AFTRS alumni once again, stand out among Australia’s most exciting screen talent, being recognised with a remarkable 75 nominations for their work across 28 categories at the 2021 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards. Australia’s biggest screen industry celebration, the annual event recognises Australia’s highest achievements in film and television—both in front of and behind the camera—and over 50 titles featuring the work of more than 100 AFTRS alumni are represented.
Many of the titles competing in the prestigious film categories feature the work of AFTRS alumni. Works vying for Best Film include Rob Connolly’s The Dry, edited by Nick Meyers and featuring production design by Ruby Mathers, along with High Ground, produced by Greer Simpkin-produced High Ground, executive produced by Paul Wiegard, lensed by Andrew Commis and edited by Karryn De Cinque.
Best Indie Film nominees include Jonathan Ogilvie’s Lone Wolf, Moon Rock For Monday, featuring the work of alumni Derek Allan, Glen Hanns, Pru Montin and Rishi Shukla, as well as Under My Skin, co-produced by Sarah Jane-McAllan.
Sixty-five Australian productions are competing in the coveted television categories, and this year’s highest achiever by far, with 16 nominations is ’80s newsroom drama The Newsreader, created, written and produced by AFTRS alum Michael Lucas (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2005). The instant hit–which snagged a perfect five stars from The Sydney Morning Herald–is up for Best Drama Series, in addition to earning craft nominations for alumni in Best Screenplay (twice, for different episodes) for Michael Lucas and Best Production Design in Television for Melinda Doring (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Design, 1997). The series also received nods for six of its cast members and in five additional craft categories.
Almost every other contender for Best Drama Series feature the work of alumni (five out of seven) including Tony Ayres’ Netflix thriller, Clickbait, ABC political drama Total Control, dark comedy Mr Inbetween and psychological drama Wakefield, which also sees director Jocelyn Moorhouse up for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy and Sam Meikle vying for Best Screenplay in Television.
Alumni films also make up five out of the six contenders for the 2021 AACTA Award for Best Documentary, which include Girls Can’t Surf, I’m Wanita, When the Camera Stopped Rolling, Playing With Sharks and My Name is Gulpilil.
AFTRS alumni also proved fierce competition in their respective crafts, being represented heavily in the AACTA Industry component. Nominated in the film craft categories are Rob Connolly (Best Adapted Screenplay, The Dry), Andrew Commis (Best Cinematography, High Ground), Nick Meyers (Best Editing, The Dry), Karryn de Cinque (Best Editing, High Ground), Annie Beauchamp (Best Production Design, Penguin Bloom), Antony Partos (Best Original Score, Rams).
In television, alumni recognised include Marden Dean (Cinematography, Clickbait), Bonnie Elliot (Cinematography, Fires), Melinda Doring (Production Design, The Newsreader), Thomas Rouch (Best Original Score, Fires), Caitlin Yeo (Best Original Score, New Gold Mountain), Robert Sullivan (Best Sound in Television, Frayed), Diego Ruiz (Best Sound in Television, Total Control).
Craft nominees for documentary include Bonnie Elliot (Best Cinematography, Freeman and Step Into Paradise), Tania M. Nehme (Best Editing, My Name is Gulipilil, Adrian Rostirolla (Best Editing, Playing With Sharks), Karen Johnson (Best Editing, Under the Volcano), Caitlin Yeo (Best Original Score, Playing With Sharks), Amanda Brown and Nick Wales (Best Original Score, Step Into Paradise), Kyls Burtland (Best Original Score, When the Camera Stopped Rolling), Richard Boxhall (Best Sound, The Bowraville Murders), Sam Petty (Best Sound, When the Camera Stopped Rolling).
The 2021 AACTA Awards will be held at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, 8 December. The AACTA Industry Awards will be held virtually and broadcast online on AACTA TV as part of the 2021 ScreenFest Program, as well as on BINGE and Foxtel Arena at 6.30 pm Monday 6 December. The peer-assessed AACTA Awards are the only Australian industry body to honour practitioners across all crafts and industry sectors, including feature film, documentary, short film, television, online, visual effects and animation.
See the full list of nominations for the 2020 AACTA Awards and AACTA Industry Awards.
