The best independent films of 2008 were recognized with the announcement of the Independent Spirit Award nominees. The awards show will be broadcast live on IFC on February 21st.
The Nominees:
Best Feature:
Ballast
Producers: Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh
Frozen River
Producers: Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
Rachel Getting Married
Producers: Neda Armian, Jonathan Demme, Marc Platt
Wendy and Lucy
Producers: Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
The Wrestler
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin
Best Director:
Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
Lance Hammer, Ballast
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Best First Feature:
Afterschool
Director: Antonio Campos
Producers: Sean Durkin, Josh Mond
Medicine for Melancholy
Director: Barry Jenkins
Producer: Justin Barber
Sangre de Mi Sangre
Director: Christopher Zalla
Producers: Per Melita, Benjamin Odell
Sleep Dealer
Director: Alex Rivera
Producer: Anthony Bregman
Synecdoche, New York
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000):
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Writer/Director: Alex Holdridge
Producers: Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy
Prince of Broadway
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker, Darren Dean
Producer: Darren Dean
The Signal
Writer/Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Producers: Jacob Gentry and Alexander Motiagh
Take Out
Writer/Directors/Producers: Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou
Turn the River
Writer/Director: Chris Eigeman
Producer: Ami Armstrong
Best First Screenplay:
Lance Hammer, Ballast
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
Best Screenplay:
Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Sugar
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
Howard A. Rodman, Savage Grace
Christopher Zalla, Sangre de Mi Sangre
Best Female Lead:
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Tarra Riggs, Ballast
Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
Best Male Lead:
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Sean Penn, Milk
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Supporting Female:
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Misty Upham, Frozen River
Debra Winger, Rachel Getting Married
Best Supporting Male:
James Franco, Milk
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Charlie McDermott, Frozen River
JimMyron Ross, Ballast
Haaz Sleiman, The Visitor
Best Cinematography:
Maryse Alberti, The Wrestler
Lol Crowley, Ballast
James Laxton, Medicine for Melancholy
Harris Savides, Milk
Michael Simmonds, Chop Shop
Best Documentary:
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Director: Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World
Director: Werner Herzog
Man on Wire
Director: James Marsh
The Order of Myths
Director: Margaret Brown
Up the Yangtze
Director: Yang Chung
Best Foreign Film:
The Class (France)
Director: Laurent Cantet
Gomorrah (Italy)
Director: Matteo Garrone
Hunger (UK/Ireland)
Director: Steve McQueen
Secret of the Grain (France)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Silent Light (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)
Director: Carlos Reygadas
Robert Altman Award (Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast):
Synecdoche, New York
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams
Someone to Watch Award:
Barry Jenkins, Medicine for Melancholy
Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues
Lynn Shelton, My Effortless Brilliance
Truer Than Fiction Award:
Margaret Brown, The Order of Myths
Sacha Gervasi, Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Darius Marder, Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, Treeless Mountain and I’ll Come Running
Jason Orans, Goodbye Solo and Year of the Fish
Heather Rae, Frozen River and Ibid
