Oscar winner calls acceptance speech snub a shame

An Oscar winner has said it was "a shame" to be played off stage before he had a chance to make his acceptance speech.

Rhys Salcombe, from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, was part of the Dune: Part Two team that scooped the award for best visual effects.

Oscar winners are usually given a 45-second timer as they accept the award and on this occasion his colleagues spoke first.

Rhys told BBC Radio Wales Drive he was glad they "got the chance" after some had missed out on previous occasions.

Rhys, a Welsh-Canadian visual effects artist, said his passion for film developed in the beautiful landscape of Ceredigion.

"Being in the countryside, being able to experience nature in that way. It really instils that love of capturing the beauty in the camera as much as possible," he said.

The Ysgol Penglais schoolboy was exposed to film from a "young age" through his parents.

"I honed my skills and, from there, it's just the luck you need to get in the industry," he said.

The whole experience has been a "bit of a blur" and he admitted his achievement was yet to fully sink in.

Rhys said it was "special" to represent the team on stage along with three of his colleagues.

He emphasised the importance of teamwork for the "close to 2,000 people" that worked on Dune: Part Two.

"We're up there representing the work of our fellow co-workers. Recognition of their work in this way is pretty special," he added.

Following a "blurry and intense" after party the visual effects artist is now planning his next move.

Rhys is "holding out hope" for Dune 3 so they can "get the team back together" and, while he thinks it would be "fantastic" to film it in Wales, he is doubtful his hometown will be considered.

"I don't know if the Dune universe would work in Aberystwyth. Never say never," he said.

"We'd need to chuck in a lot of sand from somewhere else."