TELEVISION
AACTA Award for Best Drama Series
Clickbait
Creator/writer/executive producer: Tony Ayres (Certificate Scriptwriting, 1989)
(Creator/showrunner/writer: Belinda Chayko (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 1989), writers: Jacqueline Perske (Specialist Extension Certificate Scriptwriting, 1993), Steven McGregor (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Directing, 2001), star: alum Hunter Page-Lochard (Graduate Certificate in Story Development and Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012)
Mr Inbetween
(Composer: Michael Yezerski. cinematographer: Christopher Miles, production designer: Ruby Mathers (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2013)
The Newsreader
Creator/writer/producer: Michael Lucas (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2005)
(Editor: Julie-Anne De Ruvo (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 2001), production designer: Melinda Doring (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Design, 1997))
Total Control
(Director: Rachel Perkins (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Producing, 1995), writers: Pip Karmel (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Directing & Editing, 1988), Rachel Perkins, executive producer: Kelrick Martin (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Documentary, 2002), composers: Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1990), Matteo Zingales (Graduate Diploma (Film and Television) Screen Composition, 2003), production designer: Pete Baxter (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Design, 1995))
Wakefield
Writer/executive producer: Sam Meikle (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 2000)
Executive producer: Chloe Rickard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015)
(Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse, composer: Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002), cinematographer: Tania Lambert (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008))
AACTA Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature
A Sunburnt Christmas
Producer: Lisa Scott (Certificate Video, 1998)
The End
(Composer: Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1990), editor: Annette Davey (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 1990), production designer: Elizabeth Mary Moore (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Design, 1996)
Fires
Creator/writer/executive producer: Tony Ayres (Certificate Scriptwriting, 1989), Belinda Chayko (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 1989)
New Gold Mountain
(writers: Pip Karmel (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Directing & Editing, 1988), Greg Waters, co-producer: Liam Heyen (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014), composer: Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002) sound designer: Liam Egan (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1986))
The Unusual Suspects
(Director: Melvin Montalban (Master of Arts: Film and Television – Directing, 2008), creator/writer: Jessica Redenbach (Master of Arts: Film and Television – Producing, 2008))
AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series
Aftertaste
(Composer: Benjamin Speed (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2008))
Frayed
(Director: Jennifer Leacey (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction), 2010)
Preppers
(Director: Steven McGregor (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Directing, 2001))
Rosehaven
(Script producer: Michael Lucas (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2005), cinematographer: Eric Murray Lui (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1999; TV Training Certificate, 1994))
AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program
Grand Designs Australia
Producer: Michael O’Neill (Advanced Diploma in Producing: Story, Audience, Finance, 2015)
Love it or List it Australia
Producer: John Luscombe (Diploma of Arts (Film & Television) in Television Directing, 1980)
AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program
Brazen Hussies
(Executive producer: Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2014), composer: Amanda Brown (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999))
EXPOSED: The Ghost Train Fire
(Cinematographer: Andy Taylor (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1993), composer: Brontë Horder (Graduate Certificate Screen: Music, 2018))
Life in Colour with David Attenborough
Producer: Carolyn Johnson (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Producing, 1996)
Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb
(Cinematographer: Joshua Flavell (Graduate Diploma: Cinematography, 2010), composers: Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002), Andrew Scott (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2012), editor/edit assistant: Daniel Oates (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film, 2015))
AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program
100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone
(Writers: Jon Dalgaard (Graduate Diploma in Screenwriting, 2012), Timothy Lee (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2006), Sam Meikle (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 2000), Cleon Prineas (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2006), Joshua Tyler (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2006))
The Bureau of Magical Things
(Director: Martha Goddard (Master of Screen Arts, 2012)
Dive Club
(Writer/story consultant: Claire Harris (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013, composer: Angela Little (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screen Composition, 2007)
Hardball
Producer: Joe Weatherstone (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Producing, 2001)
(Director: Kacie Anning (Graduate Diploma in Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction), 2011))
Kangaroo Beach
(Director: Lucy Coleman (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2014), editor: Nicole Norelli (Graduate Certificate Screen: Editing, 2017))
AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy
Wakefield, Episode 8 – Jocelyn Moorhouse (Diploma Directing, 1983)
AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television
The Newsreader – Episode 1: Three, Two, One… – Michael Lucas (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2005)
The Newsreader – Episode 5: No More Lies – Michael Lucas (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screenwriting, 2005)
Wakefield – Episode 5 – Sam Meikle (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 2000)
FILM
AACTA Award for Best Film
The Dry
Director/writer/producer: Rob Connolly (Bachelor of Arts Producing, 1994)
(Editor: Nick Meyers (Specialist Extension Certificate Editing, 1991, production designer: Ruby Mathers (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2013))
High Ground
Producer: Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010)
(Executive producer: Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015), cinematographer: Andrew Commis (Master of Arts: Film & Television Cinematography, 1998), editor: Karryn De Cinque (Master of Arts: Film & Television Editing, 1998)
Penguin Bloom
(Production designer: Annie Beauchamp (Specialist Extension Certificate Production Design, 1993), art director: Sophie Nash (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Design, 2002), costume designer: Joanna Mae Park (Specialist Extension Certificate Production Design, 1993))
Rams
(Composer: Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1990))
Nitram
