'The Artist' wins big at Spirit Awards

'The Artist' has won best picture and three other prizes at the Spirit Awards honouring independent film, a possible prelude to a big night at the Academy Awards for the black-and-white silent film.

The film also won for best director for Michel Hazanavicius and lead actor for Jean Dujardin as a silent-era star whose career crumbles as talking pictures take over in the 1920s. It earned the cinematography prize also.

'The Artist' is the best-picture favourite at the Oscars.

Michelle Williams won best actress as Marilyn Monroe in the filmmaking tale 'My Week with Marilyn'.

Supporting-acting honours went to Christopher Plummer as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in 'Beginners' and Shailene Woodley as a troublesome Hawaiian teenager in 'The Descendants'.