The Gotham Independent Film Awards make no bones about it, calling themselves “the official kick-off to the film awards season.” And while you might argue that awards season begins long before the Gothams’ November 29 ceremony, several of this year’s contenders will get a boost from the awards announced on Thursday: director Darren Aronofsky (below), actors Robert Duvall and Hilary Swank and Focus Features CEO James Schamus will be the subject of career tributes at the 20th Anniversary Gotham awards.
The Gothams, which are staged by the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), selected honorees who could well be in the thick of this year’s Oscar race. Aronofsky is the director of Fox Searchlight’s Best Picture contender “Black Swan”; Duvall and Swank star in “Get Low” and “Conviction,” respectively; and Schamus’ company released “The Kids Are All Right.”
The Gotham Independent Film Awards will also present honors in seven competitive categories: Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You and the Festival Genius Audience Award.
Nominees for those awards will be announced on October 18.
In the press release announcing the four honorees, IFP executive director Joana Vicente commented, “We are moved and honored to give tribute to four cinematic film luminaries, all of whom have had their roots in independent film, and have steadfastly focused on the art of film, irrespective of the size of the budget of their work.”
The ceremony will take place at the Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Monday, November 29.
(Aronofsky photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
