2007 IFP Gotham Awards nominees announced

The IFP’s Gotham Awards have selected only lower-budget films from indie distributors and specialty divisions in this year’s crop of nominees. Last year, a huge controversy exploded that cast a shadow over last year’s ceremony, due to the number of larger-budget films being nominated.

The big winner among the nominees was the low-budget Magnolia pickup "Great World Of Sound," which received nominations for best feature, breakthrough director (Craig Zobel) and breakthrough actor (Kene Holliday).

A trio of films picked up two nominations each. Julia Loktev’s "Day Night Day Night" from IFC First Take recieved nominations for breakthrough director Loktev and breakthrough actor Luisa Williams, "Into The Wild" picked up nods for best feature and breakthrough actor Emile Hirsch, and "Margot at the Wedding" was nominated for best feature and best ensemble cast).

Film critic Roger Ebert and production designer Mark Friedberg, Javier Bardem, Mark Friedberg, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and IFC’s Jonathan Sehring will receive Gotham tributes.

The awards will be presented Nov. 27 at Brooklyn’s Steiner Studios.

The complete list of 2007 Gotham Awards nominees:

Best feature
"Great World of Sound" — Craig Zobel, director; Melissa Palmer, David Gordon Green, Richard Wright, Craig Zobel, producers (Magnolia Pictures)
"I’m Not There" — Todd Haynes, director; Christine Vachon, James D. Stern, John Sloss, John
Goldwyn, producers (Weinstein Co.)
"Into the Wild" — Sean Penn, director; Sean Penn, Art Linson, Bill Pohlad, producers
(Paramount Vantage & River Road Entertainment)
"Margot at the Wedding" — Noah Baumbach, director; Scott Rudin, producer (Paramount Vantage)
"The Namesake" — Mira Nair, director; Lydia Dean Pilcher, Mira Nair, producers (Fox
Searchlight)

Best documentary
"The Devil Came on Horseback" — Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern, directors; Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg, Gretchen Wallace, Jane Wells, producers (International Film Circuit)
"Jimmy Carter Man From Plains" — Jonathan Demme, director; Jonathan Demme, Neda Armian, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
"My Kid Could Paint That" — Amir Bar-Lev, producer/director (Sony Pictures Classics)
"Sicko" — Michael Moore, director; Michael Moore, Meghan O’Hara, producers (Weinstein
Co.)
"Taxi to the Dark Side" — Alex Gibney, director; Alex Gibney, Eva Orner, Susannah Shipman, producers (ThinkFilm)

Best ensemble cast
"Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead" — Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian F. O’Byrne, Amy Ryan, Michael Shannon, Marisa Tomei (ThinkFilm)
"The Last Winter" — Connie Britton, Kevin Corrigan, Zach Gilford, James LeGros, Ron Perlman (IFC First Take)
"Margot at the Wedding" — Jack Black, Flora Cross, Ciarán Hinds, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zane Pais, John Turturro (Paramount Vantage)
"The Savages" — Philip Bosco, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney (Fox Searchlight)
"Talk to Me" — Cedric the Entertainer, Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mike Epps, Vondie Curtis Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Martin Sheen (Focus Features)

Breakthrough director
Lee Isaac Chung, "Munyurangabo"
Stephane Gauger, "Owl and the Sparrow"
Julia Loktev, "Day Night Day Night" (IFC First Take)
David Von Ancken, "Seraphim Falls" (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Craig Zobel, "Great World of Sound" (Magnolia Pictures)

Breakthrough actor
Emile Hirsch, "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage)
Kene Holliday, "Great World of Sound" (Magnolia Pictures)
Ellen Page, "Juno" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Jess Weixler, "Teeth" (Roadside Attractions)
Luisa Williams, "Day Night Day Night" (IFC First Take)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You (for films without a current distributor)
"August the First" — Lanre Olabisi, director; Shawn Alexander, Gabriel "Swede" Sedgwick, Nicky Arzeu Akmal, Lanre Olabisi, producers
"Frownland" — Ronald Bronstein, director; Marc Raybin, producer
"Loren Cass" — Chris Fuller, director; Chris Fuller, Frank Craft, Kayla Tabish, producers
"Mississippi Chicken" — John Fiege, director; John Fiege, Anita Grabowski, Victor Moyers, producers
"Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa" — Jeremy Stulberg & Randy Stulberg, directors; Eric Juhola, Jeremy Stulberg, Randy Stulberg, producers