Requiem, Count, Chuck & Buck in Three-Way Tie at Spirit Noms

January 11 -- Taking the road less traveled is paying off for some of Hollywood's filmmakers — if not financially, at least in credibility.

Three low-budget pictures dominate this year's list of Independent Spirit Awards nominees, ranging in subject matter from same-sex stalking to poignant sibling rivalry. The ISAs, which are in their 16th year, are awarded March 24, the day before the Academy Awards. Quirky director John Waters will host the ceremony.

Chuck & Buck, a dark comedy about a grown man obsessed with his childhood pal, and the addiction drama Requiem for a Dream both grabbed five nods. Also up for five statues is the soulful family saga You Can Count on Me, which was named to most critics' year-end best lists and is up for two Golden Globes.

The Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by the Independent Feature Project/West, a nonprofit support group consisting of approximately 5,000 independent filmmakers. Candidates are considered based on their provocative subject matter and their vision, their budget, and the degree of independent financing.

"It shows that filmmaking is working on all different budget levels in completely different subjects, in completely different styles and techniques," IFP/West's executive director, Dawn Hudson, told Reuters at the nominations ceremony Wednesday. "I think it represents a year where, instead of having a few really breakout films like [1999's] Boys Don't Cry and Being John Malkovich, … we've had many more strong films this year, across the board."

You Can Count on Me's Laura Linney snagged yet another best leading actress nomination, while the film earned a best first feature nod, along with nominations for best screenplay (for first-time director-writer Kenneth Lonergan), best male lead (Mark Ruffalo), and best debut performance (Rory Culkin, who's likely anxious to escape the tag "Macaulay's younger brother"). The picture centers on the gentle bonds and subsequent disenchantment between an orphaned brother (Ruffalo) and sister (Linney), who try to navigate their tenuous adult relationship.