Ireland waits with bated breath as the clock ticks down to The Oscars 2023.
Ireland has swept up 14 nominations for this year's awards for various categories including Best Actor, Best International Feature Film, Best Director, and more. Among the nominations is Dubliner Richie Baneham who is up for Best Visual Effects for Avatar: The Way of Water.
This isn't the first time the Tallaght man has been nominated for an Academy Award. Baneham had previously won Best Visual Effects in 2010 for the first Avatar film.
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Baneham, 53, is a veteran animator who has worked on several big-name projects like The Lord of The Rings trilogy, the Chronicles of Narnia films, and more. Speaking about his childhood, Baneham revealed how his mum was the one who pushed him to get into the animation industry.
He told Newstalk's The Hard Shoulder: "I didn't necessarily connect with academics back then and when I had left school I had the opportunity to reconnect when I attended the Ballyfermot Art College, particularly on the animation side.
"It was my mum who spotted the opportunity and I literally sat one of these open exams. There was a lot of people. About half of us got interviews and from there we had to come and do a portfolio showing."
As we get closer to the Oscars, Baneham said: "It's always nice to be recognised for your work. that's the key. The win is lovely, but the nomination is the proper nod. It all stems from the acceptance and appreciation of the movie."
Although Baneham has been living in Los Angeles for years, he said he's still in touch with his childhood friends and is very much connected to his Irish roots.
The 95th Oscars Awards are set to take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
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