We’ve already concluded that perhaps 2008 wasn’t so bad as far as film was concerned and looking down the list of the recently announced Spirit Awards, it’s clear that the year has been good for both Hollywood and Indie-wood.

This year’s nominees include some long-time Spirit Award favourites (Darren Aronofsky and Tom McCarthy) amidst heavy hitters (Jonathan Demme) and some brilliant new-comers (Lance Hammer, Steve McQueen) and as far as I can tell, this is a wicked looking list of nominees. For the first time in a number of years, a big chunk of the nominees have played theatrically in some capacity and the fact that I’ve seen more than a handful has me very excited and considering that Oscar usually fails to pay attention to the independents (unless they’re high profile like Milk (our review) or Rachel Getting Married (our review)), this list is, this year at least, a much closer race than the Oscars.

Of the nominees, I’m still looking forward to catching up with Synecdoche, New York (our review), The Wrestler and Wendy and Lucy. Andrew will certainly be happy to see that his girl Penélope Cruz is up for a Best Supporting Actress Award while I’m thrilled that James Franco is getting some well deserved attention for his role in Milk but I’d like to make special note of the great Anvil! The Story of Anvil (our review) which is nominated for the Lacoste Truer Than Fiction Award and Take Out (our review) which is up for the John Cassavetes Award.

The Spirit Awards will air live on IFC and AMC on February 21st.

Full list of nominees is tucked under the seat!

Best Feature
Rachel Getting Married
The Wrestler
Wendy and Lucy
Ballast
Frozen River

Best Director
Tom McCarthy - The Visitor
Jonathan Demme - Rachel Getting Married
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Ramin Bahrani - Chop Shop
Lance Hammer - Ballast

Best First Feature
Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin, Josh Mond - Afterschool
Barry Jenkins, Justin Barber - Medicine for Melancholy
Charlie Kaufman, Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Sidney Kimmel - Synecdoche, New York
Alex Rivera, Anthony Bregman - Sleep Dealer
Christopher Zalla, Per Melita, Benjamin Odell - Sangre De Mi Sangre

John Cassavetes Award
Prince of Broadway
Take Out
The Signal
Turn the River
In Search of a Midnight Kiss

Best Screenplay
Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck - Sugar
Charlie Kaufman - Synecdoche, New York
Howard A. Rodman - Savage Grace
Christopher Zalla - Sangre De Mi Sangre

Best First Screenplay
Milk - Dustin Lance Black
Ballast - Lance Hammer
Frozen River - Courtney Hunt
The Wackness - Jonathan Levine
Rachel Getting Married - Jenny Lumet

Best Female Lead
Summer Bishil - Towelhead / Nothing is Private
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Tarra Riggs - Ballast
Michelle Williams - Wendy and Lucy

Best Male Lead
Javier Bardem- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Sean Penn - Milk
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Supporting Female
Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Rosie Perez - The Take
Misty Upham - Frozen River
Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Male
James Franco - Milk
Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker
Charlie McDermott - Frozen River
JimMyron Ross - Ballast
Haaz Sleiman - The Visitor

Best Foreign Film
The Class / Entre les murs
Gomorra
Secret of the Grain
Hunger
Silent Light

Best Documentary
The Order of Myths
Up the Yangtze
Encounters at the End of the World
The Betrayal
Man on Wire

Best Cinematography
The Wrestler
Ballast
Medicine for Melancholy
Milk
Chop Shop

Robert Altman Award
Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufman (Director), Jeanne McCarthy (Casting Director), Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams

Piaget Producers Award
Heather Rae - Frozen River
Jason Orans - Goodbye Solo, Year of the Fish
Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy - Treeless Mountain, I’ll Come Running

Acura Someone to Watch Award
Lynn Shelton - My Effortless Brilliance
Nina Paley - Sita Sings the Blues
Barry Jenkins - Medicine for Melancholy

Lacoste Truer Than Fiction Award
Darius Marder - Loot
Sacha Gervasi - Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Margaret Brown - The Order of Myths