Despite the current writers strike and a looming threat of awards shows being cancelled, Film Independent is putting on its 22nd annual Spirit Awards February 23rd. Nominations for this year’s awards were announced this morning in California and include multiple nominations for Best Feature nominees The Savages, directed by Tamara Jenkins, Jason Reitman’s Juno, Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park and Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart.

Todd Haynes led the pack with four nominations for his Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There in addition to being honored with the first ever Robert Altman award, which honors one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

The Spirit Award honor moviemakers and their movies that are made for $20 million dollars or less. Those films made for under $500,000 or less are eligible for the John Cassavetes Award and this year include August Evening, Owl and the Sparrow, The Pool, Quiet City and Shotgun Stories.

Awards are given in the producing, directing, writing and acting categories. For a complete list of this year’s nominees, visit www.filmindependent.org.

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