Oscar Favorite ‘Spotlight’ Big Winner at Independent Spirit Awards

Although there is very little overlap between the Spirits and Oscars voting bodies, three of the last four best feature winners in Santa Monica on Saturday went on to take best picture at the Dolby on Sunday.

The journalism drama which chronicles the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal also took the prize for Best Screenplay, Best Editing and the Robert Altman Award.

Without the competition of “The Revenant” or “The Big Short”, the wins for “Spotlight” likely don’t suggest any better fortunes for the film at the Oscars.

With the Rev. Al Sharpton leading a protest outside the Dolby Theatre and some viewers tuning out the broadcast, Hollywood’s opportunity imbalance often overshadowed the actual awards – though “Mad Max: Fury Road” did its best to command the spotlight.

Elba, who has already won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role as a warlord in Beasts Of No Nation, took his young co-star Abraham Attah on stage with him as he collected his gong. And only one acting favorite, Brie Larson from “The Room”, is likely to win Saturday.

The foreign language film “Son of Saul” took best global film.

The tent’s more intimate setting housed a night full of big laughs, standing ovations, and even an historical moment in film history.

The Spirits ‎are one of the preeminent independent-film awards ceremonies, honoring movies made for approximately $20 million or less‎.

Sam Smith and songwriting partner Jimmy Napes picked up the Academy Award for best song for “Writing’s on the Wall”, from the James Bond film “Spectre”.

About the film: In 2001, the journalists of The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team begin investigating Father John Geoghan, who is accused of molesting more than 80 boys. It was also a good night for Tom McCarthy who won the award for Best Director for “Spotlight”.

The actresses joined the event’s hosts Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani in a parody of the award winning movie Carol. “We’re going to nominate some people who aren’t white”. He also shared in best screenplay with his cowriter, Josh Singer.

Director Spike Lee and actor Will Smith have shunned the Academy Award ceremony, although a wider Oscar boycott largely failed to gather steam with Hollywood A-listers.

Best supporting actress went Alicia Vikander for the transgender pioneer tale “The Danish Girl”.