Idris Elba, Abraham Attah and May Taylor Among 2016 Spirit Awards WinnersPosted by Wilson Morales
February 27, 2016
Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produced the Spirit Awards, the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA, handed out top honors to Spotlight, Beasts of No Nation and Room at this afternoon’s 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards. Carol, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Krisha, The Look of Silence, Son of Saul and Tangerine also received awards at the 2016 Spirit Awards, which was held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.
This year’s major category winners were Spotlight, which won Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing; Beasts of No Nation, which won Best Male Lead and Best Supporting Male; Room, which won Best Female Lead and Best First Screenplay; Carol, which won Best Cinematography; The Diary of a Teenage Girl, which won Best First Feature; Krisha, which won the John Cassavetes Award; The Look of Silence, which won Best Documentary; Son of Saul, which won Best International Film and Tangerine, which won Best Supporting Female.
After being snubbed by the Academy, both Idris Elba and Abraham Attah won awards in their respective fields for their roles in Beasts of No Nation.
For actress May Taylor, she made history as the first transgender to win for best supporting actress for the transgender drama “Tangerine” for her role as sex worker Alexandra. The film was shot on an iPhone by director Sean Baker.
“I came from almost nothing,” a beaming Taylor said from the stage following a standing ovation. “My life did a total 360.”
The 9th annual Robert Altman Award was given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight received this award, along with casting directors Kerry Barden and Paul Schneeand ensemble cast members Michael Cyril Creighton, Billy Crudup, Paul Guilfoyle, Neal Huff, Brian D’Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Jamey Sheridan, John Slattery and Stanley Tucci.
The 2016 Roger and Chaz Ebert Foundation Fellowship, which includes a cash grant of $10,000, was awarded to Zimbabwean filmmaker Sue-Ellen Chitunya. This annual award is given to a filmmaker currently participating in a Film Independent Artist Development program with the mission of diversity in mind. Chitunya, a participant in Project Involve, is currently in active development as a producer on her first narrative feature film, A Hard Place.
The Full List of 2016 Spirit Awards Winners
Best Feature: Spotlight (Open Road Films)
Producers: Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Michael Sugar
Best Director: Tom McCarthy, Spotlight (Open Road Films)
Best Screenplay: Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer, Spotlight (Open Road Films)
Best First Feature: The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: Marielle Heller; Producers: Miranda Bailey, Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit
Best First Screenplay: Emma Donoghue, Room (A24)
John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000): Krisha (A24)
Writer/Director/Producer: Trey Edward Shults; Producers: Justin R. Chan, Chase Joliet, Wilson Smith
Best Supporting Female: Mya Taylor, Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)
Best Supporting Male: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation (Bleecker Street/Netflix)
Best Female Lead: Brie Larson, Room (A24)
Best Male Lead: Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation (Bleecker Street/Netflix)
Robert Altman Award: Spotlight (Open Road Films)
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
Best Cinematography: Ed Lachman, Carol (The Weinstein Company)
Best Editing: Tom McArdle, Spotlight (Open Road Films)
Best International Film: Son of Saul (Hungary – Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: László Nemes
Best Documentary: The Look of Silence (Drafthouse Films/Participant Media)
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer; Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
#SpiritAwards: @IdrisElba wins Best Supporting Male, brings Abraham Attah on stage https://t.co/E2hFQ32cDX https://t.co/y5we3iMnaS
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 27, 2016
