'Rachel,' 'Frozen River,' 'Ballast' Lead Race for Independent Spirit Awards

The Independent Spirit Awards announced its list of 2008 nominees, and at the top of the heap stands Rachel Getting Married, Frozen River, and Ballast, all with six nominations.Rachel is, of course, anchored by Anne Hathaway, who is a likely Best Actress nominee for the Academy Awards. The same could be said of Frozen River's Melissa Leo, quickly becoming the trendy pick nobody had ever heard of until a few weeks ago. And Ballast is a drama about the way one suicide affects the lives of others. Other multiple nominees include Milk, The Wrestler, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Synecdoche, New York, with four nominations each (although Synecdoche really only received three nominations and was awarded a fourth, the Robert Altman Award, given to the ensemble, casting director, and the director).The Independent Spirit Awards will air live on IFC Saturday, February 21st. For a complete list of nominees, check out Variety. But here are some of the major players:

Best Feature
Ballast
Frozen River
Rachel Getting Married
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

Best Director
Ramin Bahrani - Chop Shop
Jonathan Demme - Rachel Getting Married
Lance Hammer - Ballast
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Thomas McCarthy - The Visitor Best First Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Lance Hammer - Ballast
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Jonathan Levine - The Wackness
Jenny Lumet - Rachel Getting Married Best Screenplay
Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck - Sugar
Charlie Kaufman - Synecdoche - New York
Howard A. Rodman - Savage Grace
Christopher Zalla - Sangre de Mi Sangre Best Female Lead
Summer Bishil - Towelhead
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Tarra Riggs - Ballast
Michelle Williams - Wendy and Lucy Best Male Lead
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Sean Penn - Milk
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler Best Supporting Female
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Rosie Perez - The Take
Misty Upham - Frozen River
Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married Best Supporting Male
James Franco - Milk
Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker
Charlie McDermott - Frozen River
JimMyron Ross - Ballast
Haaz Sleiman - The Visitor