2007 Independent Spirit Awards

[oscar jubis]

The nominees for the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards were announced November 28th. Felicity Huffman and Don Cheadle presented the nomination list.

Best Feature:
"Little Miss Sunshine"

Best Female Lead:
Shareeka Epps, "Half Nelson"

Best Male Lead:
Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"

Best Director:
Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, "Little Miss Sunshine"

Best First Feature:
"Sweet Land"

Best Documentary:
"The Road to Guantanamo"

Best Foreign Film:
"The Lives of Others"

Best Supporting Female:
Frances McDormand, "Friends With Money"

Best Supporting Male:
Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"

Best Screenplay:
Jason Reitman, "Thank You For Smoking"

Best First Screenplay:
Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"

Best Cinematography:
Guillermo Navarro, "Pan's Labyrinth"

Someone to Watch Award:
Julia Loktev, "Day Night Day Night"

John Cassavetes Award:
"Quinceañera"

Truer Than Fiction Award:
Adele Horne, "The Tailenders"

Producers Award:
Howard Gertler and Tim Perell, "Shortbus," "Pizza"

Special Distinction:
David Lynch, Laura Dern, "Inland Empire"

[Chris Knipp]

So--The Road to Guantanamo!

This isn't a mainstream list, in some ways anyway. Nice that Altman gets recognition and I like the mention of the little-noticed Bubble. I'm also glad to see Brothers of the Head mentioned. Old Joy -- not bad. You must be pleased that Quinceanera is mentioned.

I'm not sure what is "Independent Spirit" about Pan's Labyrinth.

I would condider their finest moment the "Special Distinction" award to Inland Empire.

Much of it seems completely off the wall....there are also a lot of titles I haven't seen or even heard of. I'm skeptical about the acting awards.

[oscar jubis]

Altman will win.
Some research into films nominated.

BEST FILM
"American Gun" Already on dvd. Meta: 48
"The Dead Girl" Karen Moncrieff follow-up to Blue Car (which I didn't like but many did). A quintet of stories about a serial killer's female victims.


BEST FIRST FEATURE:
"Day Night Day Night" "Powerful portrait of a would-be terrorist" (Variety) No Distribution.
"Man Push Cart" Released last September. About a Pakistani immigrant in NYC. Meta:72
"The Motel" Released last June. Meta:70
"Sweet Land" Currently on release. Meta:75
"Wristcutters: A Love Story" No distribution yet.


Best Foreign Film:
"12:08 East of Bucharest" Romanian film. Tartan USA will release June "07
"The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros" Filipino gay drama released last September. Meta:70
"Chronicle of an Escape" Adrian Caetano's new film will be released by Weinstein Company in 2007
"Days of Glory" aka Indigenes. Opens Dec. 15th (Weinstein)
"The Lives of Others" German film. Sony Pictures will release in 2007.

[Chris Knipp]

Days of Glory is an important film. It opened earlier in NYC, at the Anglelica Film Center Dec. 8th. Metacritic rating 80.

I have seen Maximo Oliveros and am impressed by its charm and open-mindedness about a very young gay boy/ It is pretty crudely made--but that's independent spirit I guess. I liked Blue Car pretty well but can't remember much of it. Old Joy is a noteworthy indie film; Mutual Appreciation also deserves recognition in this category. I meant to see Twelve and Holding but missed it in theaters.

[oscar jubis]

This line from Rosenbaum's capsule review of Twelve and Holding summarizes my reaction to the movie so perfectly I have to use it:

The shock of seeing kids this age treated without the standard cliches led me to overlook some of the limitations of Anthony S. Cipriano's script, which avoids assigning blame but tends to systematize the families' dysfunctions.

It's worth watching but not as good as Cuesta's L.I.E.. It's available on dvd now.

I'm highly interested in Old Joy. It's having a gradual city-by-city distribution strategy. It's weird that it's already played in Albuquerque and Tallahassee but not here.

[Chris Knipp]

Besides Old Joy I would recommend also Mutual Appreciation, somewhat in the same indie category, and about as interesting. I reviewed them both and saw them in NYC this fall between NYFF showings.

Kelly Reichart, Old Joy (http://www.chrisknipp.com/writing/viewtopic.php?t=655)

Andrew Bujalski, Mutual Appreciation (http://www.chrisknipp.com/writing/viewtopic.php?t=651)

I gathered Twelve and Holding wasn't as good as L.I.E. I missed the opportunity to see it in a theater--short run.

Old Joy was shown at the SFIFF and so I saw a review of it there, before it appeared in a theater in NYC.

[oscar jubis]

I'd watch Mutual Appreciation based on your recommendation but, like I said in another thread, I definitely didn't like Bujalsky's Funny Ha Ha. It was a waste of my time and money to be honest. I know many people liked it. I gave it an honest chance and thought it was very poor. Same goes for Karen Moncrieff's Blue Car. I liked 12 and Holding but not enough to list among the 30 best English-language releases of 2006. It's "worth watching", but definitely less accomplished than L.I.E.. I think you should give it a chance on dvd if you have the time. You may like it more than I did.

[Chris Knipp]

Okay.

[oscar jubis]

2007 Independent Spirit Awards Winners

Best Feature:
"Little Miss Sunshine"

Best Female Lead:
Shareeka Epps, "Half Nelson"

Best Male Lead:
Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"

Best Director:
Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, "Little Miss Sunshine"

Best First Feature:
"Sweet Land"

Best Documentary:
"The Road to Guantanamo"

Best Foreign Film:
"The Lives of Others"

Best Supporting Female:
Frances McDormand, "Friends With Money"

Best Supporting Male:
Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"

Best Screenplay:
Jason Reitman, "Thank You For Smoking"

Best First Screenplay:
Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"

Best Cinematography:
Guillermo Navarro, "Pan's Labyrinth"

Someone to Watch Award:
Julia Loktev, "Day Night Day Night"

John Cassavetes Award:
"Quinceañera"

Truer Than Fiction Award:
Adele Horne, "The Tailenders"

Producers Award:
Howard Gertler and Tim Perell, "Shortbus," "Pizza"

Special Distinction:
David Lynch, Laura Dern, "Inland Empire"