
Jean Dujardin - "The Artist"
Ryan Gosling - "Drive"
Woody Harrelson - "Rampart"
Michael Shannon - "Take Shelter"

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose - "Think Of Me"
Rachel Harris - "Natural Selection"
Adepero Oduye - "Pariah"
Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Michelle Williams - "My Week With Marilyn"

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks - "Drive"
John Hawkes - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"
John C. Reilly - "Cedar Rapids"
Corey Stoll - "Midnight In Paris"

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain - "Take Shelter"
Angelica Huston - "50/50"
Janet McTeer - "Albert Nobbs"
Harmony Santana - "Gun Hill Road"
Shaileen Woodley - "The Descendants"

John Cassavettes Award
"Bellflower"
"Circumstance"
"Hello Lonesome"
"Pariah"
"The Dynamiter

Best Documentary
"An African Election"
"Bill Cunningham New York"
"The Interrupters"
"The Redemption of General Butt Naked"
"We Were Here"

Best International Film
"A Separation"
"Melancholia"
"Shame"
"The Kid With A Bike"
"Tyrannosaur"

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge - "Bellflower"
Benjamin Kasulke - "The Off Hours"
Darius Khondji - "Midnight In Paris"
Guillaume Schiffman "The Artist"
Jeffrey Waldron - "The Dynamiter"

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar - "Footnote"
Michel Hazanivicius - "The Artist"
Tom McCarthy - "Win Win"
Mike Mills - "Beginners"
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash - "The Descendants"

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling - "Another Earth"
J.C. Chandor - "Margin Call"
Patreck DeWitt - "Terri"
Phil Johnston - "Cedar Rapids"
Will Reiser - "50/50"

Truer Than Fiction Award
Heather Courtney
Danfung Dennis
Alma Har'El

Piaget Producers Award
Chad Burris
Sophia Lin
Josh Mond

Someone To Watch
Simon Arthur
Mark Jackson
Nicholas Ozeki

Robert Altman Award - "Margin Call"

"Take Shelter" and "The Artist" Lead Spirit Award Nominations

Peter Knegt and Steve Greene — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:39:00 GMT

The nominations for the 27th Film Independent's Spirit Awards were announced this morning in Los Angeles, and both Jeff Nichols' "Take Shelter" and Michel Hazanavicius's "The Artist" (which few realized was eligible) led the pack with 5 nominations a piece.

The two films were joined in the best feature category alongside "50/50," "Beginners," "Drive," and "The Descendants." While that was a generally expected lineup (save "The Artist"), the nominations overall were quite surprising.

Beyond the unexpected presence of "The Artist," the Spirits made some major snubs in the acting categories: George Clooney ("The Descendants"), Glenn Close ("Albert Nobbs"), Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("50/50"), Owen Wilson ("Midnight in Paris"), Paul Giamatti ("Win Win"), Kenneth Branagh ("My Week With Marilyn') and Felicity Jones ("Like Crazy") were excluded in favor of a quite a few highly unexpected nominees. Most notably, Lauren Ambrose ("Think of Me") and Rachael Harris ("Natural Selection") were nominated the lead actress category over Close and Jones.

"Like Crazy" was snubbed altogether, while Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" - though nominated for supporting actor and cinematography - was completely shut out of the top categories.

Fox Searchlight was far and away the leader among distributors, taking in 14 nominations. Sony Pictures Classics followed with 9.

At the announcement, co-presenter Anthony Mackie added some levity to the proceedings, giving a tiny fist pump when “Half Nelson” co-star Gosling popped up on the nominee list. Afterwards, extolled the virtues of some of the other nominees.

“This year, I really enjoyed ‘The Artist,” ‘Take Shelter,’ and ‘Pariah,’” Mackie said. “They all have a real focus on storytelling, which is something that gets lost in all of today’s 3-D.”

Mackie’s announcing partner, Kate Beckinsale, was also quick to praise “The Artist,” citing its success as a key part of a varied field. “One of the things that I found great about it was that you couldn’t really generalize these films. We’re seeing these very left-field, high-far-reaching concepts.”

More commentary to come. Full nominations below.

