‘12 Years a Slave’ leads Independent film awards

LOS ANGELES - Gritty historical drama “12 Years a Slave” and dark comedy “Nebraska” led the nominees for the Independent Spirit Awards on Tuesday, both scoring nods in the best feature, best director and best acting categories.

“12 Years a Slave,” a harrowing tale of a free black man sold into slavery, landed seven nominations including British-born filmmaker Steve McQueen for best director, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor for best male lead and newcomer actress Lupita Nyong’o for best supporting female.

The Fox Searchlight Pictures film has garnered praise from critics and is already a hot contender in the Oscars race.

“Nebraska,” a sweeping melancholy black and white comedy about a dying man, scored six nominations including nods for its director Alexander Payne, lead actor Bruce Dern and comedian Will Forte for best supporting actor. Dern, 77, won the best actor prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The Independent Spirit Awards are Hollywood’s top honors for independent and art house films, and cast a spotlight on some of the smaller budget cinematic efforts that also become strong contenders for Oscars, Hollywood’s top film honors handed out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Spirit Awards are often a indicator of Academy Award winners, with both Natalie Portman for “Black Swan” in 2011 and Jennifer Lawrence for “Silver Linings Playbook” in 2013 landing the best actress Spirit award and going on to win the best actress award.

Both “12 Years a Slave” and Paramount Pictures’ “Nebraska” are nominated for the best feature Spirit award, the top award of the night, along with quirky comedy “Frances Ha,” Robert Redford’s survival tale “All is Lost” and the Coen brothers’ “Inside Llewyn Davis.”

Reuters