The nominations for this year's AFI awards (that's the Australian Film Institute for all you international readers - yes, we have our own institute) have been announced, and although I know most of you probably don't care, I still thought I'd run through the nominations.
I am by no means an authority on Australian film, but since starting this blog I have been making a conscious effort to see more local films. As such I've seen three of the six Best Film nominees, and I would really encourage everyone, be you Australian or not, to check out Mary and Max (my review), Samson & Delilah (my review) and Balibo, a film I didn't get around to reviewing but was never the less sensational and is the one I think will probably win, even though I would pick Mary and Max as my personal favourite. Keep your eye out for the former two, both of which have some (fairy slim) chances of getting Oscar noms, for Best Animated Feature and Best Foreign Language Feature respectively (Samson & Delilah is an Aboriginal dialect film).
As for the other three: I have no interest in Beautiful Kate (incest...what fun), have heard really good things about Mao's Last Dancer and don't really know anything about Blessed, although from what I've heard on twitter this seems like it was the surprise nom, especially considering that Australia wasn't nominated. I don't really care that much, but I do think Luhrman probably deserved a Best Director nod, if not one for Best Film. I'm also a bit shocked Disgrace didn't get a single nomination, even though I wasn't entirely enamoured with the movie myself (my review).
Anyway, check out the full list of feature film nominations below. The winners will be announced on December 12th.
SAMSUNG MOBILE AFI AWARD FOR BEST FILM
* Balibo. John Maynard, Rebecca Williamson
* Beautiful Kate. Leah Churchill-Brown, Bryan Brown
* Blessed. Al Clark
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Jane Scott
* Mary and Max. Melanie Coombs
* Samson & Delilah. Kath Shelper
AFI MEMBERS’ CHOICE AWARD
* Australia. Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman
* Balibo. John Maynard, Rebecca Williamson
* Beautiful Kate. Leah Churchill-Brown, Bryan Brown
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Jane Scott
* Mary and Max. Melanie Coombs
* Samson & Delilah. Kath Shelper
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION
* Balibo. Robert Connolly
* Beautiful Kate. Rachel Ward
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Bruce Beresford
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
* Cedar Boys. Serhat Caradee
* Mary and Max. Adam Elliot
* My Year Without Sex. Sarah Watt
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
* Balibo. Robert Connolly, David Williamson
* Beautiful Kate. Rachel Ward
* Blessed. Andrew Bovell, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius, Christos Tsiolkas
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Jan Sardi
AFI AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
* Balibo. Tristan Milani ACS
* Beautiful Kate. Andrew Commis
* Last Ride. Greig Fraser
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
AFI AWARD FOR BEST EDITING
* Balibo. Nick Meyers ASE
* Blessed. Jill Bilcock ACE, ASE
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Mark Warner
* Samson & Delilah. Roland Gallois
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SOUND
* Australia. Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Wayne Pashley MPSE, Guntis Sics
* Balibo. Sam Petty, Emma Bortignon, Phil Heywood, Ann Aucote
* Mao’s Last Dancer. David Lee, Andrew Neil, Yulia Akerholt, Mark Franken, Roger Savage
* Samson & Delilah. Liam Egan, David Tranter, Robert Sullivan, Tony Murtagh,
Yulia Akerholt, Les Fiddess
AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE
* Australia. David Hirschfelder, Felix Meagher, Baz Luhrmann, Angela Little
* Balibo. Lisa Gerrard
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Christopher Gordon
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
AFI AWARD FOR BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
* Australia. Catherine Martin, Ian Gracie, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn
* Balibo. Robert Cousins
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Herbert Pinter
* Mary and Max. Adam Elliot
AFI AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN
* Australia. Catherine Martin, Eliza Godman
* Balibo. Cappi Ireland
* Lucky Country. Mariot Kerr
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Anna Borghesi
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
* Anthony LaPaglia. Balibo
* Ben Mendelsohn. Beautiful Kate
* Hugo Weaving. Last Ride
* Rowan McNamara. Samson & Delilah
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
* Sophie Lowe. Beautiful Kate
* Frances O’Connor. Blessed
* Sacha Horler. My Year Without Sex
* Marissa Gibson. Samson & Delilah
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
* Brandon Walters. Australia
* Damon Gameau. Balibo
* Oscar Isaac. Balibo
* Bryan Brown. Beautiful Kate
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
* Bea Viegas. Balibo
* Maeve Dermody. Beautiful Kate
* Rachel Griffiths. Beautiful Kate
* Mitjili Gibson. Samson & Delilah
Source: The Australian
I am by no means an authority on Australian film, but since starting this blog I have been making a conscious effort to see more local films. As such I've seen three of the six Best Film nominees, and I would really encourage everyone, be you Australian or not, to check out Mary and Max (my review), Samson & Delilah (my review) and Balibo, a film I didn't get around to reviewing but was never the less sensational and is the one I think will probably win, even though I would pick Mary and Max as my personal favourite. Keep your eye out for the former two, both of which have some (fairy slim) chances of getting Oscar noms, for Best Animated Feature and Best Foreign Language Feature respectively (Samson & Delilah is an Aboriginal dialect film).
