2006 Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Don Cheadle and Felicity Huffman announced the nominees for the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards. The big winners are the insanely popular Sundance hit Little Miss Sunshine and the unexpectedly moving drama Half Nelson, which both received four nominations, including Best Feature and Best Director and Best First Screenplay.  Four films -- The Dead Girl, American Gun, A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints, and Man Push Cart -- followed with three nominations each.

The Film Independent also announced the presentation of a Special Distinction Award to David Lynch and Laura Dern for their work on INLAND EMPIRE.

The Independent Spirit Awards, currently in its 22nd year, will be held on February 24, and broadcast live on IFC. Here's the complete list of nominations:

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
American Gun
The Dead Girl
Half Nelson
Little Miss Sunshine
Pan's Labyrinth

BEST DIRECTOR
Robert Altman, A Prairie Home Companion
Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, Little Miss Sunshine
Ryan Fleck, Half Nelson
Karen Moncrieff, The Dead Girl 
Steven Soderbergh, Bubble

BEST FIRST FEATURE 
Day Night Day Night
Man Push Cart
The Motel
Sweet Land
Wristcutters: A Love Story

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
Chalk
Four Eyed Monsters
Old Joy
Quinceanera
Twelve and Holding

BEST SCREENPLAY
Neil Burger, The Illusionist
Nicole Holofcener, Friends with Money
Ron Nyswaner, The Painted Veil
Jason Reitman, Thank You For Smoking
Jeff Stanzler, Sorry, Haters

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine
Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, Half Nelson
Goran Dukic, Wristcutters: A Love Story
Dito Montiel, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
Gabrielle Zevin, Conversations with Other Women

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson
Catherine O'Hara, For Your Consideration
Elizabeth Reaser, Sweet Land
Michelle Williams, Land of Plenty
Robin Wright Penn, Sorry, Haters

BEST MALE LEAD
Aaron Eckhart, Thank You For Smoking 
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Edward Norton, The Painted Veil
Ahmad Razvi, Man Push Cart
Forest Whitaker, American Gun

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Melonie Diaz, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
Marcia Gay Harden, American Gun
Mary Beth Hurt, The Dead Girl
Frances McDormand, Friends with Money
Amber Tamblyn, Stephanie Daley

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Raymond J. Barry, Steel City
Daniel Craig, Infamous
Paul Dano, Little Miss Sunshine
Channing Tatum, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Arin Crumley, Four Eyed Monsters
Anthony Dod Mantle, Brothers of the Head
Guillermo Navarro, Pan's Labyrinth
Aaron Platt, Wild Tigers I Have Known
Michael Simmonds, Man Push Cart

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
A Lion in the House
My Country, My Country
The Road to Guantanamo
The Trials of Darryl Hunt
You're Gonna Miss Me

BEST FOREIGN FILM 
12:08 East of Bucharest
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
Chronicle of an Escape
Days of Glory
The Lives of Others