Independent Spirit Awards
Road comedy, drugs drama lead indie film nominees
The hit road comedy “Little Miss Sunshine” and the acclaimed drugs drama “Half Nelson” led the list of contenders on Tuesday for the Independent Spirit Awards, the American art-house world’s version of the Oscars.
Each film scored five nominations, including best feature and best director. Another contender in the latter category was Robert Altman, who died last week. He was cited for his work on “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Four films, none of them with much widespread name recognition, landed three nominations each: “American Gun,” “The Dead Girl,” “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and “Man Push Cart.”
The Spirit Awards, in their 22nd year, honor low-budget films based on such criteria as original, provocative subject matter and degree of independent financing. Winners will be unveiled on February 24, the day before the Academy Awards.
