Filmmaker Wes Anderson Wins First Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film

Famed filmmaker Wes Anderson, a native of Houston, has secured his first individual Academy Award. Anderson, an alumnus of St. John's School and the University of Texas at Austin, clinched the prestigious Best Live Action Short Film Oscar for his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’, produced in collaboration with Netflix.

Regrettably, Anderson was not present at the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles to accept the accolade. Instead, he was in Germany with longtime collaborator Steven Rales, gearing up to kickstart production for their upcoming film. A statement from Anderson’s publicist relayed his gratitude to the Dahl family, Netflix, the cast and crew, and particularly to actor Owen Wilson, whom he credits for their fortuitous meeting at the University of Texas that propelled his career.

Wilson, a prominent actor from Dallas, has frequently worked with Anderson and appeared in several of his acclaimed films, including ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox‘, and ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel‘, the last of which garnered Anderson multiple Oscar nominations.

‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ features a stellar cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley. The narrative follows a wealthy man who gains the ability to visualize events without using his eyes, which leads to his success at casinos and subsequent philanthropic donations. The film triumphed in a competitive category, edging out fellow nominees ‘The After’, ‘Knight of Fortune’, ‘Invincible’, and ‘Red, White and Blue’.