Australians in Film (AiF) is a
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
-based
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization that serves the Australian community working in the film and television industry. It awards the annual Heath Ledger Scholarship to emerging Australian actors, as well as several other programs which help actors and
filmmaker
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...
s to develop their careers.
History
Australians in Film was founded in Los Angeles,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, in May 2001, to celebrate and support Australian film and TV makers and their work.
In 2008, Australians in Film established the annual Heath Ledger Scholarship, named in honor of Australian actor
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...
,
who was an ambassador of the group.
In 2012 the organization established an Annual Benefit Dinner to raise funds for scholarships and career development programs. The honorees at the first event included
John Polson
John Polson (born 6 September 1965) is an Australian actor, director and founder of Tropfest.
As an actor, Polson's best known role is probably starring opposite Russell Crowe and Jack Thompson in '' The Sum of Us'' (1994).
In February 2001, ...
,
Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth (born 13 January 1990) is an Australian actor. He played the roles of Josh Taylor in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' and Marcus in the children's television series ''The Elephant Princess''. In American films, Hemsworth starred as ...
and
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski (born 30 July 1982), known professionally as Yvonne Strahovski (), is an Australian actress. Primarily noted for her roles in dramatic television, she has received numerous awards and nominations, including two Pri ...
. In 2013, Australians in Film launched the
Orry-Kelly International Award for Australians who have achieved in the film and TV business overseas.
In 2015, Australians in Film announced that
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...
will become the naming rights sponsor of the Breakthrough Awards.
Description
AiF is based at the
Raleigh Studios
Raleigh Studios is a studio facility located in Hollywood, Los Angeles and has been under the ownership of Raleigh Enterprises since 1979. The location has been active since 1915. Before Raleigh, the studio was run by Famous Players Film Company, C ...
in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
, occupying a shared workspace known as Charlie's.
[
AiF has over 700 members, who included actors, filmmakers and people from the U.S. film industry.
]
Governance and funding
producer Emma Cooper is chair of the board that oversees the organisation.[
AiF is supported by ]Screen Australia
Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...
, Screen NSW
--->
Screen NSW, formerly known as the New South Wales Film and Television Office, or FTO, and before that the New South Wales Film Corporation, is a brand name that is part of Create NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales that is re ...
, Screen Queensland
Screen or Screens may refer to:
Arts
* Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing
* Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry
* Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which m ...
, Film Victoria
VicScreen, formerly known as Film Victoria, is the Victoria State Government, Victorian Government’s creative and economic screen development agency. They function behind the scenes, supporting professionals, infrastructure, projects and ev ...
, AFTRS
The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) formerly Australian Film and Television School, is Australia's national screen arts and broadcast school. The school is a Commonwealth Government statutory authority.
History
Establishe ...
and the University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
(Victorian College of the Arts
The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...
), as well as commercial partners including Ausfilm
Ausfilm is an Australian government-industry partnership that acts as a national content attraction organisation. Ausfilm connects the international film community with Australia's screen incentives, talent and facilities and is composed of abou ...
, Animal Logic
Animal Logic is an Australian animation and visual effects digital studio based at Disney Studios in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Rideback Ranch in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1991, Animal Logic has ...
, Bird in Hand winery
Bird in Hand is a winery located near the town of Woodside in the Adelaide Hills wine region of South Australia.
History
The Nugent family, founders of Bird in Hand, have a long association with Adelaide through the health-care work of Dr Micha ...
, Yowie Chocolates, Penfolds
Penfolds is an Australian wine producer that was founded in Adelaide in 1844 by Christopher Rawson Penfold, an English physician who emigrated to Australia, and his wife Mary Penfold. It is one of Australia's oldest wineries, and is currently p ...
and Raynor & Associates.[
]
Programs and awards
AiF runs a number of programs to help Australian actors and filmmakers to develop their careers, including the Heath Ledger Scholarship (for actors), Untapped (for emerging writers and directors); Gateway (for established writers and directors); Exchange (for producers
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
);[ Mentor LA, Animal Logic Entertainment Internship, and Charlie's Labs.][
]
Heath Ledger Scholarship
The Heath Ledger Scholarship includes a $US10,000 cash prize; a return economy flight to the US; and administrative and educational support for the actor's career.
Winners include:
*2009 Oliver Ackland
Oliver Ackland (born 9 November 1979) is an Australian actor.
Biography
In 2009 he was awarded the inaugural Heath Ledger scholarship by Australians in Film.
Ackland starred in Ben Lucas' ''Wasted on the Young'', which premiered at the 2010 S ...
*2010 Bella Heathcote
Isabella Heathcote (born 27 May 1987) is an Australian actress and model. She began her acting career in 2008. The following year, she had a recurring role as Amanda Fowler on the television soap opera ''Neighbours''.
Heathcote has since portr ...
*2011 Ryan Corr
Ryan Corr (born 15 January 1989) is an Australian actor. Corr is known for his roles in the Australian drama series ''Packed to the Rafters'' and '' Love Child'' along with film roles in ''Wolf Creek 2'' (2013), ''The Water Diviner'' (2014) and ' ...
