Movie Awards Season is Officially Open

Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor in Beginners

In an unprecedented tie, Beginners and The Tree of Life shared the prize for best feature at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, one of the two major awards given to independent film. The Gotham Independent Film Awards, were presented last night in New York City, and the Official Movie Awards' Season in the USA is now open!

Beginners, starring Christopher Plummer, Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller and Keegan Boos, won the best ensemble performance award. Also, Beginners has been nominated for the Film Independent Spirit award. Scroll down.

Here is the list:

Best Feature: Beginners and The Tree of Life (tie)
Best Documentary: Better This World **
Best Ensemble Performance: Beginners (Christopher Plummer, Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos)
Breakthrough Director: Dee Rees, Pariah
Breakthrough Actor: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: Scenes of a Crime
Audience Award: Girlfriend
Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream , and Grant: Lucy Mulloy, Una Noche (One Night)

**Documentary did not make the short list for an Oscar nomination.

For more on The Gotham Awards visit their Web Site.

  The Tree of Life won the Palme d'Or at Cannes earlier this year. Directed by Terrence Malick (Badlands, The Thin Red Line, The New World), it stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain (The Help).

There are only two organizations in the U.S. that solely specialize in recognizing independent film, The Gotham Independent Film Awards, and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which is bigger and better known than The Gotham Awards. However, The Gotham's are presented earlier, traditionally mark the opening of the film awards season, are very respected, and every bit as prestigious as the Spirit Awards.
 

The Film Independent Spirit nominations were announced today, Tuesday, in Los Angeles. Take Shelter and the black-and-white silent film, The Artist, both with five nominations each, are the top nominees for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Both are nominated for the best feature award.

Others nominated in the the best feature category are: Beginners, 50/50, The Descendants and Drive.

Films receiving four nominations each are: Beginners, Drive, The Descendants and Martha Marcy May Marlene. For all Independent Spirit Film nominations, click the title of this post, which links to a PDF file.

Winners of the 27th annual award will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, California. The premiere broadcast will air later that evening at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on IFC. Visit the FIS Awards Web Site.