By Christine de Kock
THE star of Kenny, a movie based on Maidstone port-a-loo company Splashdown, has won the annual Australian Film Institute Award for best actor.
The movie was nominated for six awards; Best Film, Best Direction, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting Actor.
The owner of Splashdown Glenn Preusker said Shane Jacobson and all those involved in the film were excited by the award.
Mr Preusker attended the awards.
“When Shane was actually nominated we cheered and when he won the award I just stood up and erupted, I was over the moon,” he said.
“I think it was just wonderful because the journey has been three years and this is the culmination, this is our grand final.”
Kenny opened in cinemas earlier this year. It is a comedy that is shot as a documentary, about a charming port-a-loo operator who is despised for his job and has to deal with family tensions.
Mr Preusker was surprised when brothers Clayton and Shane Jacobson approached him about making a film about the business.
He said the film had done wonders to boost the profile of the industry.
“There was a stage when I would just call myself a plumber, because port-a-loos are just one of those things no one wants to talk about,” he said.
Mr Jacobson was up against Heath Ledger for his role in Candy, Gabriel Byrne for his role in Jindabyne and Steve Le Marquand in Last Train to Freo.
Blockbuster in Braybrook promoted the launch of the DVD last week by inviting Mr Jacobson’s on-screen and off-screen father Ronald Jacobson and brother Clayton to the store.
