'birdman' Leads Spirit Awards Nominations

Nods in the male lead category went to David Oyelowo for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma; Jake Gyllenhall for his turn as a sociopathic freelance reporter in Nightcrawler; John Lithgow for Love is Strange; and André Benjamin for Jimi: Female lead nominations included Julianne Moore for her role as an Alzheimer's patient in "Still Alice;" Marion Cotillard for the turn of the century drama "The Immigrant;" Tilda Swinton for the vampire pic "Only Lovers Left Alive;" Jenny Slate for the abortion comedy "Obvious Child;" and Rinko Kikuchi for "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter." Last year, the Spirit Awards winners matched the Academy Awards winners in several top categories, including best picture ("12 Years a Slave"), best actor (Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club"), and best actress (Cate Blanchett for "Blue Jasmine"). Nominations are decided by members of Film Independent, which include critics, filmmakers, actors, festival programmers, past winners and nominees, and members of Film Independent's board of directors.