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’HALF NELSON’ GOBBLES UP GOTHAM AWARDS

By Dana Rubinstein
The Brooklyn Paper

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"Half Nelson," the critically acclaimed Brooklyn-based film about the unconventional relationship between a young female student and her crack-addled teacher, took home fully half of the prestigious Gotham Awards Tributes for career achievement given out by the Independent Feature Project this week.

IFP recognizes filmmakers and actors who work outside of the conventional "committee" setting of the major studios and relies on juries of accomplished filmmakers like John Singleton and actors like Stanley Tucci to select the award recipients.

This year, a jury that included Ellen Barkin, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Liev Schreiber selected the Red-Hook-born Shareeka Epps for the Breakthrough Actor Award.

In "Half Nelson," Epps’s 16-year-old character develops an unlikely friendship with a troubled teacher played by Ryan Gosling. (Epps shared the award with Rinko Kikuchi, who starred in "Babel.")

"Half Nelson" also won Best Feature, while director Ryan Fleck was awarded the Breakthrough Director Award.

Fleck filmed the movie in Red Hook, East New York, Fort Greene, and other Brooklyn neighborhoods, and cast a number of native Brooklynites in key roles. (Epps and Gosling are pictured at left.)

The Gotham Awards will be broadcast on Dec. 6 on NYCTV’s Channel 25 at 9 pm, and via Web cast on Dec. 4 at www.ifilm.com.

©2006 Community Newspaper Group

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