I didn’t get to watch most of the independent movies that are nominated this year for THE 2009 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD but if I were to have my pick, I’d say FROZEN RIVER for Best Picture, Courtney River (Frozen River) for Best Director, Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) for Best Male Lead, Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) for Best Female Lead, James Franco (Milk) for Best Supporting Male, Debra Winger (Rachel Getting Married) for Best Supporting Female, Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) for Best Screenplay, Harris Savides (Milk) for Best Cinematography, Man On Wire for Best Documentary. But somehow though, I got the feeling that Arren Daronofsky’s THE WRESTLER is going to go home with the big prizes instead.
Independent Spirit Awards will be handed out on February 21st, 2009 and will be broadcast live and uncut on IFC at 5pm EST. Here’s the complete list of the nominations.
Best Feature
Ballast
Frozen River
Rachel Getting Married
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler
Best First Feature
Afterschool
Medicine for Melancholy
Sangre De Mi Sangre
Sleep Dealer
Synecdoche, New York
Best Director
Ramin Bahrani – Chop Shop
Jonathan Demme – Rachel Getting Married
Lance Hammer – Ballast
Courtney Hunt – Frozen River
Tom McCarthy – The Visitor
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 Female Lead
Summer Bishil – Towelhead
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo – Frozen River
Tarra Riggs – Ballast
Michelle Williams – Wendy and Lucy
Best Supporting Male
James Franco – Milk
Anthony Mackie – The Hurt Locker
Charlie McDermott – Frozen River
JimMyron Ross – Ballast
Haaz Sleiman – The Visitor
Best Supporting Female
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt – Rachel Getting Married
Rosie Perez – The Take
Misty Upham – Frozen River
Debra Winger – Rachel Getting Married
Best Screenplay
Woody Allen – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck – Sugar
Charlie Kaufman – Synecdoche, New York
Howard A. Rodman – Savage Grace
Christopher Zalla – Sangre De Mi Sangre
Best Cinematography
Maryse Alberti – The Wrestler
Lol Crawley – Ballast
James Laxton – Medicine for Melancholy
Harris Savides – Milk
Michael Simmonds – Chop Shop
Best Documentary
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
Man on Wire
The Order of Myths
Up the Yangtze
Best Foreign Film
The Class (France)
Gomorra (Italy)
Hunger (U.K./Ireland)
Secret of the Grain (France)
Silent Light (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)
