Gotham Awards: FOOD, INC. Leads a Surprising Doc Lineup

In a somewhat bizarre nominations announcement moments ago - which began with NY Times film critic and nominations presenter A.O. Scott predicting that he would "probably hate most of the films" that would be announced as nominees - six nonfiction features were announced as 2009 Gotham Awards hopefuls.

While the Gothams have never been a great predictor of later awards (particularly the Oscars), it's noteworthy that of the films considered frontrunners for this year's Academy Awards, only Robert Kenner's FOOD, INC. secured a nomination today.  The rest of the Best Documentary category were filled with surprises, some mild (James Toback's TYSON), others pleasant shocks (Michael Almereyda's PARADISE).

And one more acclaimed 2009 docu - Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri's OCTOBER COUNTRY - made the line-up in another category, getting a nod in the Gotham's Best Film Not Yet Playing at a Theater Near You.

A full list of nominees in all categories (led by Kathryn Bigelow's THE HURT LOCKER) can be found at indieWIRE.  Gotham documentary nods after the jump.

2009 Gotham Awards Best Documentary Nominees

FOOD, INC.
Directed by Robert Kenner
Produced by Robert Kenner & Elise Pearlstein

GOOD HAIR
Directed by Jeff Stilson
Produced by Chris Rock, Kevin O'Donnell, Nelson George and Jenny Hunter

MY NEIGHBOR MY KILLER
Directed and produced by Anne Aghion

PARADISE
Directed by Michael Almereyda
Produced by Michael Almereyda and Laurie Butler

TYSON
Directed by James Toback
Produced by James Toback and Damon Bingham

Comments

[ts youknow]

How could anyone be "shocked" by the Gothams? And have you actually seen PARADISE?

[Rene Perez]

All these awards are beyond silly to begin with, and these choices make it feel even more meaningless. "Paradise" is nearly unwatchable while "Good Hair" is the meaning of a cable-ready trifle that happens to have an entertaining host. Who chooses these things? And why should anyone care?

[E. Brown]

Well, perhaps no one can say why this or that film is chosen because everything what is done by a person and a not a computer is simply a matter of taste. So, perhaps somone may see in one of these films what the others do not see.