(MENAFN- Arab Times) Fox Searchlight's "Birdman" led the way in nominations with six for the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards followed by five each for "Boyhood," "Nightcrawler" and "Selma."
"Birdman" received noms for best feature, actor for Michael Keaton, director Alejandro G. Inarritu, supporting actress Emma Stone, supporting actor Edward Norton and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Producers on "Birdman" - the story of a fading movie star attempting a stage play - are Inarritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan and James W. Skotchdopole.
Besides "Birdman," the other best feature nominations went to "Boyhood," "Love Is Strange," "Selma" and "Whiplash."
"Love Is Strange" and "Whiplash" received four noms each while "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" and "A Most Violent Year" took three each.
The best actress noms went to Julianne Moore for "Still Alice," Jenny Slate for "Obvious Child," Tilda Swinton for "Only Lovers Left Alive," Marion Cotillard for "The Immigrant" and Rinko Kikuchi for "Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter." It was the only Spirit nomination for "Still Alice"; the other four films took two nods each.
Besides Keaton, best actor nods went to Andre Benjamin for "All Is By My Side," Jake Gyllenhaal for "Nightcrawler," John Lithgow for "Love Is Strange" and Daivid Oyelowo for "Selma."
Four of the director nominations matched the best feature nominations for "Birdman" with Inarritu, Ava DuVernay for "Selma," Richard Linklater for "Boyhood" and Damien Chazelle for "Whiplash." David Zellner took the final slot for "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter."
The noms were announced by Rosario Dawson and Diego Luna at the W Hotel in Hollywood. The winners will be announced Feb 21 - the day before the Oscars - in ceremonies at the usual location in a white tent on Santa Monica Beach.
The show will be telecast on IFC.
Film budgets must not exceed $20 million to be eligible for the Spirit Awards, which ruled out "Foxcatcher," "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Inherent Vice." However,Film Independent announced Tuesday that it had selected the cast and creative team behind "Foxcatcher" for a Special Distinction Award and given its Robert Altman Award to the director, cast and casting director of "Inherent Vice."
Additionally, it's required that there be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in two of three categories: director, writer and producer.
The nominations were selected from 341 submissions by 40 experts tapped by Film Independent while the winners will be decided by the membership of film Independent.
But many other films perceived as Oscar contenders were shut out. That list includes "The Imitation Game" (Weinstein Co.) and "Wild" (Fox Searchlight).
2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Best Feature: "Birdman, (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) "Producers: Alejandro G. Inarritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole; "Boyhood, "Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland "Love Is Strange, "Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy; "Selma "Producers: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey; "Whiplash "Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, Michael Litvak.
Director: Damien Chazelle "Whiplash"; Ava DuVernay; "Selma"; Alejandro G. Inarritu, "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); "Richard Linklater; "Boyhood"; David Zellner, "Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter".
Screenplay: Scott Alexander &; Larry Karaszewski, "Big Eyes"; J.C. Chandor, "A Most Violent Year"; Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler"; Jim Jarmusch, "Only Lovers Left Alive"; Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, "Love Is Strange".
Best First Feature: "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, "Director: Ana Lily Amirpour, Producers: Justin Begnaud, Sina Sayyah; "Dear White People", Director-producer: Justin Simien, Producers: Effie T. Brown, Ann Le, Julia Lebedev, Angel Lopez, Lena Waithe; "Nightcrawler", Director: Dan Gilroy, Producers: Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy, Jake Gyllenhaal, David Lancaster, Michel Litvak; "Obvious Child", Director: Gillian Robespierre, Producer: Elisabeth Holm; "She's Lost Control, "Director-producer: Anja Marquardt, Producers: Mollye Asher, Kiara C. Jones.
First Screen Play: Desiree Akhavan, "Appropriate Behavior"; Sara Colangelo, "Little Accidents"; Justin Lader, "The One I Love "; Anja Marquardt, "She's Lost Control"; Justin Simien, "Dear White People".
John Cassavetes Award: "Blue Ruin", Writer-director: Jeremy Saulnier, Producers: Richard Peete, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani, "It Felt Like Love", Writer-director-producer: Eliza Hittman, Producers: Shrihari Sathe, Laura Wagner; "Land Ho!", Writers-directors: Aaron Katz & Martha Stephens, Producers: Christina Jennings, Mynette Louie, Sara Murphy; "Man From Reno", Writer-director: Dave Boyle, Writers: Joel Clark, Michael Lerman, Producer: Ko Mori; "Test", Writer-director-producer: Chris Mason Johnson, Producer: Chris Martin.
Female Lead: Marion Cotillard, "The Immigrant"; Rinko Kikuchi, "Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter"; Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"; Jenny Slate, "Obvious Child"; Tilda Swinton, "Only Lovers Left Alive".
Male Lead: Andre Benjamin, "Jimi: All Is by My Side"; Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler"; Michael Keaton, "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); "John Lithgow", Love Is Strange"; David Oyelowo, "Selma".
Supporting Female: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"; Jessica Chastain, "A Most Violent Year"; Carmen Ejogo, "Selma"; Andrea Suarez Paz, "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors"; Emma Stone, "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)".
Supporting Male: Riz Ahmed, "Nightcrawler"; Ethan Hawke, Boyhood; Alfred Molina, "Love Is Strange"; Edward Norton, "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"; J.K. Simmons, Whiplash.
Best Cinematography: Darius Khondji, "The Immigrant"; Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); "Sean Porter, "It Felt Like Love"; Lyle Vincent, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night"; Bradford Young, "Selma".
Editing: Sandra Adair, "Boyhood"; Tom Cross; "Whiplash"; John Gilroy, "Nightcrawler"; Ron Patane, "A Mrson, Casting Director: Cassandra KulukundisEnsemble Cast: Josh Brolin, Martin Donovan, Jena Malone, Joanna Newsom, Joaquin Phoenix, Eric Roberts, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short Serena Scott Thomas, Benicio Del Toro, Katherine Waterston, Michael Kenneth Williams, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon.
Special Distinction Award: Foxcatcher: Director/Producer: Bennett Miller, Producers: Anthony Bregman, Megan Ellison, Jon Kilik, Writers: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman, Actors: Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum.
18th Annual Piaget Producers Award: Chad Burris; Elisabeth Holm; Chris Ohlson.
21st Annual Kiehl's Someone to watch Award: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Director: Ana Lily AmirpourH., Directors: Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia, The Retrieval Director: Chris Eska.
20th Annual Lenscrafters truer than Fiction Award: Approaching the Elephant, Director: Amanda Rose Wilder, Evolution of a Criminal, Director: Darius Clark Monroe, The Kill Team; Director: Dan Krauss, The Last Season, Director: Sara Dosa.
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