by LORENZA MUNOZ
hen director/producer to fend for himself. the final process of selecting the actual
Lee Daniels got the nominees in categories ranging from
invitation last year to “It was very intense,” he said. Best Feature, Best Female Lead or Best
join the Spirit Award’s Male Lead, Best Cinematography to
American Narrative Actress Kerry Washington said the clos- Best First Feature. The committee mem-
Nomination Com- est parallel was going through childbirth. bers arrived in time for breakfast and did
mittee, he was flattered. Daniels, pro- not leave until nightfall. On Sunday they
ducer of Monsters Ball and director of “When you are up until 4 am watching a were back at it again.
the 2009 Sundance Film Festival entry movie, you turn and tell your significant
Push, thought it would be fun to watch a other, ‘remind me never to do this ever “I got there bleary eyed and not in a
bunch of movies and casually talk them again,’” she recalled laughing. good mood,” admits Daniels. “At that
over with industry colleagues. Soon point, I was just ready to deliberate.”
enough, he discovered he was wrong. American Narrative chair, Gail Mutrux,
said she warns potential committee But soon enough both Washington
“This is not a leisurely process,” he said. members of the work ahead of them. and Daniels discovered why it was so
“It is really, really hard work. It was as thrilling to be on the committee. The
difficult as making a film.” “We tell people they are going to be group sat in chairs casually in a circle
watching a lot of movies within a cer- in Mutrux’s living room. Her style is to
The selection committee, which is tain time frame,” said Mutrux, who has allow a free-flow of discussion while still
made up of 15 members, ranging from served on a Film Independent selection moving on to address every category.
directors, actors, cinematographers, committee for the past five years. “But Some years, depending on personali-
screenwriters and film critics, view telling someone and having them expe- ties and the films, discussion can get
nearly 300 films that have been submit- rience it are two different things.” heated.
ted for consideration. Beginning in Oc-
tober, committee members must watch Most of the committee members were “People have strong opinions and
each film, take notes, and prepare for a cramming in their movies up until that you are trying to get other people to
two day gathering in Los Angeles to de- final weekend, watching them in hotels understand why you see the merits or
cide which films will be the nominees. and airplanes on the final night before not,” said Mutrux, a producer of such
the big meeting. films as Donnie Brasco and Kinsey.
Daniels said he felt like he had been “It all depends on the movie and how
caught in a tsunami, tossed around at On the weekend before Thanksgiving, people feel.”
sea, spit back out on the beach and left they arrived at Mutrux’s home, to begin
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