The apocalyptic drama "Take Shelter" and the black-and-white silent film "The Artist" are the top nominees for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards, with five nods each. The nominations were announced on Tuesday morning by actors Anthony Mackie and Kate Beckinsale, as well as by Film Independent Senior Director Sean McManus.
Films receiving four nominations are "Beginners," "Drive," "The Descendants" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene."
The films competing for the top prize, Best Feature, are "50/50," "The Descendants," "Beginners," "Drive," "Take Shelter" (left) and "The Artist."
That last film is the biggest surprise among the nominations, largely because most Indie Spirit Awards observers figured it wasn't even eligible in most categories.
The Spirit Awards require films to be largely made by Americans, or to be set and filmed in the U.S. and at least partially financed by an American company. "The Artist" was written and directed by Frenchman Michel Hazanavicius, and shot in the United States with lead actors from France and a supporting cast that included American and British actors.
The slate of nominees is a mainstream one by Spirit Awards standards, with likely Oscar nominees "The Descendants" and "The Artist" going up against a group of films short on the micro-budgeted indies that sometimes compete at the Spirit Awards.
Nominated actors range from the Oscar hopefuls Michelle Williams ("My Week With Marilyn"), Elizabeth Olsen ("Martha Marcy May Marlene"), Jean Dujardin ("The Artist") and Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") to smaller indie entrants Rachael Harris ("Natural Selection") and Harmony Santana ("Gun Hill Road").
Surprising omissions in the acting categories include George Clooney for "The Descendants" and Glenn Close for "Albert Nobbs." Their co-stars, Shailene Woodley and Janet McTeer, respectively, did receive nominations.
Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" received nominations for cinematography and for supporting actor Corey Stoll, but not for feature or director.
The lineup is also more international than usual, between the nominations for "The Artist" and the fact that Joseph Cedar won a Best Screenplay nomination for "Footnote," Israel's entry in the Oscar Foreign-Language category.
Nominations for the Indie Spirit Awards are made by juries of about a dozen filmmakers and critics who watch the eligible movies for weeks and then meet to discuss and choose the nominees. The main group, the American Narrative Nominating Committee, determines nominations in the vast majority of categories.
The awards are limited to films made for less than $20 million, and judged to be "independent" by a jury. Winners are chosen by all members of Film Independent, which is open to filmmakers and to movie fans who pay an annual fee.
With its focus on low-budget films and its traditional ceremony taking place on the beach the day before the Academy Awards, the Spirit Awards led to the catchphrase "win on Saturday, lose on Sunday."
