Hollywood producers name "The Big Short" year's best film

The Producers Guild of America, which is among the leading industry organizations representing makers of movies and TV shows, also named its best animated film which went to "Inside Out," favorite documentary, won by "Amy," about the late singer Amy Winehouse, and honored "Game of Thrones" as top television drama.

In past years, the PGA's best film winners have often gone on to win the best picture Oscar, Hollywood's big prize.

The Academy Awards will be bestowed on Feb. 28 to producers, directors, actors and actresses by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

But Oscar talk has been overshadowed by a cloud of racial bias since nominees announced earlier this month did not include many actors and directors of color. The lack of diversity for a second straight year resurrected the social media hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, and elicited plans for a boycott among A-list actors such as Will Smith and director Spike Lee.

"The Big Short" producer Dede Gardner acknowledged the issue during her acceptance speech for the evening's top award.

"Yes, we have a real problem, we do. We need to tell stories that reflect our world, our country," Gardner said.

She was not alone in acknowledging that filmmakers needed to directly confront the troubling issue.

Shonda Rhimes, creator of television drama "Grey's Anatomy," also addressed the need for greater diversity, while Producers Guild of America president Gary Lucchesi said the industry must "make a conscious decision to challenge the status quo."