Click here to download a PDF version of this press release with listings by distributor, Filmmaker Grant nominee bios, and other details.

2008 FILM INDEPENDENT’S SPIRIT AWARDS
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Filmmaker Grant Nominees and First-Ever Robert Altman Award Also Announced

LOS ANGELES (November 27, 2007) – Nominations for the 2008 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards were announced this morning, including nominations for Best Feature, which are The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I’m Not There, Juno, A Mighty Heart, and Paranoid Park. Also announced were the finalists for the IFC/Acura Someone to Watch Award, the Truer Than Fiction Award, and the Producers Award. Zach Braff and Lisa Kudrow served as nomination presenters at the event.

Also announced was the first-ever Robert Altman Award given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast. Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There, about the legendary musician Bob Dylan, received this inaugural award, along with casting director Laura Rosenthal, and ensemble cast members Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Richard Gere, Bruce Greenwood,  Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw.

The 2008 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards ceremony will air uncut, uncensored, and commercial free on IFC (Independent Film Channel) on Saturday, February 23. An edited re-broadcast of the ceremony will air later that evening on AMC.

Selected from more than 250 submissions, this year’s winners will be unveiled at Film Independent’s Spirit Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 23, 2008, in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. Diana Zahn-Storey returns to produce the event for the fourteenth consecutive year. The Honorary Chairs and Presenters will be announced shortly.

Film Independent’s Spirit Awards ceremony is sponsored by Premier Sponsors IFC, Netflix, Axium International, ELLE, AMC, and Piaget, as well as Principal Sponsors Acura, Pop Secret, and Biolage Professional Haircare.  Casa Del Mar, Sheraton Delfina, and Shutters on the Beach are the Official Host Hotels. Wire Image is the Official Photographer of Film Independent. American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner of Film Independent.

“This year’s Spirit Awards once again put the spotlight on new and original voices in film,” said Dawn Hudson, Executive Director of Film Independent.  “Now in our 23rd year, we are proud to continue recognizing the outstanding work being done by emerging and veteran independent filmmakers alike.”

Added Mary Sweeney, Chair of the American Narrative Feature Nominating Committee, “This year’s field of independent films bristled with creative expression and courage. To narrow the field to these nominees was a difficult but rewarding task. We congratulate the 2008 Spirit Award nominees for their uniqueness of vision.”

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committee applies the following guidelines in making its selections:
1. Uniqueness of vision
2. Original, provocative subject matter
3. Economy of means
4. Percentage of financing from independent sources

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committee is composed of three subcommittees: American Narrative, Foreign Film, and Documentary Film. The 14-person American Narrative Nominating Committee included Committee Chair, writer/producer/editor/director Mary Sweeney; producers Stephanie Allain, Alison Dickey, Gail Mutrux, and Rebecca Yeldham; actor Clifton Collins, Jr.; actor/author Amber Tamblyn; director/producer Ulu Grosbard; writer/producers Larry Gross and Diana Ossana; casting director Johanna Ray; writer/director Ali Selim; director Mora Stephens; and film critic Elvis Mitchell.

The seven-person Documentary Feature Nominating Committee included Committee Chair, President of Laemmle Theaters, Greg Laemmle; filmmakers Amy Berg, Jeff Feuerzeig, and Margarita Martinez; Indiewire.com editor Eugene Hernandez; festival programmer Thom Powers; and film critic Ella Taylor.

The nine-person Foreign Feature Nominating Committee included Committee Chair, President of Kimmel International, Bingham Ray; writer/directors Tony Bui, Goran Dukic, and Neil LaBute; writer/producer Laurie Parker; actress Shohreh Aghdashloo; U.S. editor of Screen International Mike Goodridge; talent manager Marie-Therese Guirgis; and film critic Kenneth Turan.

Eligible films must be at least 70 minutes long, and the cost of the completed film, including post-production, must be under $20 million. Films must have been shown in a commercial theater for at least one week between January 1 and December 31, 2007 or shown at one of the following festivals in 2007: Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, New York, Sundance, Telluride, or Toronto.

After the committees select the nominees, the members of Film Independent, as well as the members of IFP – who must register to vote by December 1 – cast the final votes. Voters attend nominee screenings and access nominated films online through B-Side before selecting the Spirit Awards winners. Membership in Film Independent is open to anyone passionate about film and wishing to support our mission to cultivate the careers of independent filmmakers, build an audience for independent film, and promote diversity in the film industry. Membership begins at $95 per year and advances to various sponsor and donor levels. Those who join before December 15, 2007, will be eligible to vote to determine the winners for the 2008 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards.

In an effort to provide greater access to the nominated films for voting members, Film Independent has teamed up with online streaming company B-Side Entertainment. Through this new partnership, members we will have access to many of the nominated films immediately. Streaming the films online is also part of our effort to be more eco-friendly. Online viewing works for both PC and MAC platforms but will require at least a DSL connection to the internet. The streaming site will be available from December 15, 2007, to February 13, 2008.

Click here for a full list of the 2008 Spirit Awards nominees.

ABOUT THE SPIRIT AWARDS
Film Independent's Spirit Awards ceremony is sponsored by Premier Sponsors IFC, Netflix, Axium International, ELLE, AMC, and Piaget, as well as Principal Sponsors Acura, and Pop Secret. Casa Del Mar, Sheraton Delfina, and Shutters on the Beach are the Official Host Hotels. Wire Image is the Official Photographer of Film Independent. American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner of Film Independent.

Film Independent's Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and who dare to challenge the status quo. Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, the Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.

Selected from more than 250 submissions, awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Film, and Best Documentary.

Spirit Awards winners are chosen by Film Independent members with voting privileges extended to IFP members. Voters attend nominee screenings and view nominated films online through a partnership with B-Side before selecting Spirit Awards winners. Additionally, voters who are Netflix subscribers can still access already released nominated films on DVD.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is a non-profit membership organization of filmmakers, film leaders and film lovers that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds the audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, film industry leader, or a film lover.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded film-lovers and artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent also offers free Filmmaker Labs for selected writers, directors, and producers; provides cut-rate services for filmmakers; and presents year-round networking opportunities. Film Independent's mentorship and job placement program, Project:Involve, pairs emerging culturally-diverse filmmakers with film industry professionals.

Film Independent produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema, and the Spirit Awards, a celebration honoring films and filmmakers that embody independence and dare to challenge the status quo.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

ABOUT B-SIDE
B-Side provides acquisition, marketing and distribution services to independent filmmakers, film festivals, and distributors. Through a patent-pending technology that powers the Web sites for more than 100 international film festivals, B-Side has assembled the world's largest audience focus group for the discovery of independent films.

Partnerships with distributors such as IFC provide access to worldwide audiences and commercial opportunity for films that would have previously fallen through the cracks of the traditional film distribution system.