Gotham Awards and NYFCC

Those New Yorkers like to get a jump on things. Awards season kicked off last night with the Gotham Awards, honoring indie films, and the big news was that "Beginners"--starring Christopher Plummer as a man who comes out to his son late in life--not only tied for Best Feature (with "The Tree of Life") but bested casts like "The Descendants" to take Best Ensemble. Does this mean Focus Features should be pushing for more than just the expected Best Supporting Actor slot for Christopher Plummer? Full list of winners after the jump.

And this morning, the New York Film Critics Circle announced their winners. The big news is Meryl Streep landed her first win for "The Iron Lady," and Brad Pitt scored some recognition for "Moneyball." But it's the supporting choices I'm most happy with: the stunning Jessica Chastain for her trio of hits ("The Help," "Take Shelter," "The Tree of Life") and Albert Brooks for his outstanding, funny, scary work in "Drive."

Best Director went to Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," which also won Best Picture.

--Jenelle Riley

 

21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards Winners

Best Feature (tie)
Beginners
(Focus Features)
Mike Mills, director
Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, producers

The Tree of Life
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Terrence Malick, director; Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill, producers

Best Documentary
Better This World
(Loteria Films, Picturebox, Motto Pictures and Passion Pictures; ITVS in association with American Documentary | POV)
Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, directors; Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega, Mike Nicholson, producers

Best Ensemble Performance
Beginners (Focus Features)
Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos 

Breakthrough Director
Dee Rees, Pariah (Focus Features)

Breakthrough Actor
Felicity Jones, Like Crazy (Paramount Vantage)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
Scenes of a Crime
Blue Hadaegh, Grover Babcock, director-producers

Second Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award
Girlfriend
Justin Lerner, director-producer
Jerad Anderson, Kristina Lauren Anderson, Shaun O’Banion, producers