Zeitlin ’04 wins Gotham for ‘Beasts’; nominations for Spirit Awards

Beasts of the Southern Wild, an award-winner at Cannes and Sundance, directed by Benh Zeitlin ’04 and produced by Dan Janvey ’06 and Michael Gottwald ’06 continues to collect further prestigious independent film awards and nominations.

At the IFP Gotham Film Awards, Benh Zeitlin ’04 received the award for breakthrough director for Beasts of the Southern Wild, which was produced by Dan Janvey ’06 and Michael Gottwald ’06 and included work by a total of 33 Wesleyan alumni. Additionally, Zeitlin received the inaugural Bingham Ray Award, which honors the independent filmmaker who died earlier this year. The Hollywood Reporter quoted Zeitlin as saying, “It feels like you’re on the yellow brick road sometimes,” after his win.

The 22nd Gotham awards were held Monday night, Nov. 26, in New York.

The Hollywood Reporter also notes that Beasts earned nominations in four categories for the Spirit Awards—best feature, best director, best cinematorgraphy, and best female lead. Each category included only four other nominations.

Winners of the Spirit Awards will be announced Feb. 23, 2013.

Read more:

• Gotham Awards: 'Moonrise Kingdom' Wins Best Feature
• Stream the Gotham Awards 2012
• Spirit Awards

Image: Dan Janvey ’06, Jeanine Basinger, Benh Zeitlin ’04. Photo by Cynthia E. Rockwell.

Friendly URL: wesconnect.wesleyan.edu/news-20121212-benh-zeitlin

Related links

• Janvey ’06, Zeitlin ’04 on Campus for Q&A on Indie Filmmaking
• Conversation: ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ triumphs at Sundance and Cannes
• ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ by Zeitlin ’04 is NYT critics pick
• New Film Curator McCarty Mounts First Exhibit on Beasts
• ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ Dominate Independent Spirit Awards Nominations