Awards season has begun: The Gotham Awards were handed out tonight to honor the best of the year in independent film.  Wes Anderson‘s Moonrise Kingdom landed the top award, Best Feature, a choice I won’t argue with.  As far as recognizable names go, Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Mark Duplass won Best Ensemble Performance for Your Sister’s Sister.  Although Beasts of the Southern Wild must have been a strong contender for Best Feature, Benh Zeitlin had to settle for Breakthrough Director.

You better believe that the Gotham Awards go more obscure than Beasts, including an award for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You.  So hit the jump for the full list.

It’s not even December, but awards season has officially with the handing out of awards.  Last night, the Gotham Independent Film Awards had a tie for Best Feature Film with Mike Mills‘ Beginners and Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life taking the top prize.  Other winners last night included Breakthrough Director for Dee Rees (Pariah), Breakthrough Actor for Felicity Jones (Like Crazy), Best Documentary for Better This World and Best Ensemble for Beginners.

While the Gotham isn’t a bellwether of how the Oscar race will shake out, it can give an indie picture a welcome boost.  Best Feature winners from the past several years include Frozen River, Winter’s Bone, and eventual Best Picture Oscar-winner The Hurt Locker.  Hopefully, the Gothams have given Beginners and Pariah some awards season momentum (I think The Tree of Life is already on everyone’s radar in terms of awareness).  Hit the jump for the full press release.