AFTRS alumni have been recognised with 11 nominations at the special 10ᵗʰ anniversary edition of the Australian Production Design Guild Awards. Honouring some of Australia’s most exciting emerging and established talents in screen design, the milestone edition will present honours over 23 categories across feature film, television, animation, short film, web series, music videos, commercials and more.
In recognition of his work on AACTA-winning feature The Invisible Man, AFTRS alum Alex Holmes (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Production Design, 2003) has received a nod for Production Design on a Feature Film, and has been recognised alongside set director Katie Sharrock in Best Art Director or Set Direction For a Feature Film.
Also noted twice is the work of Lauren Richards’ work as set decorator on Stateless, who has earned nominations for Best Art Direction or Set Decoration for a Television Production, and recognition alongside fellow alumni Melinda Doring (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Design, 1997) and art director Mandi Bialek Wester (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Design, 1998) in the Production Design for a Television Production category.
Also contending in the Art Direction or Set Decoration for Television Production category is alum Jamie Cranney for Bump, and in the Production Design for a Television Production category are Annie Beauchamp APDG (Specialist Extension Certificate Production Design, 1993) for On Becoming A God In Central Florida and Felicity Abbott APDG BFDG (Master of Arts (Film & Television) (Hons) Design, 1998) for The Luminaries.
Olivia Simpson (Graduate Certificate in Costume Design, 2013) is nominated for Best Costume Design for a Feature Film for her work on Measure for Measure, while Bowen Ellames (Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2014) is up for Best Graphic and Title Design for Christopher Nelius’ (Graduate Diploma Film and Television in Sound Design, 2002) Girls Can’t Surf.
Recognised in the Best Production Design for a Short Film, Music Video or Web Series category is Valentina Iastrebova for fellow alum Karen Pearlman’s multi-award-winning festival favourite, I Want to Make A Film About Women.
Bethany Ryan (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012) has also received a mention alongside Steven Jones-Evans APDG for Design For a Commercial Award for Brawl Stars’ Starr Park.
The design team of AFTRS 2019 Master of Arts Screen production, The End, The Beginning (Dir. Archie Chew) which features Courtney Westbrook, Ara Nuri Steel, Brianna Patrice Russell, Sue Bateman and Frances Harvey, have received two nominations in the Costume Design for a Short Film, Music Video or Web Series and AFTRS Emerging Designer for a Screen Production Award.
The winners will be announced at the ceremony on Sunday 22 August at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. See the full list of nominations.
AFTRS ALUMNI NOMINATED AT THE 2021 AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION DESIGN GUILD AWARDS
STANMART FILM SERVICES ART DIRECTION OR SET DECORATION FOR A TELEVISION PRODUCTION AWARD
Bump
Jamie Cranney (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2011)
Stateless
Lauren Richards (Graduate Diploma: Production Design, 2010)
DOCKLANDS STUDIOS MELBOURNE ART DIRECTION OR SET DECORATION FOR A FEATURE FILM AWARD
The Invisible Man
(Katie Sharrock)
Alex Holmes, production designer (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Production Design, 2003)
PHOTOPLAY DESIGN FOR A COMMERCIAL AWARD
Brawl Stars – Starr Park
Steven Jones-Evans APDG
Design Team: Loretta Cosgrove – Art Director, Bethany Ryan (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012) – Set Decorator, Ed Cotton – Set Designer, Simon Cowell – Concept Illustrator, Brian Carlin – Graphic Designer
NEXT PRINTING GRAPHIC AND TITLE DESIGN AWARD
Girls Can’t Surf
Bowen Ellames (Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2014)
JMC ACADEMY PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A SHORT FILM, MUSIC VIDEO OR WEB SERIES AWARD
I Want To Make A Film About Women
Valentina Iastrebova
Design Team: Pavel Trotsenko – VFX design, Brooke Painter, Lada Volovelsky, Annette Karause – Art Department Assistants
HARLEQUIN FLOORS PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A TELEVISION PRODUCTION AWARD
On Becoming A God In Central Florida
Annie Beauchamp APDG (Specialist Extension Certificate Production Design, 1993)
Design Team: Michelle C Harmon – Art Director, Michelle Belfield – Assistant Art Director, Landon Lott – Concept Artist, Kristin Bicksler – Set Decorator
Stateless
Melinda Doring (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Design, 1997)
Design Team: Mandi Bialek Wester (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Design, 1998) – Art Director, Lauren Richards (Graduate Diploma: Production Design, 2010)
– Set Decorator, Sarah Hooper – Assistant Art Director/Set Designer
The Luminaries
Felicity Abbott APDG BFDG (Master of Arts (Film & Television) (Hons) Design, 1998)
Design Team: Daniel Birt BFDG SDSA – Set Decorator, Gary Mackay – Supervising Art Director
HERO FROCK HIRE COSTUME DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM AWARD
Measure for Measure
Olivia Simpson (Graduate Certificate in Costume Design, 2013)
Design Team: Zohie Castellano – Costume Designer
DOCKLANDS STUDIO MELBOURNE PRODUCTION DESIGN ON A FEATURE FILM AWARD
The Invisible Man
Alex Holmes (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Production Design, 2003)
Design Team: Katie Sharrock – Set Decorator, Alice Lanagan – Art Director
