Independently financed films surpassed those from the major studios in this year’s Academy Awards nominations among all categories as well as in the top categories of Best Picture Director Actor/Actress and Supporting Actor/Actress according to figures released from the Independent Film & Television Alliance. “We are not surprised to see these numbers since over the past quarter century independents have produced the most Oscar-winning movies including Slumdog Millionaire Lord of the Rings Crash and Million Dollar Baby ” says IFTA president-CEO Jean Prewitt. Films from independents received 79 overall Oscar nominations versus 42 for the majors while in the top categories independents obtained 21 nominations to 14 for the majors. Best Picture nominations included District 9 (QED International) An Education (Hanway Films) The Hurt Locker (Voltage Pictures/Summit) Inglourious Basterds (The Weinstein Company) Precious (Lionsgate) and A Serious Man (Focus Features/Studio Canal). Weinstein swept five of the six top categories (Picture Director and Supporting Actor for Inglourious Basterds Actor for A Single Man and Supporting Actress for Nine). Among other independents capturing multiple nominations in the top categories were Lionsgate (Picture Director Actress and Supporting Actress for Precious); Voltage and Summit (Picture Director and Actor for The Hurt Locker); Hanway Films (Picture and Actress for An Education); and the Little Film Company (Actress and Supporting Actor for The Last Station). Other noteworthy nomination performances came from IM Global (Actor for A Single Man) and ContentFilm (Supporting Actor for The Messenger). The Independent Film & Television Alliance www.ifta-online.org
