Independent Spirit Award Nominations

It's official, the 2013 movie awards season is finally under way following yesterday's 29th annual Independent Spirit Award Nominations. Walking the grayest of lines, the supposed "indie" representation constantly receives scrutiny for its not-so-indie inclusions every year. While the committee declares that eligible films must have a budget of less than $20 million (does that REALLY feel like an independent dollar amount?), this year's big-shot, 12 Years a Slave, and last year's Silver Linings Playbook reportedly had budgets just north of that line. But rather than nit-picking these rather insignificant nominations, let's relish in the fact that the 2013 awards season has begun!

The Spirit Awards have confirmed that Steve McQueen's squeamish drama, 12 Years a Slave, is a serious contender this year. The film lead the way with 7 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and acting nominations for all three pictured above. Following close behind with 6 nominations of its own is Alexander Payne's Nebraska, who also hopes to me a major player at the Oscars.

Every year the Spirit Awards delivers some head-scratching inclusions and omissions. While James Franco has pushed hard for a Supporting Actor nomination for his thuggish turn in Spring Breakers, he was (perhaps surprisingly?) left out of the conversation. Furthermore, in a more unbelievable turn of events, the extremely buzzed about drama, Dallas Buyers Club, missed out on everything but acting nominations for McConaughey and Jared Leto who are pictured below (and both of which are more than deserving).

Below is a full list of nominations:

BEST PICTURE
"12 Years A Slave"
"All is Lost"
"Frances Ha"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Nebraska"

BEST DIRECTOR
Shane Carruth, "Upstream Color"
J.C. Chandor, "All Is Lost"
Steve McQueen, "12 Years A Slave"
Jeff Nichols, "Mud"
Alexander Payne, "Nebraska"

BEST ACTOR
Bruce Dern, "Nebraska"
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave"
Oscar Isaac, "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Michael B Jordan, "Fruitvale Station"
Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"
Robert Redford, "All Is Lost"

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"
Julie Delpy, "Before Midnight"
Gaby Hoffmann, "Crystal Fairy"
Brie Larson, "Short Term 12"
Shailene Woodley, "The Spectacular Now"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Michael Fassbender, "12 Years a Slave"
Will Forte, "Nebraska"
James Gandolfini, "Enough Said"
Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"
Keith Stanfield, "Short Term 12"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Melonie Diaz, "Fruitvale Station"
Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine"
Lupita Nyongo, "12 Years a Slave"
Yolonda Ross, "Go For Sisters"
June Squibb, "Nebraska"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Woody Allen, "Blue Jasmine"
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater, "Before Midnight"
Nicole Holofcener, "Enough Said"
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, "The Spectacular Now"
John Ridley, "12 Years A Slave"

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Lake Bell, "In A World"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon"
Bob Nelson, "Nebraska"
Jill Soloway, "Afternoon Delight"
Mike Starrbury, "The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sean Bobbitt, "12 Years A Slave"
Benoit Debie, "Spring Breakers"
Bruno Delbonnel, "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Frank G. Demarco, "All Is Lost"
Matthias Grunsky, "Computer Chess"

BEST EDITING
Shane Carruth & David Lowery, "Upstream Color"
Jem Cohen & Marc Vives, "Museum Hours"
Frank G. Demarco, "All Is Lost"
Matthias Grunsky, "Computer Chess"

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"20 Feet From Stardom"
"After Tiller"
"Gideon’s Army"
"The Act of Killing"
"Cynn"
"The Square"

BEST INTERNATIONAL PICTURE
"A Touch of Sin (China)
"Blue is the Warmest Color" (France)
"Gloria" (Chile)
"The Great Beauty" (Italy)
"The Hunt" (Denmark)

BEST FIRST FEATURE
"Blue Caprice"
"Concussion"
"Fruitvale Station"
"Una Noche"
"Wadjda"

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (best feature made for under $500,000)
"Computer Chess"
"Crystal Fairy"
"Museum Hours"
"Pit Stop"
"This is Martin Bonner"

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Toby Halbrooks & James M. Johnston
Jacob Jaffke
Andrea Roa
Frederick Thornton

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Aaron Douglas Johnston, "My Sisters Quinceañera"
Shaka King, "Newlyweeds"
Madeline Olnek, "The Foxy Merkins"

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Kalyanee Mam, "A River Changes Course"
Jason Osder, "Let the Fire Burn"
Stephanie Spray & Pacho Valez, "Manakamana"