I'm Not There dominates Independent Spirit nominees

Todd Haynes's Bob Dylan not-exactly-a-biopic I'm Not There led the pack at Tuesday morning's announcement of the Independent Spirit Award nominations in Los Angeles, with nods for Best Feature, Best Director, and for the performances of Cate Blanchett and Marcus Carl Franklin. The film also received the Spirit Awards' inaugural Robert Altman Award, a prize given to one film's director, casting director, and ensemble cast.

Also in the running for this year's awards -- presented annually by Film Independent and considered to be the "indie Oscars" -- are Juno, The Savages, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, all of which also received four nominations each. Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park, which won't his U.S. theaters until 2008, is up for Best Feature and Best Director.

Shockingly excluded among the nominees this year were Sarah Polley's powerful Away from Her and Craig Gillespie's acclaimed Lars and the Real Girl; Jennifer Jason Leigh received the only nomination for her husband Noah Baumbach's film Margot at the Wedding, which was also expected to figure more prominently.

For a complete list of nominations, visit FilmIndependent.org.