The Nominees for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature (Award given to the Producer)
50/50 - Ben Karlin, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen

Beginners - Miranda de Pencier, Lars Knudsen, Jan Van Hoy, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech

Drive - Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel

Take Shelter - Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin

The Artist - Thomas Langmann, Emmanuel Montamat

The Descendants - Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Mike Mills, Beginners

Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive

Best First Feature (Award given to the director and producer)
Another Earth - Director: Mike Cahill; Producers: Mike Cahill, Hunter Gray, Brit Marling, Nicholas Shumaker

In The Family - Director: Patrick Wang; Producers: Robert Tonino, Andrew van den Houten, Patrick Wang

Margin Call - Director: J.C. Chandor; Producers: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto

Martha Marcy May Marlene - Director: Sean Durkin; Producers: Antonio Campos, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Josh Mond

Natural Selection - Director: Robbie Pickering; Producers: Brion, Hambel, Paul Jensen

John Cassavetes Award
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
Bellflower - Writer/Director: Evan Glodell; Producers: Evan Glodell, Vincent Grashaw

Circumstance - Writer/Director: Maryam Kesahavarz; Producers: Karin Chien, Maryan Keshavarz, Melissa M. Lee

Hello Lonesome - Writer/Director/Producer: Adam Reid

Pariah - Writer/Director: Dee Rees; Producer: Nekisa Cooper

The Dynamiter - Writers: Matthew Gordon, Brad Ingelsby; Director: Matthew Gordon; Producers: Kevin Abrams, Matthew Gordon, Merilee Holt, Nate Tuck, Amile Wilson

Best Screenplay
Mike Mills, Beginners

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants

Joseph Cedar, Footnote

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Tom McCarthy, Win Win

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth

Patrick deWitt, Terri

Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids

Will Reiser, 50/50

J.C. Chandor, Margin Call

Best Female Lead
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Rachael Harris, Natural Selection

Adepero Oduye, Pariah

Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me

Best Male Lead
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Woody Harrelson, Rampart

Ryan Gosling, Drive

Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Demian Bichir, A Better Life

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter

Anjelica Huston, 50/50

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road

Shailenne Woodley, The Descendants

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks, Drive

John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris

John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge, Bellflower

Darius Khondji, Midnight in Paris

Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist

Benjamin Kasulke, The Off-Hours

Jeffrey Waldron, The Dynamiter

Best Documentary (Award given to the director)
Jarreth Merz, An African Election

Richard Press, Bill Cunningham New York

Steve James, The Interrupters

David Weissman, We Were Here

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

Best Foreign Film (Award given to the director)
Asghar Farhadi, Separation

Lars Von Trier, Melancholia

Steve McQueen, Shame

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, The Kid With a Bike

Paddy Considine, Tyrannosaur

Robert Altman Award
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Margin Call - Director: J.C. Chandor; Casting Directors: Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey; Cast: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Aasif Mandvi, Ashley Williams

Piaget Producers Award
Chad Burris (Mosquito y Mari)

Sophia Lynn (Take Shelter)

Josh Bond (Martha Marcy May Marlene)

Someone to Watch Award
Simon Arthur (Silver Tongues)

Mark Jackson (Without)

Nicholas Ozeki (Mamitas)

Truer Than Fiction Award
Where Soldiers Come From

Hell and Back Again

Bombay Beach

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

Indie Spirit Awards Call for Entries Begins Today

Indiewire Staff — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:49:36 GMT

It's that time of year again: As summer starts to wind down, awards season revs up. Film Independent is getting a head start today, beginning its call for entries for the Independent Spirit Awards, now in its 27th year. They're also taking submissions for filmmaker grants.

Submission guidelines, applications, and more information can be found here.

Key Deadlines:
September 13 (early deadline)
October 11 (late deadline)
Filmmaker Grants deadline, September 13

Full Spirit Awards release follows:

WHAT: Film Independent is accepting submissions beginning TODAY, with the early deadline of Tuesday, September 13 and the final deadline of Tuesday, October 11. The deadline to submit for the Filmmaker Grants is Tuesday, September 13.
WHERE: Submission guidelines, applications, and more information can be found at SpiritAwards.com

DETAILS: Now in its 27th year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promoting the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film*, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Grants include Someone to Watch Award, Truer Than Fiction Award, and Piaget Producers Award.

*Please note that the Best Foreign Film category has been renamed Best International Film. While the award name has changed, no rules regarding eligibility have been altered from previous years when this category was called Best Foreign Film.

About Film Independent:

Film Independent is a non-profit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, are comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry leader, or a film lover.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent offers free Filmmaker Labs for selected writers, directors, and producers; provides cut-rate services for filmmakers; and presents year-round networking opportunities. Film Independent’s mentorship and job placement program, Project:Involve, pairs emerging culturally diverse filmmakers with film industry professionals.

