This week's news about Beasts of the Southern Wild’s four Oscar nominations hasn’t altered much for the Bayou-set film's director, Benh Zeitlin. A native of New York City, the director became enamored with New Orleans and South Louisiana after moving here in his mid 20s. However, Zeitlin says it’ll take a lot more than a couple gold statues to tear him away from the Crescent City. 

Beasts of the Southern Wild director and New Orleans resident Benh Zeitlin has swept the independent awards circuit, but today’s news about the film’s Oscar nominations bumps Zeitlin and his cast into a new category. The Academy seems to have been as impressed as Sundance and Cannes, and Beasts and the movie's cast are up for a number of statues, including Best Picture.