The Hurt Locker, Big Fan lead IFP Gotham nominees

IFP announced the nominees for its 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards to be handed out on November 30 in New York City. Twenty-three films were nominated across six competitive categories for best feature, best documentary, breakthrough director, breakthrough actor, best ensemble performance and Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You.

In addition to the competitive awards Kathryn Bigelow, and UK producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will each be presented with a career tribute. Natalie Portman, Stanley Tucci, and Working Title co-founders

Primary criteria for consideration includes American (US-based or US-born), feature-length films made with a point of view. Additional criteria includes independently distributed films made with an economy of means.

“Independent cinema continues to thrive in 2009,” IFP executive director Michelle Byrd said. “Ranging from the small gems produced on micro-budgets to extraordinary films from specialty distributors, the nominees all share the type of creative vision and risk-taking that are a hallmark of independent film.”

The nominees for the 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards follow:

Best Feature

Amreeka — Cherien Dabis, director; Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin, producers (National Geographic Entertainment)

Big Fan — Robert Siegel, director; Jean Kouremetis, Elan Bogarin, producers (First Independent Pictures)

The Hurt Locker — Kathryn Bigelow, director; Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Greg Shapiro, producers (Summit Entertainment)

The Maid — Sebastian Silva, director; Gregorio Gonzales, producer (Elephant Eye Films)

A Serious Man — Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors/producers (Focus Features)

Best Documentary

Food, Inc — Robert Kenner, director; Kenner, Elise Pearlstein, producers (Magnolia Pictures)

Good Hair — Jeff Stilson, director; Chris Rock, Kevin O’Donnell, Nelson George Jenny Hunter, producers (Liddell Entertainment and Roadside Attractions in association with HBO Films)

My Neighbor My Killer — Anne Aghion, director/producer (Gacaca Productions)

Paradise — Michael Almereyda, director; Almereyda, Laurie Butler, producers (Post Factory Films)

Tyson — James Toback, director; Toback, Damon Bingham, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Ensemble Performance

Adventureland — Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Ryan Reynolds (Miramax Films)

Cold Souls — Paul Giamatti, Dina Korzun, Emily Watson, Katheryn Winnick, David Strathairn (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

The Hurt Locker — Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly (Summit Entertainment)

A Serious Man — Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed (Focus Features)

Sugar — Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Michael Gaston, Andre Holland, Ann Whitney, Richard Bull, EllaryPorterfield, Jaime Tirelli (Sony Pictures Classics)

Breakthrough Director

Cruz Angeles for Don’t Let Me Drown

Frazer Bradshaw for Everything Strange And New

Noah Buschel for The Missing Person (Strand Releasing)

Derick Martini for Lymelife (Screen Media Films)

Robert Siegel for Big Fan(First Independent Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor

Ben Foster in The Messenger (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Patton Oswalt in Big Fan(First Independent Pictures)

Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment)

Catalina Saavedra in The Maid (Elephant Eye Films)

Soulémane Sy Savané in Goodbye Solo (Roadside Attractions)

Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You

Everything Strange And New — Frazer Bradshaw, director; Laura Techera Francia, A D Liano, producers

Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench — Damien Chazelle, director; Jasmine McGlade, producer

October Country — Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher, directors/producers

You Won’t Miss Me — Ry Russo-Young, director/producer

Zero Bridge — Tariq Tapa, director; Tapa, Josée Lajoie, Hilal Ahmed Langoo, producers