The Inaugural Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known more commonly as the AACTA Awards, presented by the

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) is a professional organisation of film and television practitioners in Australia. The Academy's aim is "to identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements i ...

(AACTA), honoured the best Australian and

foreign films World cinema is a term in film theory that refers to films made outside of the American motion picture industry, particularly those in opposition to the aesthetics and values of commercial American cinema.Nagib, Lúcia. "Towards a positive de ...

of 2011 took place on two separate events, in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

: the AACTA Awards Luncheon, on 15 January 2012, at the Westin Hotel, and the AACTA Awards Ceremony, on 31 January 2012, at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

. Following the establishment of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, by the

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsi ...

(AFI), these awards marked the inauguration of the

AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industr ...

, but served as a continuum to the AFI Awards, which were presented by the AFI since 1958. The ceremony was televised on the

Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...

. The nominees for the non-feature award categories were announced on 30 August 2011, and all other non-feature film, feature film and television nominees were announced at the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts is based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, many of Australia's leading actors and directors trained at NIDA, including Cat ...

(NIDA) on 30 November. The Academy presented awards for achievements in foreign film, and announced the nominees at the AACTA Awards Luncheon.

Background

On 18 August 2011, the

(AACTA) was established by the

(AFI), to raise the profile of Australian film and television in Australia and abroad, and to change the way it rewards talent from its previous jury system, to the more recognised and understood elements of foreign film organisations. These awards will serve as a continuum to the Australian Film Institute Awards, which were presented by the Australian Film Institute. A gold statuette was created by Australian sculptor Ron Gomboc, which depicts "a human silhouette based on the shape of the

Southern Cross Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for ...

constellation." The nominees and winners were determined by the Academy's fifteen Chapters, which comprise screen professionals from industry guilds and organisations including actors, directors, producers and screenwriters, who each decide the nominees in their individual fields and then vote for the winners of each category. The president of the awards is Australian actor

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emm ...

. Works entered between 7 October 2010 and 2 November 2011 for films, and 5 May 2010 and 24 May 2011 for short films and documentaries were eligible for awards. The films in competition for the inaugural awards were revealed at the announcement of the Academy, with twenty-three Australian feature films originally slated to compete for awards, but it was eventually brought down to twenty-one, when two of the films, ''

Burning Man Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred ...

'' and ''

The Dragon Pearl ''The Dragon Pearl'' is a 2011 family film that follows the story of two teenagers who meet in China to encounter a real live Chinese dragon, and also discover the mystery behind the whereabouts of his all powerful pearl. Directed by Mario An ...

'', could no longer compete due to a change in their release dates. The films were showcased at the inaugural Festival of Film from 6 October – 14 November in Sydney and Melbourne, for the general public, and for Academy and AFI members to view and judge. The first nominees were announced on 30 August 2011, for non-feature film categories: Best Feature Length Documentary, Best Short Animation and Best Short Fiction Film. Round one voting for feature film categories commenced on 2 November and ended on 16 November. Following the announcement of the nominees on 30 November, round two voting commenced to determine the winners in each category, and ended on 14 December 2011. The first award to be announced was the Longford Lyell Award, which was presented to cinematographer

Don McAlpine Donald McAlpine ACS, ASC (born 13 April 1934) is an Australian cinematographer. Biography Early life and career Before his film career, McAlpine was a physical education teacher in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. He began using a 16mm ...

, at the AACTA awards luncheon, and marked the first award presented by the Academy since its inception. On 30 November 2011, the rest of the non-feature films, along with the entire feature film and television nominees, were announced at the

in Sydney, and was hosted by

Adam Elliot Adam Elliot (born 2 January 1972) is an Australian stop-motion animation writer, director and producer based in Melbourne, Australia. His five films have collectively participated in over seven hundred film festivals and have received over one ...

. Foreign films were also recognised at the AACTA International Awards ceremony, which handed out awards for Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress. The nominees were announced at the AACTA Awards Luncheon on 15 January 2011, in conjunction with the

Australia Week Australia Week is a promotion of "all things Australian" held annually in the United States. History Pioneered in 2004 as G’Day LA, by the Australian Consul General in Los Angeles, John Olsen, G'DAY USA: Australia Week is now arguably the large ...

Black Tie Gala, and the winners were determined by a jury.

Ceremonies

The awards were presented over three separate events: the AACTA Awards Luncheon, at the Westin Hotel on 15 January 2012 and the AACTA Awards Ceremony, at the

, in

on 31 January 2012; and on 27 January, the AACTA International Awards at Soho House,

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

, Los Angeles. The luncheon presented awards in

film production 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, cast ...

, television, all non-feature film categories and the Longford Lyell Award; all other feature film and television awards were handed out at the ceremony; and the International awards presented accolades for films produced outside of Australia, regardless of geography. This marks the first time in ten years since the awards have been presented in Sydney, which had been held in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

previously. The awards date has been shifted from its usual November/December date, to January 2012, to align them with the international film awards season. The awards ceremony was broadcast by the

Special awards

During the AACTA Awards luncheon, special non-competitive awards were handed out to individuals for their contribution to the Australian screen industry. The Longford Lyell Award, a lifetime achievement award, was presented to

, for his contributions to cinematography in feature film.

