Oscar wild
Academy Award for BBC comedy man
BBC head of comedy talent Kenton Allen can now add Oscar-winner to his CV.
A short film he co-produced – and even helped finance on his credit card – was one of the victors at last night’s Academy Award ceremony.
Six Shooter, which Allen made during his holidays at the BBC, took home the Oscar for best live action short.
The black comedy, written and directed by playwright Martin McDonagh, is about a old man who encounters a possible psychopath on a train on the day his wife died.
Allen – whose BBC production credits include Mrs Merton, The Royle Family and Ideal – dipped into his own pocket to finance the film after cash crisis on the first day of production in Ireland.
The 27-minute film, which starred Brendan Gleeson, was backed by FilmFour and the Irish Film Board
In other Oscar categories, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit won best animated feature film, and Rachel Weisz won best supporting actress for her role in The Constant Gardener.
Published: 6 Mar 2006
