by Travis Cragg
Magnolia Maymuru from The Nightingale wins Best Supporting Actress
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) gave out their awards at two functions this week: one was an industry luncheon where they did the technical and supporting awards, the other was a glitzy evening televised on delay with many of the gongs awarded in the ad breaks (mostly, it seemed, to people who weren’t present and therefore wouldn’t give the viewers the requisite spontaneity that ratings prefer). The two biggest Australian box office hits of the year, Top End Wedding and Ride Like A Girl, went home empty-handed, but the wealth was spread out amongst the other (limited bunch of) nominees with The Nightingale leading the pack...
Best Picture: The Nightingale
Best Direction: Jennifer Kent (The Nightingale)
Best Screenplay: Jennifer Kent (The Nightingale)
Best Lead Actress Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale)
Best Supporting Actress: Magnolia Maymuru (The Nightingale)
Best Casting: The Nightingale
Local media outlets called this “a sweep”, but I am pretty sure 6 wins from 15 nominations does not qualify as such. It is, nevertheless, a big win for Jennifer Kent. She becomes the first woman to win two directing awards from AACTA (previously for The Babadook), the first woman to win film, directing and writing awards in the same year, and the first person to win both screenplay and directing awards for their first two films. Yes, the AACTAs have an award for Casting (nominees include television and film). Also, I learnt how to pronounce “Aisling”!
Best Indie Film: Buoyancy (Australia's Oscar submission for International Feature)
Best Lead Actor: Damon Herriman (Judy & Punch)
Best Original Score: Judy & Punch
Best Supporting Actor: Joel Edgerton (The King)
Best Cinematography: The King
Best Production Design: The King
Best Costume Design: The King
All the awards for The King were presented at the earlier luncheon, so for a brief day-period there, I wondered if it might take the top prizes. But, alas, there was nothing else for it at the big function. Edgerton now has three Supporting Actor AACTA awards in a single decade: Animal Kingdom, The Great Gatsby, The King.
Best Editing: Hotel Mumbai
Best Sound: Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan
Best Documentary: The Australian Dream
Best Editing in a Documentary: The Final Quarter
Best Original Score in a Documentary: 2040
Best Asian Film: Parasite
Best Visual Effects Or Animation: Spider-Man: Far From Home
The latter is not an Australian film, of course, but a studio with facilities in Australia worked on the film.
Longford Lyell Award: Sam Neill
The Neill tribute was the highlight of the televised awards. There was so much love in the room and from around the world for Australia’s best stolen actor from New Zealand. (How I wish he had been able to ride on the Streepster’s coattails and receive a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for A Cry In The Dark in 1988.)