(Executive producer: Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015))
The Furnace
(Co-producer: Georgia White (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film, 2015; Foundation Diploma, 2011))
AACTA Award for Best Indie Film
Disclosure
(Production designer: Juliet John (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Design, 1996))
Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)
(First assistant director: Hattie Archibald (Master of Arts Screen, 2018; Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2013), executive producer: Brian Cobb (Graduate Diploma in Producing & Screen Business, 2011), editor: Nicole Thorn (Graduate Certificate in Editing Drama, 2012), production designer: Jamie Cranney (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2011), third assistant director: Nicola Macindoe (Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018))
Lone Wolf
Director: Jonathan Ogilvie (Certificate Video, 1989)
Producer: Mat Govoni (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013; Graduate Diploma in Directing, 2012)
Moon Rock For Monday
(Executive producer: Derek Allan (Graduate Diploma in Screen Business, 2014), Cinematographer: Glenn Hanns (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2007), composer: Pru Montin (Master of Screen Arts, 2010), editor: Rishi Shukla (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Editing, 2005))
Under My Skin
(Co-producer: Sarah-Jane McAllan (Graduate Diploma in Screenwriting, 2013))
AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film
The Dry – Rob Connolly (Bachelor of Arts Producing, 1994)
SHORT FORM
AACTA Award for Best Short Form Drama
Beautiful They
Executive producers: Samantha Lang (Bachelor of Arts Directing, 1994), Lisa Shaunessy (Graduate Diploma in Screen Business, 2011)
Editor: Stewart Arnott (Graduate Diploma in Editing, 2013)
Composer: Freya Berkhout (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2013)
Dwarf Planet
Screenwriter/director: Adrian Chiarella (Graduate Diploma in Screenwriting, 2012)
Cinematographer: Michael Filocamo (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2014)
Editor: Danielle Boesenberg (Graduate Diploma: Editing, 2010)
The Tailings
Producer: Liz Doran (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 1993)
You and Me, Before and After
Producers: Cyna Strachan (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014), Liam Heyen (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014), production designer: Diva Abrahamian (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2014)
AACTA Award for Best Short Form Entertainment
Woven Threads – Stories From Within
Director/writer/producer: Michi Marosszeky (Graduate Certificate in Screen Culture, 2012)
Producer: Paul Sullivan (Graduate Diploma: Screen Business, 2010)
DOCUMENTARY
AACTA Award for Best Documentary
Girls Can’t Surf
Director/writer/producer: Christopher Nelius (Graduate Diploma Film and Television in Sound Design, 2002)
(Executive producer: Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015), writer/editor: Julie-Ann De Ruvo (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 2001), production designer: Sheree Phillips (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012))
I’m Wanita
Director: Matthew Walker (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Editing, 2004)
Producer: Clare Lewis (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2011)
(composer: Jonathan Dower (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screen Composition, 2004), cinematographer: Simon Cunich (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2004))
Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story
(Executive producer: Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015), composer: Caitlyn Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002), cinematographer: Judd Overton (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2003), editor: Adrian Rostirolla (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Editing, 2003))
My Name is Gulpilil
Producer: Rolf de Heer (Diploma Directing, 1989)
(Editor: Tania Nehme (Certificate, 1990))
When the Camera Stopped Rolling
Director/writer/cinematographer: Jane Castle (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1986)
(Composer: Kyls B. Burtland (Graduate Diploma Screen Composition Sound, 2001), sound designer and mixer: Sam Petty (Specialist Extension Certificate Sound, 1991; Specialist Extension Certificate Editing, 1990))
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation
Peter Rabbit
Overall VFX Supervisor: Will Reichelt (3D Animation Certificate, 1999)
INDUSTRY AWARDS
TELEVISION
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television
Clickbait – Episode 6: Simon – Marden Dean (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008)
Fires Episode 2: Everything’s Gone – Bonnie Elliott (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2006)
AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television
The Newsreader – Episode 1: Three, Two, One – Melinda Doring (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Design, 1997)
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television
Fires – Episode 2: Everything’s Gone – Cornel Wilczek, Thomas Rouch (Graduate Certificate: Screen Music, 2009)
New Gold Mountain – Episode 1: Propriety – Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002)
AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television
Frayed – Episode 1 – Paul Finlay, Robert Sullivan (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1986), James Andrews, Dino Giacomin
Total Control – Episode 1: Aftermath – Phil Keros, Stuart Waller, Andy Wright, Diego Ruiz (Graduate Diploma in Sound, 2011)
FILM
AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in Film
The Dry – Rob Connolly(Bachelor of Arts Producing, 1994), Harry Cripps
AACTA Award Best Cinematography in Film
High Ground – Andrew Commis (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1998)
AACTA Award Best Editing in Film
The Dry – Nick Meyers (Specialist Extension Certificate Editing, 1991), Alexandre de Franceschi
High Ground – Jill Bilcock, Karryn de Cinque (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 1998)
AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film
Penguin Bloom – Annie Beauchamp (Specialist Extension Certificate Production Design, 1993)
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film
Rams – Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1990)
DOCUMENTARY
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary
FREEMAN – Bonnie Elliott (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2006)
Step into Paradise – Bonnie Elliott
AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary
My Name is Gulpilil – Tania M. Nehme (AFTRS Certificate, 1990)
Playing With Sharks – Adrian Rostirolla (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Editing, 2003)
Under The Volcano – Karen Johnson (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Editing, 1995)
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary
Playing With Sharks – Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002)
Step into Paradise – Amanda Brown (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999), Nick Wales (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2009)
When the Camera Stopped Rolling – Kyls Burtland (Graduate Diploma Screen Composition Sound, 2001)
AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary
The Bowraville Murders – Richard Boxhall (Graduate Diploma: Film, Television & Digital Media Location Sound, 2006)
When the Camera Stopped Rolling – Sam Petty (Specialist Extension Certificate Sound, 1991; Specialist Extension Certificate Editing, 1990)
