A former Northumberland schoolboy was among those who won big at last night's Oscars.
James Reed, who was educated at Prudhoe Community High School (PCHS), accepted the prize for Best Documentary Feature alongside co-director Pippa Ehrlich for their film 'My Octopus Teacher'.
The documentary, which follows diver Craig Foster as he forms a unique bond with an octopus living in an underwater kelp forest near Cape Town, South Africa, defeated competition from the likes of disability documentary Crip Camp and Romanian corruption investigation Collective.
James, who left PCHS in 1997, had the whole of his former school cheering him on ahead of Sunday night's glittering ceremony.
On Thursday night, he'd hosted an exclusive Q&A for the school's media students from his Los Angeles hotel room as he prepared for the awards event. Ahead of the ceremony, a school spokesperson said the school community had their "fingers crossed" for a win for their alumnus.
Accepting the prize at the 93rd Academy Awards show, James thanked filmmaker Craig, saying the film was "his story".
He said: "He kind of showed us if a man can form a friendship with an octopus, it does sort of make you wonder what else is possible.”
My Octopus Teacher, which is available on Netflix, has garnered a slew of awards for its intimate portrayal of a man's close connection with nature.
The film also picked up the Bafta for best documentary earlier this month, while James was in Uganda, filming a series for Netflix.
My Octopus Teacher can be seen on Netflix.
