“Anora” director Sean Baker accepts the Oscar for Best Picture. Photo: Phil McCarten/The Academy

The 97th Academy Awards were a shining moment for independent studios.

Why it matters: Indie films “Anora” and “Flow” took home six Oscars combined, including Best Picture and Animated Feature Film, respectively.

• Meanwhile, “Succession” star Kieran Culkin won a best supporting actor Oscar for Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy drama “A Real Pain.”

Zoom in: “Anora,” which was made on a $6 million budget and has grossed nearly $41 million worldwide, also won best director and best actress.

• “Flow” was made using Blender, a free, open source software, which also won the top prize for an animated feature at the Golden Globes.
• “A Real Pain” is a co-production between Poland and the U.S. about two cousins who go on a tour of their Jewish heritage in the central European country.

What they’re saying: “It really feels wonderful knowing that The Academy is recognizing independent film,” “Anora” director Sean Baker told Axios on Sunday evening.

• “We always jump into these projects knowing that we will have to compete with films that have budgets that are literally almost 100 times what we’ve shot our film for.”
• “So when we’re actually able to do that and get into the same room as other films, it means that we’re doing something right.”

Go deeper: Where to watch this year’s Oscar-nominated movies