UK scores Oscar hat-trick

A BBC animation, a Storyville doc and a Northern Irish Screen/BFI-backed short flew the flag for the UK at this year’s Oscars.

The Christmas adaptation of Charlie Mackesy’s children’s book The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse, produced by Bad Robot and NoneMore Productions, was named best short film (animated) at last night’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Meanwhile, Navalny beat fellow Storyville doc A House Made of Splinters to win best documentary feature film, building on its win in the same category at this year’s Baftas.

An Irish Goodbye, a 23-minute drama in which estranged brothers, one of whom has Down Syndrome, set out to complete 100 wishes on their late mother’s bucket list, was crowned best short film.

The BBC acquired the First Flights/Floodlight Pictures/Goldfinch drama for iPlayer.

However, Film4’s The Banshees of Inisherin failed to convert any of its nine nominations into awards, with best picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once coming out on top in many of the categories in which both were nominated, including best director, original screenplay and film editing,.

Fellow British broadcaster-backed films including Film4’s Living and BBC Films’ After Sun and Triangle of Sadness also left empty-handed.

Netflix's All Quiet on the Western Front took home four awards, including one for its British cinematographer James Friend.