As for the other three: I have no interest in Beautiful Kate (incest...what fun), have heard really good things about Mao's Last Dancer and don't really know anything about Blessed, although from what I've heard on twitter this seems like it was the surprise nom, especially considering that Australia wasn't nominated. I don't really care that much, but I do think Luhrman probably deserved a Best Director nod, if not one for Best Film. I'm also a bit shocked Disgrace didn't get a single nomination, even though I wasn't entirely enamoured with the movie myself (my review).
Anyway, check out the full list of feature film nominations below. The winners will be announced on December 12th.
SAMSUNG MOBILE AFI AWARD FOR BEST FILM
* Balibo. John Maynard, Rebecca Williamson
* Beautiful Kate. Leah Churchill-Brown, Bryan Brown
* Blessed. Al Clark
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Jane Scott
* Mary and Max. Melanie Coombs
* Samson & Delilah. Kath Shelper
AFI MEMBERS’ CHOICE AWARD
* Australia. Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman
* Balibo. John Maynard, Rebecca Williamson
* Beautiful Kate. Leah Churchill-Brown, Bryan Brown
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Jane Scott
* Mary and Max. Melanie Coombs
* Samson & Delilah. Kath Shelper
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION
* Balibo. Robert Connolly
* Beautiful Kate. Rachel Ward
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Bruce Beresford
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
* Cedar Boys. Serhat Caradee
* Mary and Max. Adam Elliot
* My Year Without Sex. Sarah Watt
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
* Balibo. Robert Connolly, David Williamson
* Beautiful Kate. Rachel Ward
* Blessed. Andrew Bovell, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius, Christos Tsiolkas
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Jan Sardi
AFI AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
* Balibo. Tristan Milani ACS
* Beautiful Kate. Andrew Commis
* Last Ride. Greig Fraser
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
AFI AWARD FOR BEST EDITING
* Balibo. Nick Meyers ASE
* Blessed. Jill Bilcock ACE, ASE
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Mark Warner
* Samson & Delilah. Roland Gallois
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SOUND
* Australia. Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Wayne Pashley MPSE, Guntis Sics
* Balibo. Sam Petty, Emma Bortignon, Phil Heywood, Ann Aucote
* Mao’s Last Dancer. David Lee, Andrew Neil, Yulia Akerholt, Mark Franken, Roger Savage
* Samson & Delilah. Liam Egan, David Tranter, Robert Sullivan, Tony Murtagh,
Yulia Akerholt, Les Fiddess
AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE
* Australia. David Hirschfelder, Felix Meagher, Baz Luhrmann, Angela Little
* Balibo. Lisa Gerrard
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Christopher Gordon
* Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
AFI AWARD FOR BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
* Australia. Catherine Martin, Ian Gracie, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn
* Balibo. Robert Cousins
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Herbert Pinter
* Mary and Max. Adam Elliot
AFI AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN
* Australia. Catherine Martin, Eliza Godman
* Balibo. Cappi Ireland
* Lucky Country. Mariot Kerr
* Mao’s Last Dancer. Anna Borghesi
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
* Anthony LaPaglia. Balibo
* Ben Mendelsohn. Beautiful Kate
* Hugo Weaving. Last Ride
* Rowan McNamara. Samson & Delilah
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
* Sophie Lowe. Beautiful Kate
* Frances O’Connor. Blessed
* Sacha Horler. My Year Without Sex
* Marissa Gibson. Samson & Delilah
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
* Brandon Walters. Australia
* Damon Gameau. Balibo
* Oscar Isaac. Balibo
* Bryan Brown. Beautiful Kate
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
* Bea Viegas. Balibo
* Maeve Dermody. Beautiful Kate
* Rachel Griffiths. Beautiful Kate
* Mitjili Gibson. Samson & Delilah
Source: The Australian
