I love seeing the nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards because they are such a refreshing change of pace from othe Oscars and the other big awards. These nominations capture a lot of what I liked about movies this year. Just look at the quality selection in the Best Feature category. Outstanding films. I was also glad to see Zooey Deschanel get nominated for her role in All the Real Girls. And although he will no doubt lose to Niki Reed, I was glad to see Victor Rasuk get nominated for Best Debut Performance. Raising Victor Vargas was a great, very independent film that I was afraid everybody had forgotten about. Enough rambling, here’s the list.

BEST FEATURE
American Splendor
In America
Lost in Translation
Raising Victor Vargas
Shattered Glass

BEST DIRECTOR
Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini, American Splendor
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
Jim Sheridan, In America
Peter Sollett, Raising Victor Vargas
Gus Van Sant, Elephant

BEST SCREENPLAY
American Splendor; Writers: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Lost in Translation; Writer: Sofia Coppola
A Mighty Wind; Writers: Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy and the cast of A Mighty Wind
Pieces of April; Writer: Peter Hedges
Shattered Glass; Writer: Billy Ray

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Bomb the System; Director: Adam Bhala Lough; Producers: Ben Rekhi, Sol Tryon
House of Sand and Fog; Director: Vadim Perelman; Producers: Michael London, Vadim Perelman
Monster; Director: Patty Jenkins; Producers: Mark Damon, Donald Kushner, Clark Peterson, Charlize Theron, Brad Wyman
Quattro Noza; Director: Joey Curtis; Producer: Fredric King
Thirteen; Director: Catherine Hardwicke; Producers: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Michael London

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
Anne B. Real; Director: Lisa France; Writers: Lisa France, Antonio Macia; Producers: Josselyne Herman, Luis Moro, Jeanine Rohn
Better Luck Tomorrow; Director: Justin Lin; Writers: Ernesto M. Foronda, Justin Lin, Fabian Marquez; Producers: Julie Asato, Ernesto M. Foronda, Justin Lin
Pieces of April; Writer/Director: Peter Hedges; Producers: Alexis Alexanian, John S. Lyons, Gary Winick
The Station Agent; Writer/Director: Thomas McCarthy; Producers: Mary Jane Skalski, Robert May, Kathryn Tucker
Virgin; Writer/Director: Deborah Kampmeier; Producer: Sarah Schenck

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Blue Car; Writer: Karen Moncrieff
Monster; Writer: Patty Jenkins
Raising Victor Vargas; Writers: Peter Sollett and Eva Vives
The Station Agent; Writer: Thomas McCarthy
Thirteen; Writers: Catherine Hardwicke & Nikki Reed

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Agnes Bruckner, Blue Car
Zooey Deschanel, All the Real Girls
Samantha Morton, In America
Elisabeth Moss, Virgin
Charlize Theron, Monster

BEST MALE LEAD
Peter Dinklage, The Station Agent
Paul Giamatti, American Splendor
Sir Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Lee Pace, Soldier’s Girl

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog
Sarah Bolger, In America
Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April
Hope Davis, The Secret Lives of Dentists
Frances McDormand, Laurel Canyon

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Judah Friedlander, American Splendor
Troy Garity, Soldier’s Girl
Djimon Hounsou, In America
Alessandro Nivola, Laurel Canyon
Peter Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass

BEST DEBUT PERFORMANCE
Anna Kendrick, Camp
Judy Marte, Raising Victor Vargas
Victor Rasuk, Raising Victor Vargas
Nikki Reed, Thirteen
Janice Richardson, Anne B. Real

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Elephant, Harris Savides
In America, Declan Quinn
Northfork, M. David Mullen
Quattro Noza, Derek Cianfrance
Shattered Glass, Mandy Walker

BEST FOREIGN FILM
City of God - (Brazil); Director: Fernando Meirelles
Lilya 4-Ever - (Denmark); Director: Lukas Moodysson
The Magdalene Sisters - (England/Ireland); Director: Peter Mullan
The Triplets of Belleville - (France); Director: Sylvian Chomet
Whale Rider - (New Zealand); Director: Niki Caro

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Fog of War; Director: Errol Morris
Mayor of the Sunset Strip; Director: George Hickenlooper
My Architect; Director: Nathaniel Kahn
OT: our town; Director: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Power Trip; Director: Paul Devlin