Deadline for Submissions is Friday, September 14, 2012

http://gotham.ifp.org

New York, NY (August 2, 2012) –Independent Filmmaker Project®, the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, today announced that the 22nd  Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards^™ will take place this year again at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, on Monday, November 26^th.

The first award show of the season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards^™ honor independently distributed American feature films made with an economy of means. Established in 1991, the Gotham Independent Film Awards^™ celebrate the authentic voices behind and in front of the camera in the year’s best independent films.

The Gothams provide critical early recognition to worthy independent films. Past winners include BEGINNERS (2011), THE TREE OF LIFE (2011), WINTER’S BONE (2010), THE HURT LOCKER (2009), FROZEN RIVER (2008), INTO THE WILD (2007) and HALF NELSON (2006), all of which went on to numerous awards and Oscar^™ nominations for – Christopher Plummer, Terrence Malick, Debra Granik, Kathryn Bigelow, Melissa Leo, Sean Penn, and Ryan Gosling, respectively.

Each year IFP chooses a jury of 25 innovators and icons in documentary and feature directing, producing, cinematography, and acting to bestow six competitive awards, Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Ensemble Performance, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor and  Best Film Not Playing At a Theatre Near You® on some of the best emerging and iconic filmmakers and actors working today.  All nominees for these honors are determined by a selection committee of critics and programmers.  Additionally the IFP™ Audience Award, now given for the third consecutive year, allows film enthusiasts around the globe to vote online for the winner.

“We are always proud to present the Gotham Awards as a showcase of the year’s best in independent film. As the true home of indie film, it is our goal to shine a light on these projects and all the hard work behind each film,” said Joana Vicente, IFP Executive Director. “And the Gothams are always an exciting opportunity to get a glimpse of the nominees to come throughout award season.”

In addition to seven competitive categories, the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ also recognizes those who have made significant contributions to independent filmmaking by selecting individuals to tribute. Last year the organization feted David Cronenberg, Gary Oldman, 20^th Century Fox’s Tom Rothman, and Charlize Theron. The 2012 Tributes will be announced in the Fall.

For the eighth year, IFP will partner with the Museum of Modern Art to present the Best Film Not Playing At a Theatre Near You® public screening series in November 2012. The Best Film Not Playing At A Theatre Near You® series features films which are nominated in this category that have achieved critical acclaim from the festival circuit, but have not yet been acquired theatrically by a distributor.  A grant will be given to the winning filmmaker through Royal Bank of Canada’s Emerging Artists Project.

Submissions are now being accepted in five of the competitive categories, including: Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Actor, Breakthrough Director and Best Ensemble Performance. Applications, along with full criteria, are available at http://gotham.ifp.org.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm EST on September 14, 2012.

Nominees will be announced on October 18, 2012, and winners will be honored at a star-studded ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on November 26th.

The Premier Sponsors of the 22nd annual Gotham Independent Film Awards^™ are Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and The New York Times, Presenting Sponsor euphoria Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection, Official Spirit Russian Standard Vodka, Official Wine Partner Mionetto Prosecco, Official Partners: charitybuzz; MoMA; Andaz Wall Street. Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times on November 16th, 2012.

About IFP

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the nation’s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers.  Since its debut at the 1979 New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and fostering activism. The organization championed the early work of pioneering independent filmmakers Charles Burnett, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Michael Moore, Joel and Ethan Coen, Kevin Smith, and Todd Solondz. IFP continues to play a vital role in launching first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Debra Granik (“Down to the Bone”), Miranda July (“Me, You and Everyone We Know”), and Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (“Half Nelson”).