Spotlight was in the spotlight at Film Independent’s Spirit Awards, earning five awards including Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Other big winners at the February 27, 2016 event held on the beach in Santa Monica included Room and Beasts of No Nation, with Idris Elba (overlooked for an Oscar nomination) picking up the Best Supporting Actor award. The 31st Spirit Awards also handed out trophies to Carol, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Krisha, The Look of Silence, Son of Saul, and Tangerine.
SNL‘s Kate McKinnon and Silicon Valley’s Sumail Nanjiani hosted this year’s Spirit Awards which aired live on IFC.
2016 Spirit Awards Winners:
- Best Feature: Spotlight
Best Director: Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Best Screenplay: Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best First Feature: The Diary of a Teenage Girl Director: Marielle Heller
Best First Screenplay: Emma Donoghue, Room
John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000): Krisha
Best Supporting Female: Mya Taylor, Tangerine
Best Supporting Male: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Best Female Lead: Brie Larson, Room
Best Male Lead: Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
Best Cinematography: Ed Lachman, Carol
Best Editing: Tom McArdle, Spotlight
Best International Film: Son of Saul Director: László Nemes
Best Documentary: The Look of Silence Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Robert Altman Award: Spotlight Director: Tom McCarthy
Casting Directors: Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee
Ensemble Cast: Billy Crudup, Michael Cyril Creighton, Paul Guilfoyle, Neal Huff, Brian d’Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Jamey Sheridan, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci