Monday night's Gotham Awards marked the unofficial start of what Hollywood calls "awards season," in that we've entered a stretch of time where a lot of awards will be given out to the folks behind the year's best films -- all of it culminating with the Academy Awards on February 28, 2016. Who will be nominated for those highly sought-after Oscars? And which films will linger long enough to take home the industry's most coveted awards?

That we don't know yet, but the Gotham Awards -- produced by IFP, a nonprofit organization that's all about providing resources and assistance in their ongoing support of independent film -- celebrated its 25th annual awards in New York City this week and I was there to take it all in. What's it really like to get all dressed up and dine among the stars as the first major awards of the season are doled out inside the swanky Cipirani ballroom in downtown Manhattan?

 

 

 

It's like going to a wedding, only every table is full of celebrities

That's the best way to describe what it's like to attend one of these awards shows. There's a cocktail hour, an open bar, a good meal, and some emotional speeches, just like the last wedding you attended. Except at the Gotham Awards, you're sitting next to Michael Shannon, who was nominated for his compellingly no-nonsense performance in 99 Homes (check out the trailer below -- I highly recommend this one), and across from the year's best ensemble cast from this year's Best Picture winner at the Gothams, Spotlight.

 

You get to witness the more intimate moments not shown on TV

One fascinating aspect of attending an awards show are the little moments that occur during a break or while someone's onstage doling out an impassioned speech. From things as simple as a debate with Michael Shannon over what exactly they were serving as an appetizer (some kind of baked veggie spaghetti) to catching a glimpse of an enthused Mark Ruffalo as he watched Robert Redford accept one of a few tribute awards handed out during the course of the ceremony, it's moments like those that personalize the awards process while reminding you that stars are just like everyone else -- they're just as moved by the great speeches and just as interested in what's for dinner as you are.

My favorite moment? Oh, it's all about the Redford....

 

It goes by real fast

These shows may feel like they go on forever when you're at home in your pajamas wishing you could fast-forward through every commercial break, but when you're there, time flies. The Gotham Awards employs a bit of a different strategy with only one 15-minute dinner break, which helps things run a lot more smoothly. Plus some of their winners are announced ahead of time, like this special jury prize for the ensemble cast featured in Spotlight.

 

Winning isn't everything

Despite the fact that Michael Shannon had me as a good-luck charm at his table (kidding, people), he did not take home the Best Actor prize this year (that award went to Paul Dano for Love & Mercy). Shannon is fantastic in the role, as is Dano, and both men deserve recognition this year, but when you're there in this room surrounded by so much talent, you get the sense that it's not even about winning so much as it is about supporting independent film. There's some tremendous camaraderie on display, especially at the Gotham Awards. Its nominees are all great, its surprises are plentiful, and it may be the only place where screen legends like Robert Redford and Helen Mirren can share the stage with the ladies from Shugs & Fats, which won Best Breakthrough Series (Short Form), who've never been nominated for anything before.

For more on how awesome those ladies are, watch their acceptance speech below.

 

Here is a complete list of winners from this year's Gotham Awards. And seriously, seek out as many of these movies as you can because a great majority of them are flying under the radar, but all of them are worth a watch. 

Best Feature
Spotlight

Best Actress
Bel Powley as Minnie Goetze
The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Breakthrough Series – Longform
Mr. Robot

Best Actor
Paul Dano as Brian Wilson
Love & Mercy

Best Documentary
The Look of Silence
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

Audience Award
Tangerine

The First Gotham Appreciation Award
Ellen Cotter of Angelika Film Center Theaters

Special Jury Award – Ensemble Performance
Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian d’Arcy James, Liev Schreiber, and Billy Crudup
Spotlight

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Jonas Carpigano
Mediterranea

Breakthrough Series – Short Form
Shugs & Fats

Best Screenplay
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer
Spotlight

Breakthrough Actor
Mya Taylor
Tangerine