Los Angeles - Mainstream stars such as Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Woody Allen, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz all figured prominently Tuesday in nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, the first major awards of the season. Among the contenders for best picture were family wedding drama Rachel Getting Married, border smuggling thriller Frozen River and small-town survival drama Ballast, which tied for most overall nominations with six each including those for best picture, best director and best actress. The other best picture nominees were pet drama Wendy and Lucy and fight move The Wrestler.
The best actor category included Javier Bardem (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Sean Penn (Milk), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler). The actresses in the best female lead category were Summer Bishil (Towelhead), Anne Hathaway (Rachel), Melissa Leo (River), Tarra Riggs (Ballast) and Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy).
Best director nods went to Jonathan Demme for Rachel Getting Married, Ballast's Lance Hammer, Frozen River's Courtney Hunt, Ramin Bahrani, who directed Chop Shop, and Tom McCarthy, who directed The Visitor.
Other prominent nominees included the gay-rights historical drama Milk and Synedoche, New York, which both earned four nominations. The awards will be handed out on February 21 in a special tent erected on the beach in Santa Monica, California.
