IndependentFilm.com

Tuesday October 25, 2005. IFP announced the nominations for the 15th Annual Gotham Awards. Winners will be awarded at the ceremony on November 30 in New York City. Executive Director Michelle Byrd said the nominees were selected by three separate nominating committees composed of critics and film programmers. Nominees for a final competitive juried award, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You (for films yet to receive theatrical distribution), will be announced in early November. A jury of peers will decide the winning selections in all six categories.

Best Feature
• BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - Directed by Ang Lee / Written by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana / Produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus
• CAPOTE - Directed by Bennett Miller / Written by Dan Futterman / Produced by Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven
• A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE -Directed by David Cronenberg / Written by Josh Olson / Produced by Chris Bender and JC Spink
• KEANE - Written and directed by Lodge Kerrigan / Produced by Andrew Fierberg
• ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW - Written and directed by Miranda July / Produced by Gina Kwon

Best Documentary
• BALLET RUSSES - Directed by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller / Written by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Gary Weimberg and Celeste Schaefer Snyder / Produced by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Robert Hawk and Douglas Blair Turnbaugh
• ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM - Written and directed by Alex Gibney / Produced by Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot and Susan Motamed
• GRIZZLY MAN - Directed by Werner Herzog / Produced by Erik Nelson
• MURDERBALL - Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro / Produced by Jeffrey Mandel and Dana Adam Shapiro
• WILLIAM EGGLESTON IN THE REAL WORLD - Directed by Michael Almereyda / Produced by Michael Almereyda, Jesse Dylan and Anthony Katagas

Breakthrough Director
• Miranda July for ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW
• Bennett Miller for CAPOTE
• Phil Morrison for JUNEBUG
• Andrew Wagner for THE TALENT GIVEN US
• Alice Wu for SAVING FACE

Breakthrough Actor
• Amy Adams as "Ashley" in JUNEBUG
• Camilla Belle as "Rose Slavin" in THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as "Neil" in MYSTERIOUS SKIN
• Terrence Howard as "DJay" in HUSTLE & FLOW
• Damian Lewis as "William Keane" in KEANE

Best Ensemble Cast
• BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Linda Cardellini, Randy Quaid, Anna Faris
• CRASH - Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Dashon Howard, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Nona Gaye, Michael Pena
• GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK - David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., Frank Langella
• NINE LIVES - Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Elpidia Carrillo, Glenn Close. Stephen Dillane, Dakota Fanning, William Fichtner, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Holly Hunter, Jason Isaacs, Joe Mantegna, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Mary Kay Place, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Aidan Quinn, Miguel Sandoval, Amanda Seyfried, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright Penn
• THE SQUID AND THE WHALE - Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline

"2005 was a particularly good year for films made with creative conviction and a strong point of view," says Byrd. "That's what the IFP seeks to celebrate through the Gotham Awards. We are especially pleased to have visionary directors working at their peak among our nominees, as well as directors whose work has yet to receive widespread public recognition on our own shores, not to mention several breakthrough actors and directors bursting onto the scene with high hopes about future projects."

As previously announced, Matt Dillon, fresh from the success of CRASH and soon to be seen in this February's release FACTOTUM, will be honored as the subject of this year's Gotham Awards Feature Tribute. Additionally, this year's Gala Co-chairs are President of HBO Family and Documentary Sheila Nevins, and producer Bob Yari of Yari Film Group (CRASH; PRIME). The Nominating Committee for the Gotham Awards announced above is as follows:

Nominating Committee for Best Feature and Breakthrough Director
Karen Durbin, Film Critic, Elle magazine; Rajendra Roy, Director of Programming, Hamptons International Film Festival and Competition Selection Committee Member, Berlin International Film Festival; Lisa Schwarzbaum, Film Critic, Entertainment Weekly; Peter Travers, Film Critic, Rolling Stone.

Nominating Committee for Best Documentary
Scott Foundas, Film Editor and Critic, LA Weekly; Diana Lee, Festival Director, Asian American International Film Festival;David Schwartz, Chief Curator, Museum of the Moving Image Milton Tabbot, Managing Director of Documentary Funding Programs and Screening Series, IFP.

Nominating Committee for Breakthrough Actor and Best Ensemble Cast
Graham Fuller, Daily News' Sunday arts editor and Interview magazine's film columnist; Stephen Garrett, freelance film reporter for Time Out New York and Esquire; Dave Karger, Senior Writer, Entertainment Weekly: Moikgantsi Kgama, Founder, Imagenation.

