(November 20, 2007) LISA KUDROW AND ZACH BRAFF TO PRESENT THE 2008 FILM INDEPENDENT`S SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
Film Independent announced today that Lisa Kudrow and Zach Braff will present the nominees for the 2008 Film Independent's Spirit Awards, on November 27, 2007, at 8:00 a.m. PST at the Sofitel LA hotel. In addition, the nominations will be streamed live on IFC's website at IFC.com.

Most recently seen in the independent feature Kabluey, which premiered at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival and at the 2007 Hamptons Film Festival, Kudrow was nominated for a Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in 1999 for her role in the Don Roos scripted and directed film The Opposite of Sex. Braff, who currently stars in the NBC comedy Scrubs, won a Spirit Award in 2005 for Best First Feature for Garden State, for which he also received a Best First Screenplay nomination.

"Lisa and Zach epitomize the breadth and depth of talent in the independent film world," said Dawn Hudson, Executive Director of Film Independent. "We are thrilled to have them join us to announce this year's nominees."

Selected from more than 250 submissions, this year's winners will be unveiled at Film Independent's Spirit Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 23, 2008, in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The ceremony will air uncut, uncensored, and commercial-free on IFC. An edited re-broadcast of the ceremony will air later that evening on AMC.

Best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay, the character she brilliantly portrayed on the NBC hit comedy series Friends for ten seasons, and for which she was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Kudrow has established herself as one of today's most versatile, talented and busy actresses in both television and film. Currently filming Hotel for Dogs, for DreamWorks, Kudrow recently completed shooting the independent feature film Powder Blue, starring alongside Forest Whitaker, and will next be seen co-starring with Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler in the Richard LaGravenese directed Warner Bros. release, P.S. I Love You, which opens December 21.

On the television side, Kudrow formed the production company, Is or Isn't Entertainment, in the fall of 2003 with writer/producer Dan Bucatinsky. In addition to having four pilots ordered since its inception, the company's first television series, the critically acclaimed HBO series The Comeback, garnered three Emmy Award nominations including one for Kudrow for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

With his acclaimed feature writing and directorial debut Garden State, Braff cemented his reputation as one of the industry's most outstanding talents. The 2004 film, which Braff also starred in, garnered him numerous accolades in addition to his Spirit Award honors, including: Best Directorial Debut, by the National Board of Review; Breakthrough Director, by the Hollywood Film Festival; Most Promising Filmmaker, by the Chicago Film Critics Association and a coveted WGA nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Additionally, with his hand-picked soundtrack including songs by Simon and Garfunkel, Coldplay, and Frou Frou, Braff also won a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, TV or Other Visual Media. Currently in his seventh season of Scrubs, Braff received an Emmy nomination and three Golden Globe nominations for his starring role as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian. Additional film credits include roles in The Broken Hearts Club, Getting to Know You and Manhattan Murder Mystery in which he played Woody Allen and Diane Keaton’s son. Braff's stage experience includes New York City's Public Theater productions of Twelfth Night and Macbeth with Alec Baldwin and Angela Bassett.
Braff is currently co-writing an adaptation of the children's book, Andrew Henry's Meadow, with his brother Adam, which he will also executive produce. He recently appeared as the voice of the title character in Disney's 3-D animated film Chicken Little; played the male lead in Dreamworks' The Last Kiss and was seen in the Weinstein Company's comedy The Ex.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT'S SPIRIT AWARDS
This 2008 Film Independent's Spirit Awards ceremony is sponsored by Premier Sponsors IFC, Netflix, Axium International, ELLE, AMC, and Piaget, as well as Principal Sponsors Acura, Pop Secret, and Biolage. Casa Del Mar, Sheraton Delfina, and Shutters on the Beach are the Official Host Hotels. Wire Image is the Official Photographer of Film Independent. American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner of Film Independent.

Film Independent's Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and who dare to challenge the status quo. Televised in millions of
homes and covered internationally by the press, the Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.

Selected from more than 250 submissions, awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Film, and Best Documentary.
Spirit Awards winners are chosen by Film Independent members with voting privileges extended to IFP members. Voters attend nominee screenings and view nominated films online through a partnership with B-Side Entertainment before selecting the Spirit Awards winners.

Eligible films must be at least 70 minutes long, and the cost of the completed film, including post-production, must be under $20 million. Films must have been shown in a commercial theater for at least one week between January 1 and December 31, 2007 or shown at one of the following festivals in 2007: Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, New York, Sundance, Telluride, or Toronto.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committee applies the following guidelines in making its selections:
1. Uniqueness of vision
2. Original, provocative subject matter
3. Economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost and individual compensation)
4. Percentage of financing from independent sources

Last year's Spirit Award winners included Fox Searchlight Pictures' Little Miss Sunshine, which won Best Feature, Best Directors (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris), Best Supporting Male (Alan Arkin) and Best First Screenplay (Michael Arndt), and Thank You For Smoking for Best Screenplay (Jason Reitman); ThinkFilm's Half Nelson, which won Best Male Lead (Ryan Gosling), and Best Female Lead (Shareeka Epps); Sony Pictures Classics' Quinceañera which won the John Cassavetes Award, and Friends With Money which won Best Supporting Female (Frances McDormand).

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is a non-profit membership organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds the audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, film industry leader, or a film lover.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent also offers free Filmmaker Labs for selected writers, directors, and producers; provides cut-rate services for filmmakers; and presents year-round networking opportunities. Film Independent's mentorship and job placement program, Project:Involve, pairs emerging culturally-diverse filmmakers with film industry professionals.

Film Independent produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema, and the Spirit Awards, a celebration honoring films and filmmakers that embody independence and dare to challenge the status quo. For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.