Independently financed films surpassed those from the major studios in Tuesday’s Academy Awards® nominations among all categories, as well as in the top categories of Best Picture, Director, Actor/Actress and Supporting Actor/Actress, according to figures released today from the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA).

Films from independents received 79 overall Oscar nominations versus 42 for the majors, while in the top categories independents obtained 21 nominations to 14 for the majors.

Best Picture nominations included District 9 (QED International), An Education (Hanway Films), The Hurt Locker (Voltage Pictures/Summit), Inglourious Basterds (The Weinstein Co.), Precious (Lionsgate) and A Serious Man (Focus Features/Studio Canal).

Weinstein swept five of the six top categories (Picture, Director and Supporting Actor for Inglourious Basterds, Actor for A Single Man and Supporting Actress for Nine). Among other independents capturing multiple nominations in the top categories were Lionsgate (Picture, Director, Actress and Supporting Actress for Precious); Voltage and Summit (Picture, Director and Actor for The Hurt Locker); Hanway Films (Picture and Actress for An Education); and the Little Film Company (Actress and Supporting Actor for The Last Station). Other noteworthy nomination performances came from IM Global (Actor for A Single Man) and ContentFilm (Supporting Actor for The Messenger).

“We are not surprised to see these numbers, since over the past quarter century, independents have produced the most Oscar-winning movies, including Slumdog Millionaire, Lord of the Rings, Crash and Million Dollar Baby,” said IFTA President-CEO Jean Prewitt.

About The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA)
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television programming industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization represents and provides significant entertainment industry services to more than 180 member companies from 22 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies, studio-affiliated companies, and financial institutions engaged in content finance.

Collectively, the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s members produce more than 400 independent films and countless hours of television programming each year and generate more than $4 billion in distribution revenues annually. The organization’s premiere event, the American Film Market, held in conjunction with AFI Fest, takes place every year in November in Santa Monica.

As the voice and advocate for the independent film and television industry worldwide, the Alliance speaks out on matters of critical importance and, where appropriate, actively lobbies governments around the world in regard to measures directly affecting the independent industry. For more information on IFTA and the American Film Market, please visit www.ifta-online.org.