“The Descendants” and “Martha Marcy May Marlene” each earned three nominations Thursday for the 21st annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. These awards will be handed out on Nov. 28, the same day that the New York Film Critics Circle is to announce their picks for the best of the year. Both of these films could figure in that lineup too.
“The Descendants” contends for Best Feature against “Beginners,” “Meek’s Cutoff,” “Take Shelter” and “The Tree of Life.” Eligibility for this award is restricted to American films with a distributor that were made with “a economy of means.” Compare that to the rival Indie Spirits which consider only those films made for $20 million or less, which rules out “The Tree of Life” ($32 million budget) and “Midnight in Paris” ($30 million) which was snubbed by the Gothams.
“The Descendants, “Beginners” and “Take Shelter” are also nominated for Best Ensemble as are “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and “Margin Call.”
“Marlene” leading lady Elizabeth Olsen and “Descendants” featured player Shailene Woodley contend for Breakthrough Actor as do Felicity Jones (“Like Crazy”), Harmony Santana (“Gun Hill Road”) and Jacob Wysocki (“Terri”).
The Breakthrough Director nominees are Mike Cahill (“Another Earth”), Sean Durkin (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Vera Farmiga (“Higher Ground”), Evan Glodell (“Bellflower”) and Dee Rees (“Pariah”).
Best Documentary contenders are “Better This World,” “Bill Cunningham New York,” “Hell and Back Again,” “The Interrupters” and “The Woodmans.” And the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You nominees are “Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same,” “Green,” “The Redemption of General Butt Naked,” “Scenes of a Crime” and “Without.”
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