6TH AACTA AWARDS PRESENTED BY PRESTO OFFICIAL SCREENINGS PROGRAM FOCUS ON AUSTRALIA’S FINEST FILMS IN CINEMA & ON AACTA TV AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2016 Dressmaker,The_Print_Ad_Presto_148x210_FA.pdf 1 4/07/2016 11:02 am CONTENTS WELCOME 4 GENERAL INFORMATION 5 ABOUT AFI | AACTA 7 HOW TO VOTE 9 AFI | AACTA MEMBERSHIP 10 GUEST PASSES 11 FILM INFORMATION SHORT FICTION FILM 13 SHORT ANIMATION 17 FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY 21 FEATURE FILMS IN COMPETITION 25 SCREENINGS PROGRAM SYDNEY 45 MELBOURNE 47 NOTES 50 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 52 SUPPORTING PRE MIUM AUSSIE CONTENT Stream it on Presto ^ presto.com.au ^Available from 28 August. *Requires internet, data and a compatible device. Ongoing monthly fees apply from end of trial. T&Cs apply. See presto.com.au (M) © 2015 Film Art Media (The Dressmaker) Holdings Pty Ltd., White Hot Productions Pty Ltd., Film Victoria, Soundfirm Pty Ltd. and Screen Australia All Rights Reserved. WELCOME GENERAL INFORMATION Welcome to this year’s showcase of stars alongside Richard Roxburgh in LOOKING Welcome to the 6th AACTA Awards presented by in the Judges’ Handbook have been supplied outstanding Australian productions FOR GRACE, and cast and crew members of Presto Official Screenings Program, which are held and approved by the producer of each entered competing for our nation’s highest screen Mel Gibson’s highly anticipated HACKSAW for the purpose of judging the AACTA Awards. production. accolades – the AACTA Awards. RIDGE, with Sam Worthington, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths leading an SCREENINGS SCHEDULE VOTING This year sees 28 feature films in all-star cast. competition; another strong year for our Each film that has not previously screened as part AFI | AACTA members hold the exclusive privilege screen industry. The Official Screenings This year’s Official Screenings Program also of the year-round Members’ Events program will of voting in the AACTA Awards. Program provides your final opportunity to showcases the four Best Feature Length be screened once in Sydney and Melbourne. Please view films competing ahead of the voting Documentary nominees, capturing stories refer to the Screening Program starting on page 43 All votes will be submitted via an online voting form. period, complementing those films already of offshore detention centres CHASING( of this Judges’ Handbook. Only one voting form per AFI | AACTA member per screened throughout the year as a part of our ASYLUM), the slums of Brazil at a time of round will be accepted. Members’ Events Program which offers more significant uprising IN( THE SHADOW OF Every effort will be made to avoid changes to the screenings schedule, however in the event that AFI | AACTA acknowledges that it may not be than 80 screenings, events and masterclasses THE HILL), same-sex love at the height of possible for voting members to view all films in with cast and crew – all complimentary and conservatism and HIV/AIDS (REMEMBERING changes must be made, all members will receive direct email communication and changes will also competition. Therefore, individual member votes exclusive to our members, and anyone can ) and war-damaged children in THE MAN be noted on the AACTA website — www.aacta.org. shall be weighted to reflect the percentage of films join! Jalalabad (SNOW MONKEY). each member has seen. A highlight of each AACTA Awards season I encourage all AFI and AACTA members to ADMISSION REGULATIONS Further information on voting is available on page 9 is seeing new filmmakers and performers view the great productions showcased in this of the Judges’ Handbook. competing alongside industry luminaries, and year’s Official Screenings Program - either AFI | AACTA members receive complimentary entry to all sessions upon presentation of their this year is no exception. at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction in Sydney, Ernst & Young is the scrutineer for the AACTA membership card at the cinema box office at the Awards. Cinema Nova in Melbourne, or online on time of screening. This year’s short film nominees see a number AACTA TV, available anytime, anywhere. of young filmmakers straight out of university All members are welcome to bring a guest to AACTA TV (THE ALBATROSS and FEMME ENFANT) I thank the industry for their tireless work selected screenings by using the complimentary competing with past AACTA Award winners, in producing outstanding productions for guest tickets located on page 11 of this handbook. The Feature Length Documentary, Short Fiction Film including Marieka Walsh (THE CROSSING). audiences to enjoy at home and abroad. I also To gain entry to the selected screening, members’ and Short Animation nominees and a selection of thank our valued sponsors and partners for guests must complete their details on the reverse Feature Films In Competition will be showcased for This year’s feature films in competition their generous support throughout the year. of the complimentary ticket and redeem this at the all AFI | AACTA members on AACTA TV during the showcase exciting new talent, with directorial And