The independent film "Anora" became the big winner at the Academy Awards, taking home five awards, including Best Picture.
Sean Baker's black comedy also took home Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for 25-year-old star Mikey Madison.
"It's a dream come true," Madison said.
"I grew up in L.A., but Hollywood has always seemed so distant. So to be here and standing in this room today is really amazing," the actress added, as quoted by AFP.
Madison later told reporters backstage that she was still processing the win, which looks set to open doors in her career, although she has no idea what comes next.
"All I know is I'm going to go home to my new puppies tonight and probably clean up their mess," she laughed.
Her win was something of a surprise, as she prevailed over '90s megastar Demi Moore, who was the favorite to win the golden statuette for her late-career heyday for the film "The Substance."
Baker used one of her four acceptance speeches to call for support of independent films.
"I want to thank the Academy for honoring a truly independent film. This film was made with the blood, sweat and tears of incredible independent artists," he said.
"Anchor's" five wins - out of six nominations - is an impressive total for a film made for just $6 million - a paltry sum by Hollywood standards.
The film's triumph came at the expense of "Conclave," a film about the secret and unprecedented election of a new Catholic leader that was given incredible topicality by Pope Francis' real-life health problems.
The Vatican intrigue starring Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini won top honours at the British BAFTAs and the Hollywood Actors Guild SAG Award, but had to settle for the Best Adapted Screenplay award today, despite being considered a favourite at the start of the evening.
The more than three-and-a-half-hour Oscars broadcast was relatively uneventful, with little of the political bluster that has characterised previous editions.
Unlike last year's host Jimmy Kimmel, presenter Conan O'Brien ignored President Donald Trump, and despite an astonishing week of politics surrounding the war in Ukraine, the ceremony only mentioned the conflict once and only one speech focused on the situation in Gaza.
Instead, the gala was a more traditional Hollywood event that began with the glitzy glamour of a high production.
"Maleficent" stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo kicked off the show with a rousing media performance in honor of the country of Oz that brought the house down, including a rapturously received "Defying Gravity" from their nominated film.
In his opening monologue, O'Brien took aim at the scandal surrounding "Emilia Perez," whose transgender star sank the film's Oscar hopes when a series of offensive tweets were revealed.
"A little fact for you: 'Anora' used the f-word 479 times. That's three more than the record set by Carla's publicist Sofia Gascon," he said.
Brazil won its first Oscar for best international film for "I'm Still Here," and Latvia's "Flow" took the prize for best animated film.
With the exception of Madison, the acting awards went where they were expected to go.
Kieron Culkin looked his usual excited self when he picked up the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for "Real Pain."
"I've already lost whatever speech I prepared," he said.
"I have no idea how I got here. I've only done acting my whole life. It's just been part of what I do," Culkin added.
Adrien Brody won his second career Oscar for his role as Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian Jewish architect who starts a new life in the United States after World War II in the film "The Brutalist."
Brody, whose first statuette was for 2002's "The Pianist," joins an elite club of double winners that includes Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson.
The Oscar show's producers tried to joke with Brody twice during his long acceptance speech, offering one of the few moments of levity in the otherwise serious speech.
"Please, I've done this before," he said.
"Emilia Perez" star Zoe Saldana won for best supporting actress and emotionally thanked her family.
"My grandmother came to this country in 1961, I am the proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands, and I am the first American of Dominican descent to accept an Academy Award," the actress said. | BGNES