Score one for the good guys.
According to figures released by the Independent Film & Television Alliance, independently financed productions received nearly twice as many Academy Award nominations this year as films produced by the major studios.
A total of 79 Oscar nods went to independent films as opposed to just 42 for the majors. In the top categories (Best Picture, Director, Actor/Actress and Supporting Actor/Actress), indie productions received 21 nominations. The majors picked up 14.
“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, The Lord of the Rings, Crash and Million Dollar Baby,” says IFTA President-CEO Jean Prewitt.
In the Best Picture category, independent films receiving nominations were QED International’s District 9, HanWay Films’ An Education, Summit/Voltage Pictures’ The Hurt Locker, The Weinstein Company’s Inglourious Basterds, Precious from Lionsgate and A Serious Man from Focus Features/Studio Canal.
Independents capturing multiple nominations in the top categories included The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate, Voltage and Summit, HanWay Films and The Little Film Company. The Weinstein Company alone managed a nomination in five of the top six categories.
The Independent Film & Television Alliance, headquartered in Los Angeles, provides a multitude of services for over 180 companies from around the world. For more information on the IFTA and the American Film Market, visit http://www.ifta-online.org.