'12 Years A Slave' Leads Gotham Award Nominees; 'Inside Llewyn Davis, 'Upstream Color' & More Earn Nods

… and here we go. Even though we’re not even in November, and with two more months of movies and awards season contenders to come, the Gotham Independent Film Awards have announced their nominees for 2013. While this may be “the first major awards ceremony of the film season,” the real accomplishment here is shining a light on the kind of well-made, acclaimed movies that will unfortunately be forgotten as the heavier hitters with more money behind them elbow their way to the Dolby Theater in February.

And so, while all-the-awards frontrunner “12 Years A Slave” leads the pack with three nominations, for Best Feature, Best Actor and Best Breakthrough Actor, a number of other quality flicks get some love too. It’s nice to be reminded that 2013 also brought as David Lowery‘s lyrical “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” and Shane Carruth‘s beautiful and haunting “Upstream Color.” And we’re to glad see Brie Larson (“Short Term 12“), Shailene Woodley (“The Spectacular Now“), Kathryn Hahn (“Afternoon Delight“) and Isaiah Washington (“Blue Caprice“) get some attention for their work in the films that will hopefully continue to find audiences.

Check out all the nominees below. The Gotham Awards will be handed out on December 2nd.

Best Feature

12 Years a Slave

Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films)

Before Midnight

Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Inside Llewyn Davis

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films)

Upstream Color

Shane Carruth, director; Shane Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair, producers. (erbp)

Best Documentary

The Act of Killing

Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge, Joshua Oppenheimer, producers (Drafthouse Films)

The Crash Reel

Lucy Walker, director; Julian Cautherly, Lucy Walker, producers (HBO Documentary Films)

First Cousin Once Removed

Alan Berliner, director and producer (HBO Documentary Films)

Let the Fire Burn

Jason Osder, director and producer (Zeitgeist Films)

Our Nixon

Penny Lane, director; Brian L. Frye, Penny Lane, producers (Cinedigm and CNN Films)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award

Ryan Coogler for Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)

Adam Leon for Gimme the Loot (Sundance Selects)

Alexandre Moors for Blue Caprice (Sundance Selects)

Stacie Passon for Concussion (RADiUS-TWC)

Amy Seimetz for Sun Don’t Shine (Factory 25)

Best Actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis (CBS Films)

Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Robert Redford in All Is Lost (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)

Isaiah Washington in Blue Caprice (Sundance Selects)

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine (Sony Pictures Classics)

Scarlett Johansson in Don Jon (Relativity Media)

Brie Larson in Short Term 12 (Cinedigm)

Amy Seimetz in Upstream Color (erbp)

Shailene Woodley in The Spectacular Now (A24)

Breakthrough Actor

Dane DeHaan in Kill Your Darlings (Sony Pictures Classics)

Kathryn Hahn in Afternoon Delight (The Film Arcade and Cinedigm)

Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)

Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Robin Weigert in Concussion (RADiUS-TWC)

Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ Grant

For the third consecutive year, IFP is proud present the euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.

The nominees are:

Afia Nathaniel, director, Dukhthar

Gita Pullapilly, director, Beneath the Harvest Sky

Deb Shoval, director, AWOL