Spotlight shines at the Independent Spirit Awards

Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight.

Tom McCarthy's Spotlight, which has been overlooked for much of this year's awards season, finally shone tonight at the Independent Spirit Awards, winning in five categories including Best Film and Best Director. The film, which Vinyl star Bobby Cannavale described to us as "really honest," has been widely praised by critics but was a late entry into the race and nobody knew if it would break through before Oscar night - now, with just one day to go, it has indubitably made its mark.

There's now a strong possibility that the Oscars will be overshadowed by tonight's awards, which were more dynamic in every way, really keeping people guessing as to who would win. They also produced a diversity of winners that the Oscars, much criticised in that regard, could only dream of, with three of the four acting awards going to people of colour and one of them to a trans woman - a last minute moment in the spotlight for Tangerine, which has also fallen short of expectations in terms of the awards it has received.

The Independent Spirits are there to celebrate independent film and there were also well-earned awards for Beasts Of No Nation and Room. Overall, it was an event that seemed much more in tune with what critics worldwide are saying and, more importantly, with what audiences have been talking about.

Those awards in full:-

Best Feature

• Spotlight

Best Director

• Tom McCarthy - Spotlight

Best Male Lead

• Abraham Attah - Beasts Of No Nation

Best Female Lead

• Brie Larson - Room

Best Supporting Female

• Mya Taylor - Tangerine

Best Supporting Male

• Idris Elba - Beasts Of No Nation

Best Documentary

• The Look Of Silence

Best International Film

• Son Of Saul

Best First Feature

• The Diary Of A Teenage Girl

Best Screenplay

• Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer - Spotlight

Best First Screenplay

• Emma Donaghue - Room

Best Cinematography

• Ed Lachman - Carol

Best Editing

• Tom McArdle - Spotlight

John Cassavetes Award

• Krisha

Robert Altman Award

• Spotlight

Kiehl's Someone to Watch Award

• Felix Thompson - King Jack

Piaget Producers' Award

• Mel Eslyn

Truer Than Fiction Award

• Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi - Incorruptible