To vote for the Gotham Independent Film Awards, you have to be a member of the New York-based Independent Film Project, and then be appointed to one of several panels made up of small groups of critics, journalists, film curators and other independent film insiders — but only after a separate nominating committee has vetted the names of the possible entrants and certified them as official nominations. But the ceremony, which is being held Dec. 1, does serve an important function in the awards season ecosystem. Actor Katie Holmes has been with IFP for years and is a staunch supporter IFP Executive Director Joana Vincente, who has run the show since it began in 1991, said, “We’re quirky. Our choices are quirky. But what makes us quirky is also what makes people pay attention. We put a spotlight on the independent films and actors who aren’t part of the conversation and give them the opportunity to be a part of the season. We’re a launching pad.”
