New York (November 28, 2011) – The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, announced today the winners at the 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards ceremony in NewYork City’s Cipriani Wall Street.
Presented by IFP, the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ is one of the leading awards for independent film and the first major honors of the film awards season. As previously announced, the awards ceremony streamed live in its entirety to a global audience at www.ifp.org.
A total of 29 films received nominations in seven competitive categories, including: Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, Audience Award and Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You.
For the second year, IFP will honor the recipient of the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You award with a theatrical release package so the winner WILL show at a Theater Near You. The package includes a one-week run at Cinema Village in New York City, advertising support in the New York Times, and a cash award of $15,000 from The Royal Bank of Canada.
New this year, IFP is proud present the inaugural euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumnus of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.
In addition to the competitive awards, career tributes were given to actors Gary Oldman and Charlize Theron (Theron tribute sponsored by euphoria Calvin Klein), director David Cronenberg and Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman and CEO, Tom Rothman.
The 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Award Recipients:
Best Feature presented by Tilda Swinton
A Tie between:
BEGINNERS
Directed by Mike Mills
Produced by Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen
Released by Focus Features
TREE OF LIFE
Directed by Terrence Malick
Produced by Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill
Released by Fox Searchlight
The Best Feature Jury included: Anne Carey, Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Lee Percy, and Natalie Portman
Best Documentary presented by director Bennett Miller and documentarian Chris
Hegedus.
BETTER THIS WORLD
Directed and produced by Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega
Produced by Mike Nicholson
The Best Documentary Jury included: Jonathan Caouette, Keiko Deguchi, Rachel Grady, Chris Hegedus and Stanley Nelson
Breakthrough Director Award presented by Alexander Payne and Felicity Jones
DEE REES
Writer and director of Pariah
Released by Focus Features
The Breakthrough Director Jury included: Ellen Kuras, Anthony Mackie, John Cameron
Mitchell, Mike S. Ryan, Mira Sorvino
Breakthrough Actor Award presented by actors Stanley Tucci and Melissa Leo.
FELICITY JONES
Actor in Like Crazy
Released by Paramount Vantage
The Breakthrough Actor Jury included: Chris Eyre, Melissa Leo, Anne Rosellini, Ira Sachs and Jeffrey Wright
Best Ensemble Performance Award presented by actor/director Vera Farmiga and
actor Peter Facinelli
Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox,
Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos
in BEGINNERS
Released by Focus Features
The Best Ensemble Performance Jury included: Lena Dunham, Ryan Fleck, Peter Hedges, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Emily Watson.
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You Award presented by actor Judy Greer
and RBC CEO, Mark Standish
SCENES OF A CRIME
Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock, Directors and Producers
The recipient of The Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You award was
determined by the editors of Filmmaker magazine, a publication of IFP, and a curator
from The Museum of Modern Art.
Gotham Independent Film Audience Award sponsored by Heineken USA and presented by actors Sarah Paulson and Zachary Quinto.
GIRLFRIEND
Justin Lerner, Director
Produced by Jerad Anderson, Kristina Lauren Anderson, Justin Lerner, Shaun O’Banion
The Audience Award was voted on line by filmgoers who love movies.
euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant
presented by Shailene Woodley.
LUCY MULLOY
for upcoming film UNA NOCHE
The euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers’ ‘Live the Dream’ grant jury
included: Zoe Cassavetes, Katherine Dieckmann, Judy Greer and Jon Kilik.
The Premier Sponsors of the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ are Royal Bank of
Canada (RBC) and The New York Times, Presenting Sponsor euphoria Calvin Klein,
Official Partners: Heineken USA (sponsor of the Gotham Independent Film Audience
Award); Russian Standard Vodka; charitybuzz; MoMA; Andaz Wall Street; Official
Haircare Partner BaBylissPRO and Official Wine Partner Mionetto Prosecco.
About Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP)
The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the nation’s oldest and largest not-forprofit
advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Since its debut at the 1979
New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and
offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many
diverse voices to be heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal
language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness,
and fostering activism. The organization championed the early work of pioneering
independent filmmakers Charles Burnett, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Michael Moore, Joel
and Ethan Coen, Kevin Smith, and Todd Solondz. IFP continues to play a vital role in
launching first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including
Debra Granik (“Down to the Bone”), Miranda July (“Me, You and Everyone We Know”),
and Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (“Half Nelson”).
IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world
and fosters the development of 350 feature and documentary films each year. Through
its workshops, seminars, conferences, mentorships, and Filmmaker Magazine, IFP
schools its members in the art, technology, and business of independent filmmaking.
The year-round program includes Independent Film Week, Envision, The Cross-Media
Forum, The Gotham Awards, and the Independent Filmmaker Labs. IFP’s programs
promote diverse voices in independent film by working to include racial,
