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Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards this morning.  Anthony Mackie and Kate Beckinsale served as presenters.

While the big winners of the day were silent movie The Artist and the apocalyptic drama Take Shelter, which came away with 5 nominations each, some are crying foul that George Clooney (The Descendants), Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), and a few other favorites weren't nominated.

But among filmmakers/films of color, the results are a bit less surprising, as several films we've continued to cover on this site, including Steve McQueen's Shame, Dee Rees' Pariah, Adepero Oduye of Pariah, Harmony Santana of Gun Hill Road, and documentaries The Interrupters, The Redemption of General Butt Naked, and An African Election, all received nominations.

The full slate of nominees for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards is as follows:

Best Feature (Award given to the Producer)
50/50

Beginners

Drive

Take Shelter

The Artist

The Descendants

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Mike Mills, Beginners

Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive

Best First Feature (Award given to the director and producer)
Another Earth

In The Family

Margin Call

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Natural Selection

John Cassavetes Award
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
Bellflower

Circumstance

Hello LOnseome

Pariah

The Dynamiter

Best Screenplay
Beginners

The Descendants

Footnote

The Artist

Win Win

Best First Screenplay
Another Earth

Terri

Cedar Rapids

50/50

Margin Call

Best Female Lead
Elizabeth Olsen

Michelle Williams

Rachael Harris

Adepero Oduye

Lauren Ambrose

Best Male Lead
Michael Shannon

Woody Harrelson

Ryan Golsing

Jean Dujardin

Demian Bichir

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain

Anjelica Huston

Janet McTeer

Harmony Santana

Shailenne Woodley

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks

John Hawkes

Christopher Plummer

Corey Stahl

John C. Reilly

Best Cinematography
Bellflower

Midnight in Paris

The Artist

The Off-Hours

The Dynamiter

Best Documentary (Award given to the director)
An African Election

Bill Cunningham New York

The Interrupters

We Were Here

The Redemption of General Butt Naked

Best Foreign Film (Award given to the director)
A Separation

Melancholia

Shame

The Kid With a Bike

Tyrannosaur

Robert Altman Award
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Marhgin Call

Piaget Producers Award
Chad Burris (Mosquito y Mari)

Sophia Lynn (Take Shelter)

Josh Bond (Martha Marcy May Marlene)

Someone to Watch Award
Simon Arthur (Silver Tongues)

Mark Jackson (Without)

Nicholas Ozeki (Mamitas)

Truer Than Fiction Award
Where Soldiers Come From

Hell and Back Again

Bombay Beach

The 27th annual awards ceremony will be held February 25th in Santa Monica and broadcast by IFC.

See the full press release from Film Independent here, including who comprised the nominating committees, and details on what glorious spoils will go to the winners.

So, what are your thoughts on the nominess?