About the Gotham Awards
The annual Gotham Awards, presented by IFP, celebrate the authentic voices behind and in front of the camera in films made this year. By recognizing that the best films come from a place that is more firmly rooted in the grasp of filmmakers - and not made by committee - the Gotham Awards salute the innovative films and filmmakers whose passion and vision make their way onto the screen year after year.

About IFP
IFP is a not-for-profit membership organization designed to foster a more sustainable infrastructure that supports independent filmmaking and ensures that the public has the opportunity to see films that more accurately reflect the full diversity of the American culture. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in NYC, IFP organizations can be found in Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Seattle and is part of an international network of organizations each supporting their own national filmmaking efforts (www.ifp.org).

Alphabetical Listing of Nominated Films
• THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE - Written and directed by Rebecca Miller / Produced by Lemore Syvan / Released in US by IFC Films (Breakthrough Actor Nominee)

• BALLET RUSSES - Directed by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller / Produced by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Robert Hawk and Douglas Blair Turnbaugh/ Released in US by Zeitgeist Films) (Best Documentary Nominee)

• BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - Directed by Ang Lee / Produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus / Released in US by Focus Features (Best Feature and Best Ensemble Cast Nominee)

• CAPOTE - Directed by Bennett Miller / Produced by Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven / Released in US by Sony Pictures Classics (Best Feature and Breakthrough Director Nominee)

• CRASH - Written and directed by Paul Haggis / Produced by Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R. Harris, Bobby Moresco and Paul Haggis / Released in the US by Lions Gate Films (Best Ensemble Cast Nominee)

• ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM - Written and directed by Alex Gibney / Produced by Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot and Susan Motamed / Released in US by Magnolia Pictures (Best Documentary Nominee)

• GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK - Written and Directed by George Clooney, Written and produced by Grant Heslov / Released in US by Warner Independent Pictures (Best Ensemble Cast Nominee)

• GRIZZLY MAN - Directed by Werner Herzog / Produced by Erik Nelson / Released in US by Lions Gate Films (Best Documentary Nominee)

• A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE - Directed by David Cronenberg / Produced by Chris Bender and JC Spink / Released in US by New Line Cinema (Best Feature Nominee)

• HUSTLE & FLOW - Written and directed by Craig Brewer / Produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain / Released in US by Paramount Classics (Breakthrough Actor Nominee)

• JUNEBUG - Directed by Phil Morrison / Produced by Mindy Goldberg and Mike S. Ryan / Released in US by Sony Pictures Classics (Breakthrough Director and Breakthrough Actor Nominee)

• KEANE - Written and directed by Lodge Kerrigan / Produced by Andrew Fierberg / Released in US by Magnolia Pictures (Best Feature and Breakthrough Actor Nominee)

• ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW - Written and directed by Miranda July / Produced by Gina Kwon / Released by IFC Films (Best Feature and Breakthrough Director Nominee)

• MURDERBALL - Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro / Produced by Jeffrey Mandel and Dana Adam Shapiro / Released in US by THINKFilm (Best Documentary Nominee)

• MYSTERIOUS SKIN - Written and directed by Gregg Araki / Produced by Mary Jane Skalski, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Gregg Araki / Released in US by Tartan Films (Breakthrough Actor Nominee)

• NINE LIVES - Written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia / Produced by Julie Lynn / Released in US by Magnolia Pictures (Best Ensemble Cast Nominee)

• SAVING FACE - Written and directed by Alice Wu / Produced by James Lassiter, Teddy Zee and Will Smith / Released in US by Sony Pictures Classics (Breakthrough Director Nominee)

• THE SQUID AND THE WHALE - Written and directed by Noah Baumbach / Produced by Wes Anderson, Peter Newman, Charles Corwin, Clara Markowicz / Released in US by Samuel Goldwyn Films/Sony Pictures Releasing International (Best Ensemble Cast Nominee)

• THE TALENT GIVEN US - Written and directed by Andrew Wagner / Produced by Andrew Wagner, Tom Hines and Chelsea Gilmore / Released in US by Daddy W Inc (Breakthrough Director Nominee)

• WILLIAM EGGLESTON IN THE REAL WORLD - Directed by Michael Almereyda / Produced by Michael Almereyda, Jesse Dylan and Anthony Katagas / Released in the US by Palm Pictures (Best Documentary Nominee)