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On Monday, October 20, IFP has announced the contenders for the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards and Lance Hammer-directed drama "Ballast" has dominated the nomination list, taking in 4 separate nods. The movie, which has won the 2008 Sundance Film Festival's Dramatic Directing Award for Hammer, is nominated for Best Feature, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor and Best Ensemble Performance.

In the category of Best Feature, "Ballast" will be up against Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River", Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York", Thomas McCarthy's "The Visitor" and Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler". Meanwhile, for the Best Ensemble Performance category, the film's cast that include Micheal J. Smith Sr. will be competing with "Rachel Getting Married" ensemble led by Anne Hathaway, "Synecdoche" cast led by Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" ensemble, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, and "Visitor" cast led by Richard Jenkins.

Though garnering the most gongs for the 2008 Gotham Awards, "Ballast" is not the only film getting more than one nomination. Antonio Campos' "Afterschool", "Frozen", "Rachel", "Synecdoche", "Vicky" and "Visitor" each collect double counts for the awards that provides early critical recognition for worthy independent films.

The award-presenting gala which has been renamed from Gotham Awards to Gotham Independent Film Awards will be held at New York City's Cipriani Wall Street on Tuesday, December 2. It has been previously announced that Cruz, president of HBO Documentary Films' Sheila Nevins, and filmmakers Gus Van Sant and Melvin Van Peebles will be honored with tribute awards on the scheduled date as well.

The nominees list of the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award:

Best Feature:

• "Ballast"
• "Frozen River"
• "Synecdoche, New York"
• "The Visitor"
• "The Wrestler"

• Micheal J. Smith Sr., JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs and Johnny McPhail for "Ballast"
• Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Tunde Adebimpe, Mather Zickel, Anna Deavere Smith, Anisa George and Debra Winger for "Rachel Getting Married"
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis and Tom Noonan for "Synecdoche, New York"
• Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
• Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbas, Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira for "The Visitor"

• Pedro Castaneda, "August Evening"
• Rosemarie DeWitt, "Rachel Getting Married"
• Rebecca Hall, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
• Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
• Alejandro Polanco, "Chop Shop"
• Micheal J. Smith Sr., "Ballast"

• Antonio Campos for "Afterschool"
• Dennis Dortch for "A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy"
• Lance Hammer for "Ballast"
• Barry Jenkins for "Medicine for Melancholy"
• Alex Rivera for "Sleep Dealer"

• "Chris & Don: A Love Story"
• "Encounters at the End of the World"
• "Man on Wire"
• "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired"
• "Trouble the Water"

• "Afterschool"
• "Meadowlark"
• "The New Year Parade"
• "Sita Sings the Blues"
• "Wellness"