The biggest night of the year in Hollywood is this weekend and one of Halifax’s own will be there, representing Nova Scotia.

Ben Proudfoot is going to the 96th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California.

It will be his third time at the Oscars, after receiving another nomination this year in the Best Documentary Short category, for The Last Repair Shop.

Proudfoot says although he feels great heading into the awards, there are still butterflies.

“There was an element of terror I think the very first time, of just not knowing exactly what to expect or if I would fall flat on my face. In some respects that is still there, but it’s a lot more like anticipation and excitement.”

He was first nominated for A Concerto is a Conversation in 2020 and has one win under his belt for The Queen of Basketball in 2022.

Proudfoot compares winning to the likeness of his dad, who was lawyer.

“I often talk about it being kind of like a lawyer who has successfully won a case, because as documentary film makers, that’s kind of what we are doing. We are making a case that this story deserves your time and attention.”

Source: Ben Proudfoot

The Last Repair Shop is about the Los Angeles Unified School District’s musical instrument repair shop, the last of its kind in the United States.

The story talks about those who worked there and used its services and the 130,000 musical instruments that filtered through.

He says they have launched a $15 million capital campaign for the last repair shop for training and upgrades.

Source: Ben Proudfoot

Proudfoot says there will be so many of his ‘heroes’ at the awards that he is excited to see including Stephen Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Greta Gerwig.

The Oscars air at 8 p.m. Sunday night.