'Birdman' leads the field with six Independent Spirit Award nominations

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The dark comedy Birdman was nominated for a leading six Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles Tuesday.

The prizes recognize excellence in films with a budget of $20 million or less.

Birdman was nominated for Best Feature, while its stars Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone were recognized in the respective categories of Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Also shortlisted for the Best Director and Best Cinematography honors, the movie will compete with Boyhood, Love is Strange, Selma and Whiplash for the top prize of Best Feature.

In the running for Best Director along with Birdman's Alejandro G. Inarritu are Richard Linklater for Boyhood, Ava DuVernay for Selma, David Zellner for Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter and Damien Chazelle for Whiplash.

Up for Best Screenplay are J.C. Chandor for A Most Violent Year, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski for Big Eyes, Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias for Love is Strange, Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler and Jim Jarmusch for Only Lovers Left Alive.

Vying for the Best Actress trophy are Rinko Kikuchi for Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, Jenny Slate for Obvious Child, Tilda Swinton for Only Lovers Left Alive, Julianne Moore for Still Alice and Marion Cotillard for The Immigrant.

Up for Best Actor are Keaton, Andre Benjamin for Jimi: All is By My Side, John Lithgow for Love is Strange, Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler and David Oyelowo for Selma.

Nominated for Best Supporting Actress are Stone, Jessica Chastain for A Most Violent Year, Carmen Ejogo for Selma, Patricia Arquette for Boyhood and Andrea Suarez Paz for Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.

The contenders for Best Supporting Actor are Norton, Ethan Hawke for Boyhood, Alfred Molina for Love is Strange, Riz Ahmed for Nightcrawler and J.K. Simmons for Whiplash.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Santa Monica Feb. 21, the night before the Oscars are handed out.