It’s always interesting to see how this list shakes out.

Ballast, 6 nominations - picked up by IFC Films and eventually self-distributed.  Imagine my colleagues there are kicking themselves today, despite having several other films on the list.

Frozen River, 7 nominations - was initally released as a short, which garnered funding for the feature film.  Won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

The Order of Myths, 2 nominations - a really terrrific documentary that was shamefully overlooked by the Oscar nominating committee this year.

MILK, 5 nominations - a beautifully directed and acted film.  I’m glad to see James Franco nominated for his role, and Sean Penn is a shoo-in for Best Actor (here at the Academy Awards).  That is, if he isn’t beaten by…

The Wrestler, 3 nominations - I got teary-eyed just watching the trailer Sunday night.  I’ve been a fan of Darren Aronofsky’s since seeing Requiem for a Dream; this may very well be the film that takes him from respected indie director to make-what-you-want auteur.

I’m also surprised that neigher Gus Van Sant nor Darren Aronofsky were nominated in the Best Director category.  Sometimes there just aren’t enough slots, I suppose.