Earlier this week, Film Independent announced their nominations for the 2008 Spirit Awards. I'm still puzzled by last year's decision to curtail the name (originally the Independent Spirit Awards), and I always have trouble fathoming the cost of film (these particular budgets have to be under $20 million, which seems simultaneously huge and meager), but I appreciate that the nominations provide a relatively reliable guide to indie work worthy of recognition.

This year's most-nominated films are I'm Not There, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and Juno, but it's an altogether strong crowd, including some films popular with AfterEllen.com readers.

Along with Julie Delpy's Best First Feature nod for 2 Days in Paris and the heartbreaking and well-deserved acknowledgment for Adrienne Shelly's Waitress screenplay, there are such usual suspects as cool-straight Cate Blanchett for her turn as Bob Dylan, wacky-straight Parker Posey (Broken English), and reportedly now-straight Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart). … continue reading