The best of indendent film was singled out by Film Independent this morning in Los Angeles with the announcement of the nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards. 

Singled out for a special award this year was J.C. Chandor’s Margin Call. Chandor will receive the Robert Altman Award along with casting directors Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey, along with the cast, including Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci.

The complete list of nominations:

Best Feature
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
The Artist
The Descendants

Best Director
Mike Mills, Beginners
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Tom McCarthy, Win Win
Mike Mills, Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants

Best First Feature
Another Earth
In The Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Patreck DeWitt, Terri
Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser, 50/50

John Cassavettes Award
Bellflower
Circumstance
Hello Lonesome
Pariah
The Dynamiter

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose, Think Of Me
Rachel Harris, Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Male Lead
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Angelica Huston, 50/50
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road
Shaileen Woodley, The Descendants

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks, Drive
John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll, Midnight In Paris

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge, Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke, The Off Hours
Darius Khondji, Midnight In Paris
Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron, The Dynamite

Best Documentary
An African Election
Bill Cunningham New York
The Interrupters
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
We Were Here

Best International Film
A Separation
Melancholia
Shame
The Kid With A Bike
Tyrannosaur

Truer Than Fiction Award
Heather Courtney
Danfung Dennis
Alma Har’El

Piaget Producers Award
Chad Burris
Sophia Lin
Josh Mond

Someone To Watch
Simon Arthur
Mark Jackson
Nicholas Ozeki

Robert Altman Award: Margin Call