Film Independent produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema and the Spirit Awards, a celebration honoring films and filmmakers that embody independence and dare to challenge the status quo.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

REVIEW | A Work In Progress: James Franco and Gus Van Sant's "Unfinished"

Eric Kohn — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:31:08 GMT

James Franco's ubiquity may finally have reached its saturation point this past weekend. Within the same frenzied 48-hour period there was his Independent Spirit Award win for "127 Hours;" an Oscar co-hosting gig; and a third, less-visible achievement: Saturday was the opening of "Unfinished," his collaboration with director Gus Van Sant. And it's only this work, now open to the public at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, that provides a tool to understanding Franco's apparent campaign to baffle the public.

The small Gagosian space has been divided into three parts, two of which contain video projections, while the third displays large watercolor portraits of young men painted by Van Sant. The projections are comprised of extraneous footage from Van Sant's 1991 drama "My Own Private Idaho" and reedited by Franco into two pieces that bring newfound scrutiny to River Phoenix's sullen performance.

"My Own Private River" runs 100 minutes, while "Endless Idaho" clocks in at a whopping 12 hours. Both show the late Phoenix playing his alienated street urchin, Mike, free from the context of the completed narrative feature. Instead, Franco edits together distended moments in which Phoenix inhabits the role with such verisimilitude that the material suggests a nonlinear documentary.

On Saturday morning, the first day that the exhibit opened to the public, I was among four or five curious attendees drifting between these pieces. Given their relative lengths, I had more time to observe "My Own Private River," which I found genuinely compelling and a fascinating companion to the original movie. A smart distributor would rerelease Van Sant's feature on DVD for its 20th anniversary and include this elegantly curated outtake montage as a bonus.

"My Own Private River" opens with a track written by R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe set to footage of a giddy Phoenix horsing around and mugging for the camera. Franco then cuts to time-lapse images of desolate Portland with expressive and silent b-roll of clouds whipping through the sky. The subsequent scene, included in Van Sant's film, shows Phoenix's Mike in close-up as he receives a blowjob from an unseen person.

But as the sequence continues, it takes on a rawer feel than the source material. The unmixed soundtrack strips artifice and draws attention to the naturalistic quality of Phoenix's performance. As he continues to play Max, grabbing groceries and meandering down the street alongside fellow street hustler Keanu Reeves, Max becomes not the star of the show but the show itself. Glaring at himself in a bathroom mirror, Phoenix abruptly breaks his moody stare by sticking out his tongue and wiggling his fingers. In these moments, Franco picks up on the "private" qualities implied by the project's title, sketching Phoenix/Max as a somber introvert with a playfulness just beneath the surface.

The feeling of reality uncut expands to the installation's physical space, which is described in notes made available to museum visitors: "Metal chairs, coffee maker, checkered linoleum floor, couches, Christmas tree, small television screening original film 'My Own Private Idaho.'" When I attended, the television displayed an empty blue screen, but you get the idea: The smaller screen allows for contrast between the polished original and the installation's more expansive portrait. The room's casual setup also creates a sense of intimacy with the figure projected on the wall. Watching Phoenix seamlessly transition into his character, it's impossible not to be mesmerized, as Franco probably was when Van Sant first shared this material while the two worked on "Milk."

As Phoenix and Max merge, "My Own Private River" makes evident the dual nature of all performances, an underlying tension between the character onscreen and the individual who creates it. And that's Franco's current shtick in a nutshell. Much of the perceived weirdness of his ultra-busy schedule revolves around the way it draws attention to the work behind the scenes. (Even at the Oscars, the guy was tweeting from backstage.) Wondering how he does it all turns the activity of creation into the actual story.

"My Own Private River" gets that point across a lot better than the adjacent installation, "Endless Idaho," which I watched for about half an hour. Paying homage to Andy Warhol both in length and confounding avant-garde inspiration, this distended collection of outtakes -- supposedly an "alternative version" of the movie, but really just a repetitive series of long shots preceded by the clapper -- puts more emphasis on the production process.

Maybe I didn't see enough to get the whole picture, because after watching Phoenix drift through a massive vista a half dozen times, an unseen hand suddenly quit out of the Quicktime program playing the video, leaving in its place a cluttered Apple desktop. (That's one way to break the fourth wall.) While I'm not in a position to address this aspect of the exhibit in detail, I'd suggest that if you have some spare time and live near the Gagosian… you might want to focus on "My Own Private River" instead.

Still, despite its modest contents, the gallery offers a uniquely contemplative experience. In contrast to the media's ubiquitous befuddlement over Franco's career, "Unfinished" establishes a tantalizing thesis for the intersection of personality and artistic expression. As a cerebral companion piece to the media deconstruction of Franco's "Three's Company: The Drama," which premiered in January at Sundance, it eschews straightforward analysis for an open-ended approach. The art reflects the artist: "Unfinished" positions the Franco effect as a constant work in progress.

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)

-continued on the next page-

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)