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)