*2012 Anna McGahan
Anna McGahan (born 2 May 1988) is an Australian actress and playwright, who has appeared in Australian television, film and theatre.
She is best known for playing the roles of Nellie Cameron in the Australian television series, '' Underbelly: ...
*2013 James Mackay
*2014 Cody Fern
Cody Fern (born 6 July 1988) is an Australian actor and director. Following his feature debut in ''The Tribes of Palos Verdes'' (2017), he portrayed murder victim David Madson in the FX series '' The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American C ...
*2015 Matt Levett
Matt Levett is an Australian actor known for his recurring role in the Australian period drama '' A Place to Call Home''. Levett is also notable for his role in the 2014 mini series '' Devil's Playground''; where he portrayed Brendan Mahony.
C ...
*2016 Ashleigh Cummings
Ashleigh Cummings is an Australian actress. She became known for her role as Robyn Mathers in '' Tomorrow, When the War Began''. The film, based on the book of the same name, earned Cummings a nomination for Best Young Actor at the 2010 Austra ...
*2017 Mojean Aria
*2018 Charmaine Bingwa
Charmaine Bingwa (born 13 November 1985) is an Australian actress known for her role as Carmen Moyo in ''The Good Fight''. She stars in Antoine Fuqua's recently released Emancipation as Dodienne, wife of Peter (Will Smith), in which Variety has ...
*2021 Rahel Romahn
Rahel Romahn (born ) is a Kurdish-Iraqi born Australian actor. For his performance in '' The Principal'' he was nominated for the 2016 AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama and the 2016 Logie Award for Most Outst ...
Breakthrough Award winners
*2010 Chris Hemsworth
Christopher Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. He rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian television series ''Home and Away'' (2004–2007) before beginning a film career in Hollywood. In the Marvel Cinemati ...
and Ryan Kwanten
Ryan Christian Kwanten (born 28 November 1976) is an Australian actor and producer. He played Vinnie Patterson from 1997 to 2002 in the Australian soap opera ''Home and Away''. After his stint ended, he joined the American teen drama series '' ...
*2011 Joel Edgerton
Joel Edgerton (born 23 June 1974) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his appearance in the ''Star Wars'' films ''Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and ''Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) as a young Owen Lars, a role he reprised i ...
, Teresa Palmer
Teresa Mary Palmer (born 26 February 1986) is an Australian actress. She began her career with roles in '' Bedtime Stories'' (2008), ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' (2010), '' Take Me Home Tonight'' (2011), and ''I Am Number Four'' (2011). She re ...
, and David Michôd
David Michôd ( ; born 30 November 1972) is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is best known for directing the critically acclaimed crime drama '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) and dystopian drama '' The Rover'' (2014). ...
*2012 Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth (born 13 January 1990) is an Australian actor. He played the roles of Josh Taylor in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' and Marcus in the children's television series ''The Elephant Princess''. In American films, Hemsworth starred as ...
, and Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski (born 30 July 1982), known professionally as Yvonne Strahovski (), is an Australian actress. Primarily noted for her roles in dramatic television, she has received numerous awards and nominations, including two Pri ...
*2013 Jacki Weaver
Jacqueline Ruth Weaver (born 25 May 1947) is an Australian theatre, film and television actress. Weaver emerged in the 1970s as a symbol of the Australian New Wave through her work in Ozploitation films such as '' Stork'' (1971), ''Alvin Purp ...
, Sullivan Stapleton
Sullivan Stapleton (born 14 June 1977) is an Australian actor who is best known for his roles in the television series ''The Secret Life of Us'', '' Strike Back'' and '' Animal Kingdom''. He also starred in the NBC crime drama '' Blindspot''.
S ...
, and Alex O'Loughlin
Alex O'Loughlin (born 24 August 1976) is an Australian actor, writer, director, and producer, who played Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett on CBS' remake of the TV series '' Hawaii Five-0'' (2010–2020). He had starring roles in the films ...
*2014 Margot Robbie
Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
and Brenton Thwaites
Brenton Thwaites (born 10 August 1989) is an Australian actor. Beginning his career in his home country in 2011, he had a starring role on the series ''Slide'' and later appeared on the soap opera ''Home and Away''. Since moving to the United S ...
*2015 Elizabeth Debicki
Elizabeth Debicki (born 24 August 1990) is an Australian actress. After studying drama at the Victorian College of the Arts, she made her film debut with a brief role in the Australian comedy ''A Few Best Men'' (2011). Debicki's role in Baz Luh ...
[
*2016 ]Jai Courtney
Jai Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film ''Jack Reacher'' (2012). He has gone on to star in ''A Good Day to ...
, Garth Davies
*2017 Alethea Jones
Alethea Jones is an Australian film and television director. She is best known for her films ''Lemonade Stand'' (2012) and ''Fun Mom Dinner'' (2017), and the TV series '' Queen America''.
Career
Jones's first short film, ''When the Wind Chang ...
, Warwick Thornton
Warwick Thornton (born 1970) is an Australian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. His debut feature film ''Samson and Delilah'' won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific Sc ...
