AACTA NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

End-of-year award season buzz kicked into top gear when Australia's leading film and televsion industry body revealed its contenders for the 2013 AACTA's in Sydney.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) announced its second annual award nominations at a modest media event at Sydney’s Darling Hotel. The gaudy, glitzy ambience of the nearby Star City Casino was nowhere to be found at the far more refined gathering of journalists and publicists; a smattering of on-screen talent attended, their presence an early indicator as to who would contend for the coveted AACTA trophy at the award ceremony on January 30.

National treasure and AACTA Board Member Sigrid Thornton emceed the announcements (fluffing her tele-prompted lines on more than one occasion) and industry figureheads Damian Trewhella, AACTA CEO, and Alan Finney, AACTA Chairperson (pictured, right), voiced their views on AACTA’s importance and the year in Australian film and television. Nominees were announced by actors Alex Dimitriades and Diana Glenn.

Leading the field of film nominations was Wayne Blair’s box-office hit The Sapphires with 12, including Film, Actress (Deborah Mailman), Actor (Chris O’Dowd), Supporting Actress (Jessica Mauboy), Direction and Adapted Screenplay. Other Best Film nominees are Cate Shortland’s Lore (8 nominations), PJ Hogan’s Mental (8 nominations) and Kieran Darcy-Smith’s Wish You Were Here (8 nominations). Though nobody wept over the omission of Kath & Kimderella and Bait 3D in all categories, there was some head-shaking when lauded works Hail, from Amiel Courtin-Wilson, and Toomelah, from last years’ Byron Kennedy award recipient Ivan Sen, were shut-out; others who found no AACTA love were John Duigan’s Careless Love, Tony Krawitz’s Dead Europe and David Pulbrook’s Last Dance.  

Peter Templeman’s inner-city dramedy Not Suitable For Children earned four nominations, including a Lead Actress nod for Sarah Snook (her second consecutive AACTA acknowledgement after winning last year for the telemovie Sisters of War; pictured, left); other films in the mix include Pauline Chan’s 33 Postcards (2 nominations, including a Best Actor slot for Guy Pearce), Gary McKendry’s Killer Elite (2 nominations) and one-offs for A Few Best Men, Iron Sky, X, Swerve and The King is Dead. The prized Raymond Longford Award, given for an individual’s extraordinary career contribution to the Australian sector, will be presented to producer Al Clark (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; Muriel’s Wedding; Chopper) at an event luncheon on January 28.

Film nominations are below; visit the AACTA website for full coverage of all nominees:

BEST COSTUME DESIGN - Burning Man. Lizzy Gardiner; Lore. Stefanie Bieker; Mental. Tim Chappel; The Sapphires. Tess Schofield.

BEST LEAD ACTOR - Joel Edgerton. Wish You Were Here; Matthew Goode. Burning Man; Chris O'Dowd. The Sapphires; Guy Pearce. 33 Postcards.

BEST LEAD ACTRESS - Toni Collette. Mental; Deborah Mailman. The Sapphires; Felicity Price. Wish You Were Here; Sarah Snook. Not Suitable For Children.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Ryan Corr. Not Suitable For Children; Liev Schreiber. Mental; Antony Starr. Wish You Were Here; Gary Waddell. The King Is Dead!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Essie Davis. Burning Man; Rebecca Gibney. Mental; Deborah Mailman. Mental; Jessica Mauboy. The Sapphires.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY - Lore. Cate Shortland, Robin Mukherjee; The Sapphires. Keith Thompson, Tony Briggs.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Burning Man. Garry Phillips ACS; Lore. Adam Arkapaw; The Sapphires. Warwick Thornton; Wish You Were Here. Jules O'Loughlin ACS.

BEST EDITING - Burning Man. Martin Connor; The Sapphires. Dany Cooper ASE; Wish You Were Here. Jason Ballantine ASE; X. Cindy Clarkson.

BEST SOUND - Burning Man. David Lee, Andrew Plain, Gethin Creagh; Lore. Sam Petty, Michael Busch, Robert Mackenzie, Antony Gray, Yulia Akerholt, Brooke Trezise; The Sapphires. Andrew Plain, Bry Jones, Pete Smith, Ben Osmo, John Simpson; Swerve. Pete Smith, John Simpson, Martyn Zub, Des Kenneally.

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE - 33 Postcards. Antony Partos; A Few Best Men. Guy Gross; Mental. Michael Yezerski; Not Suitable For Children. Matteo Zingales, Jono Ma.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN - Burning Man. Steven Jones-Evans APDG; Killer Elite. Michelle McGahey; Lore. Silke Fischer; The Sapphires. Melinda Doring.

BEST FILM - Burning Man. Andy Paterson, Jonathan Teplitzky; Lore. Karsten Stöter, Liz Watts, Paul Welsh, Benny Drechsel; The Sapphires. Rosemary Blight, Kylie du Fresne; Wish You Were Here. Angie Fielder.

BEST DIRECTION - Burning Man. Jonathan Teplitzky; Lore. Cate Shortland; The Sapphires. Wayne Blair; Wish You Were Here. Kieran Darcy-Smith.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY - Burning Man. Jonathan Teplitzky; Mental. PJ Hogan; Not Suitable For Children. Michael Lucas; Wish You Were Here. Kieran Darcy-Smith, Felicity Price.