Sony Pictures Classics Took an Impressive 18 Nominations for the 2009 Film Independent's Spirit Awards

Sony Pictures Classics took an impressive 18 Spirit nominations (in a addition to "Synecdoche, New York" winning a special Robert Altman Award) which were announced this morning in Los Angeles for their films "Rachel Getting Married," "Sugar," "The Class," "The Wackness," "Synecdoche, New York," and "Frozen River." "Rachel Getting Married" receiving some of the best critical praise of the Fall film releases took 6 nominations including Best Feature, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best First Screenplay for Jenny Lumet and Best Female Lead for Anne Hathaway and "Frozen River," Courtney Hunt's riveting drama about two desperate working-class women received 6 nominations for Best Feature, Best First Screenplay and Best Director for Courtney Hunt, Best Female Lead for Melissa Leo, Best Supporting Female for Misty Upham and Best Supporting Male for Charlie McDermott. Additionally Producer Heather Rae received the Piaget's Producers Award. "Synecdoche, New York" took 2 nominations and a special Robert Altman Award for Director, Casting Director and Ensemble Cast.

"Frozen River," "Rachel Getting Married," "Synecdoche, New York" are presently on screens in North America. "The Class" is scheduled to open on Dec. 19, 2008 for a one-week qualifying run and will be released for regular theatrical engagements on January 30, 2009. "Sugar" will be released April 3, 2009.

The following is a complete list of all the Sony Pictures Classics nominations for their films:

  Frozen River:

  Best Director - Courtney Hunt
  Best Feature - Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
  Best Female Lead - Melissa Leo
  Best First Screenplay - Courtney Hunt
  Best Supporting Female - Misty Upham
  Best Supporting Male - Charlie McDermott
  Piaget Producers Award - Heather Rae

  Rachel Getting Married:

  Best Director - Jonathan Demme
  Best Feature - Neda Armian, Jonathan Demme, Marc Platt
  Best Female Lead - Anne Hathaway
  Best First Screenplay - Jenny Lumet
  Best Supporting Female - Rosemarie DeWitt
  Best Supporting Female - Debra Winger

  Sugar:

  Best Screenplay - Anne Boden & Ryan Fleck

  Synecdoche, New York:

  Best First Feature - Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney
   Kimmel
  Best Screenplay - Charlie Kaufman
  Robert Altman Award -
  Director - Charlie Kaufman
  Casting Director - Jeanne McCarthy
  Ensemble Cast - Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh,
   Sony Pictures Classics Took an Impressive 18 Nominations for the 2009
   Film Independent's Spirit Awards Katherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom
   Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams

  The Class:

  Best Foreign Film - Laurent Cantet

  The Wackness:

  Best First Screenplay - Jonathan Levine

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: Sony Pictures Classics

CONTACT: Donna Daniels, Donna Daniels Public Relations, +1-347-254-7054,
x101, ddaniels@ddanielspr.net

Web site: http://www.sony.com/