, Katherine Langford
Katherine Langford (born 29 April 1996) is an Australian actress. After appearing in several independent films, she had her breakthrough starring as Hannah Baker in the Netflix television series ''13 Reasons Why'' (2017–2018), which earned he ...
, and Danielle Macdonald
Danielle Louise Macdonald (born 19 May 1991) is an Australian actress, known for her lead roles as Patricia "Patti" Dombrowski in the drama film ''Patti Cake$'' (2017), and Willowdean Dickson in ''Dumplin (2018). She is also known for her ro ...
*2018 Keiynan Lonsdale
Keiynan Lonsdale (; born 19 December 1991) is an Australian actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. He is known for roles such as Oliver Lloyd in the ABC series ''Dance Academy'' (2012–2013), Wally West/Kid Flash in the CW series ''The Flash'' ...
, Eliza Scanlen
Eliza Jane Scanlen (born 6 January 1999) is an Australian actress. She rose to prominence portraying Tabitha Ford in the Australian soap opera ''Home and Away'' (2016), before receiving critical acclaim by playing a troubled teenager in the H ...
, Margot Robbie
Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
, Chris Hemsworth
Christopher Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. He rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian television series ''Home and Away'' (2004–2007) before beginning a film career in Hollywood. In the Marvel Cinemati ...
, Warwick Thornton
Warwick Thornton (born 1970) is an Australian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. His debut feature film ''Samson and Delilah'' won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific Sc ...
, Elizabeth Debicki
Elizabeth Debicki (born 24 August 1990) is an Australian actress. After studying drama at the Victorian College of the Arts, she made her film debut with a brief role in the Australian comedy ''A Few Best Men'' (2011). Debicki's role in Baz Luh ...
, Joel Edgerton
Joel Edgerton (born 23 June 1974) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his appearance in the ''Star Wars'' films ''Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and ''Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) as a young Owen Lars, a role he reprised i ...
, Katherine Langford
Katherine Langford (born 29 April 1996) is an Australian actress. After appearing in several independent films, she had her breakthrough starring as Hannah Baker in the Netflix television series ''13 Reasons Why'' (2017–2018), which earned he ...
, James Wan
James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. He has primarily worked in the horror genre as the co-creator of the ''Saw'' and ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of The Conjurin ...
, and Mia Wasikowska
Mia Wasikowska ( ; born 25 October 1989) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut on the Australian television drama '' All Saints'' in 2004, followed by her feature film debut in '' Suburban Mayhem'' (2006). She first became known t ...
International honorees
*2012 John Polson
John Polson (born 6 September 1965) is an Australian actor, director and founder of Tropfest.
As an actor, Polson's best known role is probably starring opposite Russell Crowe and Jack Thompson in '' The Sum of Us'' (1994).
In February 2001, ...
"PR Newswire"
/ref>
*2013 Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...
, Blue-Tongue Films and Steve Papazian (of Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
)
*2014 Greg Coote (formerly of Dune Entertainment
RatPac Entertainment (also known as RatPac-Dune Entertainment, a co-financing agreement it was part of) was an American motion picture production company owned by producer-director Brett Ratner. RatPac was founded by Ratner and billionaire James ...
), Anthony LaPaglia
Anthony LaPaglia (, ; born 31 January 1959) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role as Jack Malone in the television drama ''Without a Trace'' (2002–2009), for which he received a Golden Globe Award in 2004.
LaPaglia won a Prim ...
, Zareh Nalbandian (of Animal Logic
Animal Logic is an Australian animation and visual effects digital studio based at Disney Studios in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Rideback Ranch in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1991, Animal Logic has ...
), and Fred Baron (of 20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
)
*2015 Bruna Papandrea
Bruna Papandrea (born 1971) is an Australian Film producer, film and television producer and the founder of production company Made Up Stories (company), Made Up Stories. Prior to Made Up Stories (company), Made Up Stories, Papandrea co-founded ...
, Bill Mechanic
William M. Mechanic (born May 12, 1950) is an American film producer. He is the chairman and CEO of Pandemonium Films.
At present, he serves on the board of counselors for USC School of Cinematic Arts, and the Board of BFI Southbank (forme ...
and Dion Beebe
Dion Beebe A.C.S. A.S.C. ( ; born 18 May 1968) is an Australian-South African cinematographer. Originally from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, his family moved to Cape Town, South Africa in 1972. Dion studied cinematography at the Australian ...
*2016 Sir Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...
, Greg Basser and James Wan
James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. He has primarily worked in the horror genre as the co-creator of the ''Saw'' and ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of The Conjurin ...
*2017 Tim Minchin, Paul Steinke & Mary Ann Hughes and Luke Davies
Luke Davies (born 1962) is an Australian writer of poetry, novels and screenplays. His best known works are '' Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction'' (which was adapted for the screen in 2006) and the screenplay for the film '' Lion'', which e ...
*2018 Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of:
Arts, entertainment and media
*Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction
*Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor
*Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer
*Lee Smith ...
, Mark Johnson
References
External links
*{{official, https://australiansinfilm.org/hls/
*
*
Non-profit organizations based in Los Angeles