finally, I extend a heartfelt thanks to our cinema box office at the time of the screening. AACTA Awards Screenings period. debuts for almost half of the directors AFI and AACTA members, whose passion and To access AACTA TV, please visit competing, including who support allows us to promote and award our Please note that tickets cannot be obtained in Rosemary Myers www.aacta.org/aacta-tv. arrives at this year’s AACTA Awards with nation’s top screen productions, practitioners advance of screenings. international Festival hit GIRL ASLEEP, and and performers, creating new jobs and All seating is offered on a first come, first served ( ) who opportunities for nominees and winners. NOMINEES AND WINNERS Nicholas Verso BOYS IN THE TREES basis, and is strictly limited by the capacity of each just two years ago received the AACTA cinema. AFI | AACTA cannot guarantee entry to Award for Best Short Fiction Film – a career Enjoy the 6th AACTA Awards presented Nominees will be announced later in 2016. Winners popular sessions and suggests allowing enough will be announced and presented at the 6th AACTA path we’re delighted to see. by Presto Official Screenings Program, and time to ensure your entry. Awards presented by Presto in late 2016. continue your support by making your vote These emerging directors are showcased count. Persons under the age of 18 are restricted to alongside fellow directors who hold past sessions based on the classification listed for each MORE INFORMATION AFI or AACTA Award wins and nominations, film. Films without classification are restricted to including: Sue Brooks (JAPENESE STORY) persons aged 18 and over — proof of age may be For more information regarding AFI | AACTA who this year competes with LOOKING FOR required. Membership or the 6th AACTA Awards presented GRACE; and Ivan Sen (MYSTERY ROAD, by Presto Official Screenings Program, please Latecomers arriving after the scheduled start of a contact AFI | AACTA: BENEATH CLOUDS), whose GOLDSTONE Damian Trewhella recently opened Sydney Film Festival. screening may not be admitted. AFI | AACTA E: [email protected] Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Equally exciting is the return to Australian PRODUCTION DETAILS T: 1300 139 697 screens by some of our nation’s top W: www.aacta.org performers and filmmakers, includingSam The synopses and production details listed Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Miranda Otto and Anna Torv (THE DAUGHTER), Radha Mitchell who 4 WELCOME GENERAL INFORMATION 5 ABOUT AFI | AACTA ABOUT AFI ABOUT AACTA SYDNEY The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was The Australian Academy of Cinema and created in 1958 by those with a passion for Television Arts (AACTA) was launched by the Winner of the International Festival film. Australian Film Institute (AFI) in August 2011, with the primary role of identifying, awarding, & Events Award 6 years in a row! Today, alongside the Australian Academy of promoting and celebrating Australia’s Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), which greatest achievements in film and television. For more great events go to sydney.com is the AFI’s professional membership body, the AFI continues to support, encourage and Australia has produced some of the best promote Australian screen culture. screen practitioners and productions in the world, and an important part of AACTA’s CALLING ALL SCREEN role is to recognise this through the annual AACTA Awards — Australia’s highest screen ENTHUSIASTS accolades. AFI members in Melbourne and Sydney join AACTA members (screen practitioners) at CONNECTING OUR more than 80+ complimentary year-round INDUSTRY events including screenings, Q&As and Masterclasses. Members nationwide receive AACTA is a not-for-profit, member cinema discounts, film festival discounts, film organisation. AACTA membership is granted magazine subscription discounts, access to exclusively to screen professionals, each monthly giveaways on Facebook, and access from a cross-section of the screen industry to AACTA TV online – showing feature films, including production across all screen feature length documentaries, short fiction crafts, distribution, exhibition and television films and short animations competing for the networks. AACTA Awards. AACTA is overseen by President Geoffrey AFI members also vote in the Best Short Rush and comprises 16 screen craft chapters, Fiction Film and Best Short Animation including cinematography and costume categories of the AACTA Awards. design, through to screenwriting and directing. AACTA Awards voting is based on chapter allocation, ensuring those best JOIN TODAY qualified to recognise excellence in their craft do so. By supporting AFI | AACTA through membership, you are helping to recognise Australia’s brightest and best screen talent, BECOME A MEMBER creating new opportunities for our industry. To vote in the AACTA Awards, and to receive To join and for more information visit invitations to year-round screenings and www.aacta.org. events (Melbourne and Sydney), online access to productions competing in the Awards (via AACTA TV) and other member benefits, apply to join at www.aacta.org.