NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR FILM INDEPENDENT’S 2006 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

LOS ANGELES (November 29, 2005) – Nominations for Film Independent’s 2006 Independent Spirit Awards were announced this morning, including nominations for Best Feature, which are Brokeback Mountain; Capote; Good Night, and Good Luck.; The Squid and the Whale; and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Also announced were the finalists for the IFC/Acura Someone to Watch Award, the Truer Than Fiction Award and the AMC/American Express Producers Award. Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo served as nomination presenters at the event.

"34 of our finest filmmakers spent the last three months watching and discussing over 200 films resulting in a set of nominations that represent the spectrum of independent filmmaking in 2005.  In years to come, anybody who wants an overview of the state of our art in 2005 will find that these nominations can guide them to a full understanding of the wonderfully wide range of ideas and techniques that our filmmakers our currently exploring." said committee chair Jeff Kleeman.

Dawn Hudson, Executive Director of Film Independent added, "These nominations spotlight filmmakers whose screenplays are stronger than ever, who are taking on riskier subjects, who have used technological innovations to great effect, and who have gone far beyond the more typical, personal, coming-of-age films that dominated independent filmmaking several years ago. The filmmakers and actors weren't afraid to address political, social, racial, and moral issues -- while making terrifically compelling movies. And they weren't afraid to make us laugh, too! It's an astounding year for independent filmmaking at all levels. Watch these films for proof of the depth and diversity of talented filmmakers working today -- and this is just the tip of the iceberg."

Selected from more than 200 submissions, the winners will be unveiled at the Independent Spirit Awards ceremony on Saturday, March 4, 2006, in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The Master of Ceremonies, Honorary Chairs, and Presenters will be announced shortly.

Diana Zahn-Storey returns to produce the event for the twelfth consecutive year. The ceremony will air live on IFC (Independent Film Channel) at 5:00 pm EST on Saturday, March 4, 2006, and is edited for rebroadcast on AMC the same evening at 10:00 pm EST/PST. An exclusive half-hour red carpet show will air live on the WE Channel 4:30 pm EST/PST.

This year's ceremony is sponsored by Premier Sponsors: IFC, Entertainment Weekly, Netflix, and Pop Secret; and by Principal Sponsor: Acura. On 3 Productions will produce the Official 2006 Independent Spirit Awards General Attendee Gift Bag and Presenter Gift Lounge. Casa Del Mar, The Viceroy, Sheraton Delfina, and Shutters on the Beach are the Official Host Hotels and Wire Image is the Official Photographer of the Independent Spirit Awards. American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner of Film Independent.

Two tickets to the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards will be made available to the general public via auction on ebay.com beginning December 3, 2005. Funds raised from the auction will directly support Film Independent’s Project:Involve—a diversity initiative giving filmmakers of color access to jobs in the film industry.

Films nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards were selected based on the following criteria:
Original, provocative subject matter;
Uniqueness of vision;
Economy of means with particular attention paid to total budget and individual compensation;
Percentage of independent financing.

This year’s Chair of the Spirit Awards Nominating Committees (composed of three subcommittees) was producer Jeff Kleeman. The 21-person American Narrative Nominating Committee included Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson; actors Julie Delpy, Judah Friedlander, Eric Stoltz and Lili Taylor; Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan; producers Gail Mutrux and Bingham Ray; directors Sherman Alexie, Victor Nunez, and Angela Robinson; writers Christopher McQuarrie, Larry Gross, and John Ridley; editors Lynzee Klingman and Sally Menke; casting directors Aisha Coley and Mali Finn; and cinematographers Fred Elmes and Laszlo Kovacs.

The eight-person Documentary Feature Nominating Committee included director St. Clair Bourne; producers Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Rebecca Yeldham; film critics Ella Taylor and Eugene Hernandez; Warner Independent EVP of publicty and marketing Laura Kim and exhibitor John Vanco. The Foreign Feature Nominating Committee included actress Shohreh Aghdashloo; producer/actor Hart Bochner writer/directors Sergio Arau and Vondie Curtis Hall; and exhibitor Greg Laemmle.

In order to be eligible for consideration, submitted films must have shown at least one week in a commercial theater during the 2005 calendar year or have played at one of the following six film festivals: the 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, cast the final votes. Membership in Film Independent begins at $95 per year and those who join before January 15, 2006 will be eligible to vote to determine the winners for the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards.

In an effort to provide greater access to the nominated films for voting members of Film Independent and IFP, Netflix will make participating nominated films accessible to all voting members, free of charge on a specially-created “Spirit Awards Members Viewing Site.” Similar to a Netflix subscription, Film Independent and IFP members will receive nominated films by mail and after viewing, return. DVDs in postage-paid envelopes. The next available nominated film on the voting member’s online list is sent automatically for member viewing. Voting Members will also have access to the entire catalog

IFC/Acura Someone to Watch Award

The 12th annual IFC/Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant, funded by IFC and Acura. The Finalists are:

Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana, director of Cavite

Robinson Devor, director of Police Beat

Jay Duplass, director of The Puffy Chair

IFC/Acura Someone to Watch Award Nominating Committee:

Ryan Werner (chair), Effie Brown, Scott Foundas, Helen Gramates, Maud Nadler


Truer Than Fiction Award

The 10th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant attention. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. The Finalists are:


Rachel Boynton for Our Brand is Crisis

Garrett Scott & Ian Olds for Occupation: Dreamland

Mark Becker for Romántico

Thomas Allen Harris for Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela


Truer Than Fiction Award Nominating Committee:

Mike Maggiore (Chair), Nancy Buirski, Nathan Lee, Shola Lynch, Chuleenan Svetvillas


AMC/American Express Producers Award

The 9th annual AMC/American Express Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant, funded by AMC and American Express The Finalists are:

Caroline Baron, producer of Capote and Monsoon Wedding

Ram Bergman, producer of Brick and Conversations with Other Women

Mike S. Ryan, producer of Junebug and Palindromes

AMC/American Express Producers Award Nominating Committee:

Scott Macaulay (chair), Stephanie Allain, Anthony Bregman, Jennifer Fox, Matthew Greenfield

Film Independent’s Independent 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 Independent Spirit Awards program has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.

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.

Last year’s Independent Spirit Award winners included Sideways, which won Best Feature, Best Director (Alexander Payne), Best Male Lead (Paul Giamatti), Best Supporting Male (Thomas Haden Church), Best Supporting Female (Virginia Madsen) and Best Screenplay; Maria Full of Grace for Best Female Lead (Catalina Sandino Mareno) and Best First Screenplay (Joshua Marston); and Garden State for Best First Feature.

Film Independent, the largest non-profit membership organization for independent filmmakers, cultivates the careers of independent filmmakers, builds the audience for independent films, and increases diversity in the film industry. Film Independent provides its members 250 annual events and screenings, along with professional advice, educational programs, affordable camera and equipment rentals, and discounts to hundreds of industry-related businesses. Film Independent also offers Filmmaker Labs, giving filmmakers the opportunity to develop their projects, and Project:Involve, a mentorship and job placement program that pairs filmmakers from culturally diverse communities with film industry professionals. Film Independent produces the Independent Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international independent cinema. For more information, visit www.FilmIndependent.org