“Rachel” among top Spirit picks

December 2, 2008

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Border smuggling crime movie “Frozen River” won best picture and breakthrough acting awards at the Gotham Independent Film ceremony on Tuesday, as well as sharing top billing in nominations for the Spirit Awards for independent filmmakers. Melissa Leo, 48, was named by IFP, organizer of the Gotham awards, as breakthrough actor [...]

Independent movie theaters fill niche

July 20, 2007

A few weeks ago, the Pleasant Street Theater in Northampton was playing “Waitress,” the independent film about a pregnant woman who dreams of escaping from her controlling husband, when owner Bob Lawton noticed that the Amherst Cinema’s Web site featured the film as a coming attraction. “He called me and asked us to take ‘coming [...]