There’s some good news for the West Country in this year’s Oscar nominations, with nods for Torquay-born cinematographer Roger Deakins and Bristol street artist Banksy.
Deakins gets a ninth Oscar nomination (he’s yet to win) for his stately work on the Coens’ True Grit while Banksy scoops an unexpected nom in the best documentary category for Exit Through the Gift Shop.
Also, Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, filmed at Antony House, near Torpoint, has been recognised for art direction and costume design.
Deakins’ nod is one of 10 nominations for the western -just besting David Fincher’s The Social Network, which picked up eight.
It’s surely time Deakins won an Academy Award, though he faces some stiff competition in the cinematography category, including Wally Pfister for Inception and Matthew Libatique for Black Swan.
On a side note, he also served as a visual consultant on How To Train Your Dragon, which is up for best animated film.
If he does miss out, at least he can console himself with his 2011 American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Lifetime Achievement Award, which he’s due to pick up in LA next month.
Billed as ‘the world’s first street art disaster movie’, Exit Through the Gift Shop tells the story of a French filmmaker who follows graffiti artists and eventually meets up with the enigmatic Banksy.
The ‘prankumentary’ made its debut at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and has since found its way onto many ‘best of 2010’ lists.
Currently holding 98 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, the New York Film Critics Online gave the film its Best Documentary Award and it’s up for a Bafta, too.
All the success, however, was recently overshadowed by a failed attempt by an eBay user to sell the real identity of Banksy for a million US dollars. The day was saved when eBay removed the auction claiming the user wasn’t selling something ‘tangible’.
Which begs the question, will the famously reticent Bansky turn up for the ceremony or will Sacheen Littlefeather have to come outta retirement?!
