Gothams add writing award
Screenwriters can feel as if they’re on the margins in Hollywood, rewritten endlessly and pushed down on the credit line, but the Gotham Awards made a small effort to reverse that trend Thursday when it announced a new screenplay prize.
A sort of New York equivalent of the West Coast’s Spirit Awards, the show takes place right after Thanksgiving and is one of the first ceremonies of the season. The Gothams have sought to limit the bloat of the show — before Thursday it had just seven awards for acting and directing — but felt that screenwriting’s time has come.
“We’re honored to celebrate screenwriting this year for the first time, finally giving due credit to the significance of this craft to independent film as an art form,” said Joana Vicente, who oversees the show.
Also at the Gothams: This year, the director tribute will spotlight Todd Haynes (“Far From Heaven” and “Velvet Goldmine”), whose lesbian drama “Carol” is a big awards contender from the Weinstein Co. this season. The tribute usually goes to a well-known indie name with a big movie out that season; last year, honors went to “Foxcatcher” director Bennett Miller.