2009 Spirit Award Nominees

Film Independent’s Spirit Awards are meant to honor “indie” films, i.e. no blockbuster movies allowed but if you played at some festivals and didn’t cost a lot of money, you’re in consideration.  The Spirit Awards are a good indicator of what smaller films could be getting a shot at Oscar nominations in various categories.  Usually, their nominees are pretty solid and play like a nice alternative universe where the Oscars went to more deserving nominees (last year The Wrestler won Best Film and Best Actor).

But this year’s choices are obvious mixed with disappointingly bizarre.  In a year where some strong, hard-sell films came out of Sundance with strong buzz, the Spirit Awards have instead shown love to movies like Two Lovers, Cold Souls, and (500) Days of Summer.  It’s not that any of these films are resoundingly bad, but when placed alongside obvious contenders like Precious and A Single Man, it feels like Film Independent (who chooses the nominees) were struggling to fill all the nomination slots.  It’s even more bizarre for what you won’t find: Colin Firth for A Single Man; any nominations for A Serious Man beyond cinematography, direction, and the Robert Altman Award; and a Best Director nomination for Marc Webb just to name a few.  Hit the jump for the full list of nominees.  The 2009 Independent Spirit Awards will air on March 5, 2010 at 8pm PST on IFC.’

BEST FEATURE

(500) Days of Summer

Amreeka

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Sin Nombre

The Last Station

BEST DIRECTOR

Joel and Ethan Coen – A Serious Man

Lee Daniels – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Cary Joji Fukunaga – Sin Nombre

James Gray – Two Lovers

Michael Hoffman – The Last Station

BEST FIRST FEATURE

A Single Man

Crazy Heart

Easier with Practice

Paranormal Activity

The Messenger

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the Best Feature made for under $500,000)

Big Fan

Humpday

The New Year Parade

Treeless Mountain

Zero Bridge

BEST SCREENPLAY

Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman – The Messenger

Michael Hoffman – The Last Station

Lee Toland Krieger – The Vicious Kind

Greg Mottola – Adventureland

Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber – (500) Days of Summer

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Sophie Barthes – Cold Souls

Scott Cooper – Crazy Heart

Cherien Dabis – Amreeka

Geoffrey Fletcher – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Tom Ford, David Sceacre – A Single Man

BEST ACTRESS

Maria Bello – Downloading Nancy

Helen Mirren – The Last Station

Gwyneth Paltrow – Two Lovers

Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Nisreen Faour – Amreeka

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart

Colin Firth – A Single Man

Joseph Gordon-Levitt – (500) Days of Summer

Souléymane Sy Savané – Goodbye Solo

Adam Scott – The Vicious Kind

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Dina Korzun – Cold Souls

Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Samantha Morton – The Messenger

Natalie Press – Fifty Dead Men Walking

Mia Wasikowska – That Evening Sun

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Jemaine Clement – Gentleman Broncos

Woody Harrelson – The Messenger

Christian McKay – Me and Orson Welles

Raymond McKinnon – That Evening Sun

Christopher Plummer – The Last Station

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Roger Deakins – A Serious Man

Adriano Goldman – Sin Nombre

Anne Misawa – Treeless Mountain

Andrij Parekh – Cold Souls

Peter Zeitlinger – Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Food, Inc.

More Than a Game

October Country

Which Way Home

BEST FOREIGN FILM

A Prophet

An Education

Everlasting Moments

Mother

The Maide

THE ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

A Serious Man

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD

Karin Chien – The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa

Larry Fessenden – I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil

Dia Sokol – Beeswax, Nights & Weekends

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

Kyle Patrick Alvarez – Easier With Practice

Asiel Norton – Redland

Tariq Tapa – Zero Bridge

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

Natalia Almada – El General

Jessica Oreck – Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

Bill Ross, Turner Ross – 45365