NI Soundman Nominated For Oscar

A sound specialist who has 'boldly gone, where no man has gone before' has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Sound for his work on the movie, Star Trek.

Originally from Northern Ireland, but now living in Los Angeles Peter J Devlin is working mainly in feature production and his long list of credits include Transformers; King Arthur; The Jane Austen Book Club and Nixon.

He worked for the BBC Audio unit in Belfast from 1981 to 1988 and was previously nominated for the sound on Transformers and Pearl Harbour.

Meanwhile, the Irish film industry has also received a major fillip with five Academy Award nominations, three of which are for Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board funded projects.

The Secret of Kells directed by Tomm Moore and produced by Kilkenny-based company Cartoon Saloon beat off stiff competition from major US studios to be nominated in the Best Animated Feature Film category.

Irish short films The Door directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Juanita Wilson and Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, directed by Nicky Phelan have been nominated in the Best Short Film categories.

Other Irish nominations include Richard Baneham is among the nominees in the Best Visual Effects category and Peter J Devlin who has been nominated in the Best Sound Achievement category.

Simon Perry, Bord Scannán na hÉireann Chief Executive said: "This is a great day for the Irish film industry.

"The Oscar nominations represent the best possible international industry endorsement for film talent worldwide."

Meanwhile, Irish animator Richard Baneham - who studied animation in Ballyfermot College of Further Education - is among the nominees in the Best Visual Effects category, this time for his work on the huge blockbuster, Avatar.

The Oscars ceremony will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday 7th March.

(BmCC/GK)