sign in sign up
<<
Home , Abraham Attah, Emma Donoghue, Josh Singer, Kumail Nanjiani

lifestyle MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2016

(L-R) Actor Brian d’Arcy James, actor , actor Michael Cyril Creighton, actor Rachel McAdams, casting director Kenny Barden, writer/director Tom McCarthy, actor Mark Ruffalo, actor Jamey Sheridan, actor Liev Schreiber, actor Paul Guilfoyle, and actor Neail Huff accept the Award for “Spotlight” onstage during the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards. — AFP ‘Spotlight’ tops a richly diverse Spirit Awards

Brie Larson accepts the award for best female lead for “”. Director Marielle Heller (C) accepts the Best First Feature award for ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’. he 31st Spirit writer, also won for best adapted screen- Awards provided a clear rebuke to play for the film. Tthe less diverse Oscars, bestowing awards on “Beasts of No Nation” co-stars Studios need to step up and Abraham Attah and The foreign language favorite from “Tangerine” star Mya Taylor, making her the Hungary, Laszlo Nemes’ Holocaust drama first transgender actress to win at the annu- “Son of Saul” took best international film. al awards. And the documentary front-runner, the The newsroom drama “Spotlight” was Indonesian genocide film “Look of Silence” Mya Taylor accepts the award for best supporting the big winner at the Spirits on Saturday, won best documentary. Without the compe- female for “Tangerine”. the day before it’s to compete for best pic- tition of “The Revenant” or “The Big Short,” ture at the . Tom the wins for “Spotlight” likely don’t suggest Spirit Awards 2016 McCarthy’s film about the Boston Globe any better fortunes for the film at the Oscars. investigation into sex abuse by Catholic But McCarthy took the opportunity to cele- complete winners list priests won a leading four awards, includ- brate the movie’s distinction as an inde- ing best picture, best director for McCarthy, pendent film, released by indie distributor Best Feature: Spotlight best screenplay and the Robert Altman Open Road. “Quite honestly, we need stu- Best Director: Tom McCarthy, Spotlight award for ensemble. dios like this who are going to step up when But this year’s Spirit Awards, an annual the other studios won’t,” said McCarthy, with Best Screenplay: Josh Singer, Spotlight dressed-down ocean side indie antidote to several of the reporters the films is based on Best First Feature: The Diary of a Teenage Girl the Oscars, was most remarkable for its in the crowd. He also shared in best screen- Best First Screenplay: , Room more diverse nominees and winners. play with his co-writer, Josh Singer. The irrev- Best Male Lead: Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation Neither Elba, Attah nor Taylor was even erent and breezy Spirit Awards, held in a Laszlo Nemes accepts the award for best international film for “Son of Saul”. Best Female Lead: , Room nominated for Oscars. Each drew hearty tent on the Santa Monica beach, stood apart applause. “There is very beautiful transgen- nee up for the Spirits’ top award; the bigger his award for best supporting actor, but from the Oscars in other ways, too. Director Best Supporting Male: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation der talent,” said Taylor, who won best sup- budget Attah later won one of all his own. The Marielle Heller, who won best first feature Best Supporting Female: Mya Taylor, Tangerine porting actress for playing a Los Angeles Oscar favorites it’s vying with, “The young Ghanaian, who hadn’t acted before for the coming-of-age tale “Diary of a Best Documentary: The Look of Silence sex worker in the iPhone-shot “Tangerine.” Revenant” and “The Big Short,” didn’t quali- director Cary Fukunaga cast him in “Beasts Teenage Girl,” marked her territory in a Best International Film: Son of Saul “You better get out there and put it in your fy. And while the Oscars have been beset of No Nation,” beamed before a standing speech that noted the onrush of interested Best Cinematography: Carol movie.” by criticism for a second straight year of all- ovation.ate McKinnon (“Saturday Night from bigger productions for the movie’s white acting nominees, the Spirits boasted Live”) and comedian hosted breakout star, Bel Powley. “I call dibs,” Heller Best Editing: Spotlight Considerable overlap five nonwhite nominees out of 20 - and the ceremony, which was broadcast live on said of her actress. In recent years, the Spirits have over- three of them won. IFC. In their opening remarks, Nanjiani intro- At the Spirit Awards, indie-hood can be a lapped considerably with the Oscars, “I’m so much prouder of being a produc- duced themselves as a Pakistani American badge of honor. In Saturday’s ceremony, including the last two top winners: er than my performance,” Elba said back- and a gay woman, “or to Hollywood, a none could top writer-director Trey Edward “Birdman” and “12 Years a Slave.” But this stage about the release. “As a produc- straight woman and her IT guy.” Shults, who won the Award year, the Spirits - which honor films made er you face a lot of doors being closed in The only Oscar acting favorite, Brie for first feature made for under $500,000 for for $20 million or less - widely deviated your face and in this case we did have a hard Larson, added another win for her perform- his “Krisha.” “What can I say,” said Shults. “We from their stuffier crosstown counterparts. time making it but we got there in the end.” ance in the captive drama “Room.” Emma made this film in nine days at my mom’s “Spotlight” was the only best picture nomi- Elba brought Attah up on stage to share in Donoghue, the novelist-turned-screen- house and it stars my aunt.” — AP

Abraham Attah poses in the press room with his award Actresses Cate Blanchett (left) and speak for best male lead for his role in “Beasts of No Nation”. onstage.

Idris Elba speaks at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Ed Lachman poses in the press room with his award for Tom McCarthy, left, and Josh Singer accept the award Actor Mark Ruffalo accepts the Robert Altman Award best cinematography in “Carol”. for best screenplay for “Spotlight”. for ‘Spotlight’.