The leader with three nominations is "Great World of Sound." Craig Zobel's directorial debut was a festival favorite, garnering Gotham nods for Best Feature, Breakthrough Director and Breakthrough Actor.
In all, 28 films received nominations spread across six categories Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Ensemble Cast, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor and Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You. The Independent Feature Project announced the nominations this morning. The awards will be presented at Steiner Studios in New York on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
Rounding out the top contenders are "Day Night Day Night," "Into The Wild" and "Margot at the Wedding," with each receiving two nominations.
Last year, with a list of Best Feature nominees that included the studio-backed "The Departed," "Marie Antoinette" and "Little Children," the IFP came under fire for straying from its perceived mission as a champion of truly independent filmmaking.
Though the night's big winner last year turned out to be the uber-indie "Half Nelson," this year's nominations seem to be back in line with expectations of what a "Gotham Award-winning" film should be.
Even so, sprinkled in among such relatively little-known titles as "Seraphim Falls," "Teeth" and "The Last Winter" are nominations for films that are considered a part of the long march to the Oscars, including "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (Best Ensemble), "The Savages" (Best Ensemble), and "Juno" (Breakthrough Actor, Ellen Page).
As previously announced, the ceremony will also feature tribute awards to actor Javier Bardem, critic Roger Ebert, production designer Mark Friedberg, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, director Mira Nair and IFP President Jonathan Sehring.
The 17th Annual Gotham Award nominees are:
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 (the 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 Pictures)
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 (the 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 Pictures)
"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 for "Munyurangabo"
Stephane Gauger for "Owl and the Sparrow"
Julia Loktev for "Day Night Day Night" (IFC First Take)
David Von Ancken for "Seraphim Falls" (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Craig Zobel for "Great World of Sound" (Magnolia Pictures)
Breakthrough Actor
Emile Hirsch in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage)
Kene Holliday in "Great World of Sound" (Magnolia Pictures)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Jess Weixler in "Teeth" (Roadside Attractions)
Luisa Williams in "Day Night Day Night" (IFC First Take)
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
"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
