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| Emile Sherman (second left) collects a Bafta for The Kings Speech |
While the hopes of locals are centred on Geoffrey Rush and Jackie Weaver at today's Academy Awards event, one family is hoping The King's Speech comes up trumps for their boy.
Emile Sherman produced the film and was behind a number of Australian films many of which sank from the box office without trace. While Rabbit Proof Fence did well in the European markets, others like $9.99, Candy, The Kings of Mykonos went straight to video after a short theatrical release.
The disastrous
The Night We Called it A Day which starred
Dennis Hopper as
Frank Sinatra and was based on a real life incidence when Cranky Franky was holed up in a Sydney hotel unable to leave after unions put a blanket ban on his movements when he publicly insulted female journalists, was a major box office bomb.
Sherman is the son of noted Sydney philanthropists
Brian and
Gene Sherman and Emile runs his production office out of mum Gene's Sherman art gallery in Paddington.
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| Emile's parents- Gene & Brian Sherman |
The family are all vegetarians, a trend begun by sister Ondine when she discovered at age 8 that meat came from animals. She refused point blank to ever eat it again and the family soon followed suit.
Brian Sherman who sold his Equitlink, the biggest private investment company in Australia for billions of dollars in 2000 now concentrates on charitable ventures and in particular animal causes. He donates millions of dollars to
Animal Liberation.
Brian, Gene and Ondine will be watching this morning to see if Emile makes that winning walk to the Oscar's stage.
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Stop Press : the whoops of joy emanating from the Sherman Galleries in Paddington could be heard from streets away this afternoon as a small family gathering watched the Academy Awards as Emile Sherman proudly collected an Oscar for
The King's Speech.
5 Australians collected Oscars and it's a toss up whether director
Tom Hooper should be regarded as one-he collected an award for Best Film with
The King's Speech -he's a dual citizen with an Australian mother -who, as in the tale he recounted at the ceremoney was the inspiration behind the film.
This year's offering is Tracks, an adaptation of Robyn Davidson's memoir of the same name, chronicling the author's nine-month journey on camels across the Australian desert.