Ivan Sen Ivan Sen (born 1972) is an Indigenous Australian filmmaker. He is a director, screenwriter and cinematographer, as well as an editor, composer and sound designer. He is co-founder and director of Bunya Productions. Early life Ivan Sen was bor ...

received the

Byron Kennedy Award The Byron Kennedy Award is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is "to identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and televisi ...

, an award given to a person in their early career, for: "his unique artistic vision and for showing us, by his resourceful multidisciplinary filmmaking, that telling stories on screen is in reach of all who have something consequential to say." The Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft award was given to production designer Herbert Pinter, for his work on the television series '' Cloudstreet'' (2011).

Winners and nominees

Feature film

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

Television

Non-feature film

Additional awards

Films with multiple nominations

*Fourteen: '' The Hunter'' *Twelve: '' The Eye of the Storm'' *Ten: ''

Snowtown Snowtown is a town located in the Mid North of South Australia 145 km (90 miles) north of Adelaide and lies on the main road and rail routes between Adelaide and Perth – the Augusta Highway and Adelaide-Port Augusta railway line. Th ...

'' *Eight: '' Red Dog'' *Seven: ''

Oranges and Sunshine ''Oranges and Sunshine'' is a 2010 Australian drama film directed by Jim Loach as his directorial debut. It stars Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham, with a screenplay by Rona Munro, based on the 1994 book ''Empty Cradles'' by Margaret Hu ...

'' *Five: ''

Mad Bastards ''Mad Bastards'' is a 2011 Australian drama film written and directed by Brendan Fletcher. Set in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the film uses mainly local Aboriginal people in the cast, and draws on their stories for the plotlin ...

'' *Three: '' Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'' and ''

Sleeping Beauty ''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...

'', '' The Tall Man''

Presenters and performers

Presenters

Presenters are listed alphabetically: *

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received n ...

* Shane Bourne *

Rob Carlton Rob Carlton (born 4 May 1971) is a Logie Award winning Australian actor and writer. He is best known for writing and starring in the comedy series '' Chandon Pictures''. He also had starring roles in the comedy satire ''The Hollowmen'' and the ch ...

* Blake Davis * Alex Dimitriades * Gigi Edgley *

Asher Keddie Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series '' Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significan ...

Miranda Kerr Miranda May Kerr (; born 20 April 1983) is an Australian model and businesswoman. Kerr rose to prominence in 2007, as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. Kerr was the first Australian Victoria's Secret model and also represented the Australia ...

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 ...

Jonathan LaPaglia Jonathan LaPaglia (, ; born 31 August 1969) is an Australian actor and television personality. He has hosted Network 10's revival of ''Australian Survivor'' since 2016. As an actor, LaPaglia is known for his roles as Frank B. Parker in the tel ...

Todd Lasance Todd James Lasance (born 18 February 1985) is an Australian actor, best recognised for his roles in Australian television including Aden Jefferies on ''Home and Away'', Cam Jackson on '' Rescue: Special Ops'', Ben McMahon on ''Crownies'' and Maj ...

* Lincoln Lewis *

Richard Roxburgh Richard Roxburgh (born 23 January 1962) is an Australian actor, writer, producer, and director. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including three AACTA Awards (including AFI), three Logie Awards, ...

* Xavier Samuel *

Rachael Taylor Rachael May Taylor (born 11 July 1984) is an Australian actress and model. Her first lead role was in the Australian series ''headLand'' (2005–2006). She then made the transition to Hollywood, appearing in films including ''Man-Thing'' (2005 ...

* Mia Wasikowska *

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 ...

Samara Weaving Samara Weaving (born 23 February 1992) is an Australian actress and model. She began her career in her home country, playing Kirsten Mulroney on the drama series '' Out of the Blue'' (2008). She came to prominence with her portrayal of Indi Wal ...

* Richard Wilkins

Performers

Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...

* Tim Rogers *

Megan Washington Megan Alexanda Washington (born 7 January 1986) is an Australian musician and songwriter who has worked mononymously as Washington. Originally performing jazz music, her style shifted to indie pop and alternative rock. She has released three ...

Gallery

Notes

:A: The following categories were presented at the AACTA Awards Luncheon, on 15 January 2012, before the main ceremony: Longford Lyell Award, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Original Music Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects,

AFI Members' Choice Award The AFI Members' Choice Award, is a film award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) to an Australian feature-length film that is voted for by members of the Australian Film Institute (AFI). Prior to the establ ...

, Best Feature Length Documentary, Best Documentary Under One Hour, Best Direction – Documentary, Best Cinematography – Documentary, Best Editing – Documentary, Best Sound – Documentary, Best Short Fiction Film, Best Short Animation, Best Screenplay – Short Film :B: The awards for Best Television Program and Best Performance are television awards, voted for by the public.

References

External links

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Official website
{{Australian Film Institute Awards AACTA Awards ceremonies AACTA Film Awards AACTA Film Awards