Wen Baz Luhrmann learnt that his biopic, Elvis, had received eight Academy Award nominations, he was in Paris celebrating his 26th wedding anniversary with his wife, Catherine Martin.
Martin, 58, who has won more Oscars than any other Australian, was nominated three times – for Best Costume, Best Production Design and alongside her husband as one of the producers of Elvis, which is up for Best Picture. Luhrmann, however, was snubbed for a Best Director nod.
The Aussie auteur has never received the accolade during his three decades in the business since splashing onto the world stage in 1992 with Strictly Ballroom. His repertoire is relatively tiny – including Romeo + Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Great (2013) – but he’s widely recognised for his boundary-pushing style.