Creatives with south coast links win big at Oscars

Creatives with links to Dorset have been recognised at this year's Academy Awards.

Actor Michael B Jordan, who won the best actor Oscar for playing twins Smoke and Stack in the vampire horror Sinners, is a co-owner of AFC Bournemouth.

Jordan became a minority owner of the club in December 2022 as part of a group led by American businessman Bill Foley.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth University graduates worked on a number of films honoured at the ceremony, including KPop Demon Hunters, which won best animated feature, and Avatar: Fire and Ash, that won best visual effects.

Fernando Morillo, who graduated with a master's degree in visual effects from Bournemouth University in 2014, worked as a senior effects technical director at Sony Pictures Imageworks on KPop Demon Hunters.

The film also won best original song for Golden.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Morillo said: "It's surprising, because if you've been in the industry for a while - it doesn't matter whether it's in London or here in Canada in Montreal, even in Australia and New Zealand - there's people from Bournemouth all over the place."

Another graduate, Stephen Cullingford, worked as part of the team at Weta FX on Avatar: Fire and Ash.

"It's great to see so many Bournemouth University graduates contributing to major projects across visual effects," he said.

Other alumni, Paolo Mercogliano and Lasma Zeimule-Kay, worked on Jordan's Sinners.

Last year he spoke about his enthusiasm for being involved with AFC Bournemouth: "I saw a team with a lot of potential and a lot of growth and I love their story.

"I love the team's history, so it is great to be able to be a part of that new storytelling and give the team some new energy with Bill Foley."

You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.