10/19/2009

in

Hurt Locker and "Big Fan" favorites at the indie awards.

Robyn Chelsea-Seifert

Nominations for the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards were announced giving everyone a good reason to start making their early Oscar predictions and rally around the movies that should have been seen.  
  
Three festival darlings found their way into the heavily nominated slots amidst higher profile critically acclaimed but still low grossing films.  
  
It comes as no surprise that Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" drew the most attention with three nods and will no doubt continue the momentum at the Spirit Awards. Robert Siegel's dark horse "Big Fan" starring comedian Patton Oswalt tied for three as well.  
  
Rounding out the Best Feature Category were Cherien Dabis' "Amreeka," the Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man" and "The Maid," directed by Sebastian Silva.  
  
The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation's oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, will present director Kathryn Bigelow, actors Natalie Portman and Stanley Tucci, and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, with a career tribute at the awards ceremony celebration on Nov. 30.  
  
The following is a full list of nominees:  
  
Best Documentary: Food Inc., Good Hair, My Neighbor My Killer, Paradise, Tyson  
  
Best Ensemble Performance: Adventureland, Cold Souls, The Hurt Locker, A Serious Man, Sugar  
  
Breakthrough Director: Cruz Angeles, Don't Let Me Drown; Frazer Bradshaw, Everything Strange and New; Noah Buschel, The Missing Person; Derek Martini, Lymelife; Robert Siegel, Big Fan  
  
Breakthrough Actor: Ben Foster, The Messenger; Patton Oswalt, Big Fan; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker; Catalina Saavedra, The Maid; Soulémane Sy Savané, Goodbye Solo  
  
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: Everything Strange and New, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, October Country, You Won't Miss Me, Zero Bridge