Lions Gate's comedy Lovely& Amazing led the field with six2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards nominations today (Dec 11) while FocusFeatures' 1950s drama Far From Heaven weighed in with five including best female lead andsupporting male nods for Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid. Both picturesgarnered best director nominations for Nicole Holofcener and Todd Haynesrespectively and will contest the best feature category with Lions Gate'sSecretary, FoxSearchlight's The Good Girland Tully, which has no USdistributor. A diverse best male lead category includes Campbell Scott for RogerDodger, Graham Greene for ChrisEyre's Native American crime drama Skins and acclaimed newcomer Derek Luke for DenzelWashington's directorial debut, the Navy drama Antwone Fisher.
Anthony La Paglia,Carrie-Anne Moss, who won the 2001 best supporting female award for Memento, Mena Suvari and Isaiah Washington announced thelist of nominations, which were chosen for their originality and ability toprovoke, uniqueness of vision, economy of means and percentage of independentfinancing. "There was an astonishing range of excellent work this year,with a particular emphasis on exploring complicated, deeply flawed characters.It made the committee's job even harder than usual," said Bill Condon,chair of the nominating committee.
Dawn Hudson, executivedirector of IFP/Los Angeles, added: "You can see the evolution of theindependent film world in these nominations: more films written or directed bywomen, more films made with digital technology, more outstanding films made onmicro-budgets; and, this year, unfortunately, more excellent films with littleor no distribution. The nominations represent an amazing spectrum of talent; weare proud to put the spotlight on all of them." Joining Condon and Hudsonon the nominating committee this year were, among others, cinematographer JohnBailey, actress Michelle Rodriguez and Los Angeles Times film critic KennethTuran. Nominations were chosen from 190 submissions and the winners will bevoted by IFPis nationwide base of 9,000 members. The awards ceremonytakes place on Mar 22, 2003.
Elsewhere, the Turning LeafCoastal Reserve Someone To Watch Award nominees for a film-maker who has notyet received appropriate recognition were: Eric Eason for Manito; Eitan Gorlin for The Holy Land; and Przemyslaw Reut for Paradox Lake. Nominees for the DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than FictionAward for an emerging director of non-fiction features were: Jeff Blitz for Spellbound; Jennifer Dworkin for Love & Diane; Eugene Jarecki for The Trials Of Henry Kissinger; and Mark Moskowitz for Stone Rider. The Motorola Producers Award nominees for producerswho overcame limited resources to demonstrate creativity, tenacity and visionwere: Effie T Brown for Real Women Have Curves and Stranger Inside; Jesse Scolaro and Allen Bain for Manito and Cry Funny Happy; and Eden H Wurmfeld for Kissing Jessica Stein and Fanci's Persuasion. Winners in all three categories will each receivean unrestricted $20,000 grant.
2003 IFP INDEPENDENT SPIRITAWARD NOMINATIONS:
Best Feature (award given tothe producer)
The Good Girl (Matthew Greenfield)
Far From Heaven (Jody Patton and Christine Vachon)
Lovely & Amazing (Anthony Bregman, Eric diArbeloff and TedHope)
Secretary (Andrew Fierberg, Amy Hobby and Steven Shainberg)
Tully (Hilary Birmingham and Annie Sundberg)
Best First Feature (awardgiven to the director)
The Dangerous Lives OfAltar Boys (Peter Care)
Interview With TheAssassin (Neil Burger)
Manito (Eric Eason)
Paid In Full (Charles Stone III)
Roger Dodger (Dylan Kidd)
John Cassavetes Award forthe best feature made under $500,000 (award given to the writer, director andproducer)
Charlotte Sometimes (writer-director Eric Byler and producers MarcAmbrose and Eric Byler)
Dahmer (writer-director David Jacobson and producer LarryRattner)
ivans xtc. (writers Lisa Enos and Bernard Rose, directorBernard Rose and producer Lisa Enos)
Personal Velocity (writer-director Rebecca Miller and producers AlexisAlexanian, Lemore Syvan and Gary Winick)
The Slaughter Rule (writer-directors Alex Smith and Andrew Smith,producers Gregory O'Connor and Michael Robinson)
Best Director
Todd Haynes Far FromHeaven
Gus Van Sant Gerry
Bernard Rose ivans xtc.
Nicole Holofcener Lovely& Amazing
Joe Carnahan Narc
Best Screenplay
Mike White The Good Girl
Nicole Holofcener Lovely& Amazing
Dylan Kidd Roger Dodger
Karen Sprecher and JillSprecher Thirteen Conversations About One Thing
Matt Drake and HilaryBirmingham Tully
Best First Screenplay
Laura Cahill HystericalBlindness
Burr Steers Igby GoesDown
NeilBurger Interview With The Assassin
Heather Juergensen andJennifer Westfeldt Kissing Jessica Stein
Erin Cressida Wilson Secretary
Best Female Lead
Jennifer Aniston The GoodGirl
Maggie Gyllenhaal Secretary
Catherine Keener Lovely& Amazing
Julianne Moore Far FromHeaven
Parker Posey PersonalVelocity
BestMale Lead
Derek Luke Antwone Fisher
Graham Greene Skins
Danny Huston ivans xtc.
Jeremy Renner Dahmer
Campbell Scott RogerDodger
Best Supporting Female
Viola Davis AntwoneFisher
Jacqueline Kim CharlotteSometimes
Juliette Lewis HystericalBlindness
Emily Mortimer Lovely& Amazing
Julianne Nicholson Tully
Best Supporting Male
Alan Arkin ThirteenConversations About One Thing
Ray Liotta Narc
Dennis Quaid Far FromHeaven
John C Reilly The GoodGirl
Peter Weller ivans xtc.
Best Debut Performance
Bob Burrus Tully
America Ferrera RealWomen Have Curves
Raven Goodwin Lovely& Amazing
Artel Kayaru Dahmer
Nia Vardalos My Big FatGreek Wedding
Best Cinematography
Edward Lachman Far fromHeaven
Harris Savides Gerry
Richard Rutkowski InterviewWith The Assassin
Alex Nepomniaschy Narc
Ellen Kuras PersonalVelocity
Best Foreign Film (awardgoes to the director)
Bloody Sunday (Paul Greengrass)
The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat) (Zacharias Kunuk)
The Piano Teacher (La Pianiste) Michael Haneke)
Time Out (L'Emploi Du Temps) (Laurent Cantet)
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron)
BestDocumentary
Bowling For Columbine (Michael Moore)
The Cockettes (Bill Weber and David Weissman)
Devil's Playground (Lucy Walker)
How To Draw A Bunny (John Walter)
Stevie (Steve James)
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