Lord help us, awards season is here again.  I'm a member of SEFCA (the Southeastern Film Critics Association) and my first screener arrived yesterday afternoon (it was for The Exotic Marigold Hotel).  Today, the Gotham Independent Film Awards have announced their nominees.  The Best Picture nominees are Bernie, The Loneliest Planet, The Master, Middle of Nowhere, and Moonrise Kingdom.  I haven't seen Planet or Nowhere, but I'm a bit surprised at the absence of Beasts of the Southern Wild, although the film did pick up nominations for Breakthrough Director (Benh Zeitlin) and Breakthrough Actor (Quvenzhané Wallis).

Hit the jump for a full list of the nominees.  Winners will be announced on November 26th.

Best Feature

Bernie -- Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Ginger Sledge, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer, Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, producers (Millennium Entertainment)

The Loneliest Planet -- Julia Loktev, director; Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Helge Albers, Marie Therese Guirgis, producers (SundanceSelects)

The Master -- Paul Thomas Anderson, director; Joanne Sellar, Daniel Lupi, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, producers (The Weinstein Company)

Middle of Nowhere -- Ava DuVernay, director; Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, producers (AFFRM and Participant Media)

Moonrise Kingdom -- Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Focus Features)

Best Documentary

Detropia -- Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors; Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Craig Atkinson, producers (Loki Films)

How to Survive a Plague -- David France, director; Howard Gertler, David France, producers (Sundance Selects)

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present -- Matthew Akers, director; Jeff Dupre, Maro Chermayeff, producers (HBO Documentary Films and Music Box Films)

Room 237 -- Rodney Ascher, director; Tim Kirk, producer (IFC Midnight)

The Waiting Room -- Peter Nicks, director; Peter Nicks, Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch, producers (International Film Circuit)

Best Ensemble Performance

Bernie -- Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey (Millennium Entertainment)

Moonrise Kingdom -- Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban (Focus Features)

Safety Not Guaranteed -- Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Film District)

Silver Linings Playbook -- Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher (The Weinstein Company)

Your Sister’s Sister -- Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass (IFC Films)

Breakthrough Director

Zal Batmanglij for Sound of My Voice (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for Francine (Factory 25 and The Film Sales Company)

Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for Now, Forager (Argot Pictures)

Antonio Méndez Esparza for Aquí y Allá (Here and There) (Torch Films)

Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor

Mike Birbiglia in Sleepwalk with Me (IFC Films)

Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM and Participant Media)

Thure Lindhardt in Keep the Lights On (Music Box Films)

Melanie Lynskey in Hello, I Must Be Going (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You

Kid-Thing David Zellner, director; Nathan Zellner, Producer

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty -- Terence Nance, director; Terence Nance, Andrew Corkin, James Bartlett, producers

Red Flag -- Alex Karpovsky, director; Alex Karpovsky, Michael Bowes, producers

Sun Don’t Shine -- Amy Seimetz, director; Kim Sherman, Amy Seimetz, producers

Tiger Tail in Blue -- Frank V. Ross, director; Adam Donaghey, Drew Durepos, producers