#OscarsSoWhite, but the Film Independent Spirit Awards was all the way here for creators of color at its annual pre-Oscars ceremony.
Held on Saturday night (February 27), the awards show focuses on movies created outside of the big budget Hollywood system. This year, members not only cast a net beyond White actors and creators to gather nominees, but they also saw fit to celebrate the achievements of people of color in key categories.
Of the four acting awards, all but one went to a Black actor. Newcomer Abraham Attah won “Best Male Lead” for “Beasts of No Nation,” and costar Idris Elba won in the supporting category. Mya Taylor made history when she won for “Best Supporting Female” for her role in “Tangerine.” She is the first transgender actress to snag a major film award in the United States. And Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, a New York City-based director with Chinese, Brazilian and Hungarian roots, won the Truer Than Fiction award for her film about the 2011 Senegalese presidential election, “Incorruptible.”