The Film Independent Spirit Awards gave Best Feature to Spotlight last night, though the possible Oscar contender faced no competition from its two Best Picture rivals, The Big Short and The Revenant, which weren’t at the indie-focused ceremony. Spotlight swept with Best Feature, Director, Screenplay, and Editing, while Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation, which scored five nominations, earned two trophies, for Idris Elba and young star Abraham Attah. Tangerine’s Mya Taylor took home Best Supporting Female, becoming the first trans woman to win a major film acting award. “There is transgender talent,” Taylor said in her acceptance speech. “There’s very beautiful transgender talent, so you better get out there and put it in your next movie.”
See the full list of winners below.
Best Feature
Spotlight
Best Director
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Best Female Lead
Brie Larson, Room
Best Male Lead
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
Best Supporting Female
Mya Taylor, Tangerine
Best Supporting Male
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Best Screenplay
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best Cinematography
Ed Lachman, Carol
Best Documentary
The Look of Silence
Best Film Editing
Tom McArdle, Spotlight
Best First Feature
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Best First Screenplay
Emma Donoghue, Room
Best International Film
Son of Saul
John Cassavetes Award
Krisha
Robert Altman Award
Spotlight
