
The French silent black and white film, The Artist, has earned five nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, which take place in Santa Monica on 25 February.
The event is organised by the non-profit arts organisation, Film Independent, which is totally dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It is one of the important awards events in the run-up to the Oscars in February.
Here are the nominees for the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards:
BEST FEATURE
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
The Artist
The Descendants
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius The Artist
Mike Mills Beginners
Jeff Nichols Take Shelter
Alexander Payne The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn Drive
BEST SCREENPLAY
Joseph Cedar Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius The Artist
Tom Mccarthy Win Win
Mike Mills Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash The Descendants
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Another Earth
In The Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Mike Cahill and Brit Marling Another Earth
J.C. Chandor Margin Call
Patrick Dewitt Terri
Phil Johnston Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser 50/50
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
Bellflower
Circumstance
Hello Lonesome
Pariah
The Dynamiter
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Lauren Ambrose Think Of Me
Rachael Harris Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams My Week With Marilyn
BEST MALE LEAD
Demiαn Bichir A Better Life
Jean Dujardin The Artist
Ryan Gosling Drive
Woody Harrelson Rampart
Michael Shannon Take Shelter
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jessica Chastain Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston 50/50
Janet McTeer Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley The Descendants
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Albert Brooks Drive
John Hawkes Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer Beginners
John C. Reilly Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll Midnight In Paris
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Joel Hodge Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke The Off Hours
Darius Khondji Midnight In Paris
Guillaume Schiffman The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron The Dynamiter
BEST DOCUMENTARY
An African Election
Bill Cunningham New York
The Interrupters
The Redemption Of General Butt Naked
We Were Here
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
A Separation (Iran)
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Melancholia, (Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany)
Director: Lars Von Trier
Shame (UK)
Director: Steve Mcqueen
The Kid With A Bike (Belgium, France, Italy)
Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
Tyrannosaur (UK)
Director: Paddy Considine
Robert Altman Award
(Award given to one films director, casting director and its ensemble cast)
Margin Call
Director: J.C. Chandor
Casting Directors: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
Ensemble Cast: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary Mcdonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey and Stanley Tucci
(Source: Below The Line News)
