Cupcakes give a taste of success to Oscar winner

A CANNOCK director won an Oscar for a film he produced alongside his fiancée – and thanked his parents for making cupcakes to fund the movie in his acceptance speech.

Former Hollyoaks actor Chris Overton picked up the Best Live Action Short Film gong for film Silent Child, which focuses on the life of a deaf four-year-old girl named Libby.

The film was written by his fiancée Rachel Shenton, also a former Hollyoaks actor.

Ms Shenton delivered her acceptance speech in sign language for the star of her film, Maisie Sly, from Swindon.

Maisie, aged six, was born profoundly deaf and has wowed critics with her first film role.

Mr Overton and Ms Shenton, who collected their first Oscar at the starstudded event on Sunday night, met when they were working on the Channel 4 soap opera.

Mr Overton revealed in his accept- ance speech that his parents Lynne and Andy Poyner, who live in Cannock, had made cupcakes to sell to help finance the film. Ms Shenton’s parents then sold them.

Thanking his parents first, he said: “This has been such a team effort, so have to say thank you to our parents for making and selling cupcakes for helping us finish the film.”

Mr Overton also thanked cast, crew and producers and added: “We couldn’t have done it without you.

“But it is really your hard work (to Rachel) over the past 12 years which has made this project authentic.”

Speaking after collecting the award, Mr Overton said the team made the film ‘on a shoestring.’

“We had no help, we just crowd funded this all by ourselves,” he added.

The 20-minute film focuses on a young deaf girl who lives in a world of silence until a social worker teaches her the gift of communication.