Tyrannosaur in triple win at British Independent Film Awards

Olivia Colman was named best actress for her role in hard-hitting drama Tyrannosaur

A hard-hitting drama about anger and friendship has triumphed at the British Independent Film Awards, beating box office hit Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Tyrannosaur won best British independent film, best debut director for Paddy Considine, and best actress for Olivia Colman.

Michael Fassbender won best actor for his role as a sex addict in Shame.

The annual awards, which honour films made mainly outside major studios, took place at Old Billingsgate in London.

Last year The King's Speech notched up five wins and went on to claim best film at the Oscars.

This year, three films - Shame, Tinker Tailor and Tyrannosaur - all had seven nominations.

Tyrannosaur stars Peter Mullan as a man on a Leeds housing estate plagued by violence and a rage that is driving him to self-destruction.

A chance of redemption appears in the form of Hannah (Colman), a Christian charity shop worker, who is hiding a dark secret within her own marriage to James (Eddie Marsan).

'Beautiful and redemptive'

Colman said: "I've had a lucky time doing wonderful comedies, and I've loved it, but when a script like that comes through the post, you're not going to say no to it."

She added: "I was terrified of my mum seeing it, but she's seen it twice and she says she doesn't agree with people who say it's depressing and dark - she says it's beautiful and redemptive - and I agree with her."

Considine said: "It's been an overwhelming night - to get the best film was the real shocker for me."

Vanessa Redgrave took the best supporting actress prize for her role as Volumnia in Coriolanus, the directorial debut of Ralph Fiennes.

Fiennes also plays the lead role in the film, which is due out in the UK next month.

Fiennes was honoured for his outstanding contribution to British film

Redgrave told the BBC: "Actors like myself who've admired Ralph's work - both in film and theatre - found we were working with somebody we not only admired, but also had great trust in."

Fiennes picked up a special Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution to British film.

The actor, who played Harry Potter villain Voldemort and will appear in new James Bond film Skyfall, described Coriolanus as a "parable" for modern times.

'Toughest role'

"It has so many things in it that are pertinent to now. It's about the power-play of politics, about economic and civil unrest, a destabilised country and continual warfare. I feel the world of Coriolanus is the world we are living in."

Best actor winner Fassbender said his award was both "surreal and humbling".

In Steve McQueen's Shame, Fassbender plays Brandon, a successful New Yorker struggling with an addiction to sex and pornography.

Fassbender bares all as a sex addict in Shame

He told the BBC it was his "toughest role" to date.

"You're playing a character that doesn't really like himself very much, so that can be kind of dark company," he said.

The actor praised Carey Mulligan's co-starring role as Brandon's wayward sister.

"We were going to some pretty dangerous places at times and you need to trust one another to protect but also provoke and surprise each other," he said.

In other awards:

• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, based on John le Carre's classic spy novel, took away one prize - for best technical achievement.

• Weekend won two awards, for best achievement in production and most promising newcomer for Tom Cullen.

• IT Crowd star Richard Ayoade won the best screenplay prize for Submarine.

• The best supporting actor award went to Michael Smiley for his role as a hitman in Ben Wheatley's horror Kill List.

• Lynne Ramsay was named best director for her adaptation of Lionel Shriver's novel We Need to Talk About Kevin.

• Iranian film A Separation was named best foreign independent film. Senna won for best documentary.

• As previously announced, Kenneth Branagh was given the Variety Award for helping to focus the international spotlight on the UK.