Low Fell animator Paul Kavanagh up for Oscars and Baftas

Feb 7 2010 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

A SPECIAL effects wizard who wove his magic on the latest Star Trek film will boldly go to the Oscars and the Baftas after being nominated for two awards.

Paul Kavanagh, of Low Fell, Gateshead, is celebrating after being nominated for both a Bafta and an Oscar for his work on Star Trek XI, last summer’s smash hit film which takes the popular space exploration franchise back to its origins.

It’s the first time the dad-of-two, who now lives in Los Angeles, has been nominated for film gongs.

Together with three colleagues, Paul is up for the Visual Effects trophies for both the awards, having acted as animation supervisor on Star Trek, which follows Spock, Kirk, Bones and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew in their first adventure.

And in a twist of fate, Paul’s biggest rival for both the awards is another film he worked on, also as animation supervisor . . . Avatar.

The former Newcastle College student is set to jet back to the UK in two weeks for the glittering Baftas night, which is taking place at the Royal Opera House in London on February 21.

His proud parents Peter, 70, and Kathleen, 69, can’t wait to meet up with Paul, who is flying in with his wife and two daughters.

Dad Peter joked: “We won’t be going to the Baftas though, we’ll be babysitting the two girls while Paul and his wife go, but I might see if I can have a quick drink with George Clooney in the hotel bar.