Tony Ayres semi-autobiographical film, The Home Song Stories, is undoubtedly the most lauded Australian film of 2007 with a whopping 31 nominations for Australian and International awards.
Nominations include:
• 14 AFI nominations, including Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay
• 9 IF Award nominations, including Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay;
• 7 Golden Horse Award nominations the including Best Film, Best Actress and Best Screenplay;
• Best Actress nomination for the Asia Pacific Film Awards;
• Australia’s official entry into the Foreign Oscar Category for the 2008 Academy Awards
The Home Song Stories’ success began when it premiered at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival in February, 2007. It then went on to screen at all 4 major Australian film festivals, rating high in the top ten audience awards.
In late October, the filmmakers were overwhelmed to find out that the film had received 7 nominations at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Awards, Asia’s ‘Oscars’, where it finds itself in second place with the number of nominations to Ang Lee’s Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Award winner, Lust, Caution.
Produced by Melbourne’s Big and Little Films and Sydney’s Porchlight Films, The Home Song Stories unveils an extraordinary performance by first time actor Joel Lok, who is nominated for four awards. The film tells the story of Tom (Lok), who migrates to Melbourne with his sister after his mother marries an Australian sailor. Tom grows up in the suburbs of Melbourne in the 1960’s, watching his mother become dependent and desperate to create a family for herself and her children in their new environment. His mother’s journey reveals painful truths about the human condition, the love of family and self, and the price we pay for growing up.
AWARD NOMINATIONS
2007 AFI Awards
L’Oreal Paris AFI Award for Best Film
• Liz Watts & Michael McMahon (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Direction
• Tony Ayres (The Home Song Stories)
Macquarie Private Wealth AFI Award for Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted)
• Tony Ayres (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Cinematography
• Nigel Bluck (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Editing
• Denise Haratzis ASE (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Sound
• Craig Carter, James Harvey, Andrew Neil & John Wilkinson (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Original Music Score
• Antony Partos (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Production Design
• Melinda Doring (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Costume Design
• Cappi Ireland (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Lead Actor
• The Home Song Stories (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Lead Actress
• The Home Song Stories (The Home Song Stories)
L’Oreal Paris AFI Young Actor Award
• Irene Chen (The Home Song Stories)
• Joel Lok (The Home Song Stories)
AFI Award for Best Supporting Actress
• Irene Chen (The Home Song Stories)
44th Golden Horse Awards
Best Feature Film
• The Home Song Stories (dir: Tony Ayres)
Best Leading Actress
• Joan Chen (The Home Song Stories)
Best Supporting Actor
• Joel Lok (The Home Song Stories)
Best New Performer
• Joel Lok (The Home Song Stories)
Best Original Screenplay
• Tony Ayres (The Home Song Stories)
Best Art Direction
• Melinda Doring (The Home Song Stories)
Best Makeup & Costume Design
• Kirsten Veysey & Cappi Ireland (The Home Song Stories)
2007 IF Awards
The SHOWTIME IF Award for Best Feature Film
• The Home Song Stories (dir: Tony Ayres)
The Animal Logic IF Award for Best Director
• Tony Ayres (The Home Song Stories)
The Queensland Events Corporation IF Award for Best Actor
• Joel Lok (The Home Song Stories)
The In Style IF Award for Best Actress
• Joan Chen (The Home Song Stories)
The Kodak IF Award for Best Cinematography
• Nigel Bluck (The Home Song Stories)
The IF Award for Best Music
• Antony Partos (The Home Song Stories)
The Australian Film Commission IF Award for Best Script
• Tony Ayres (The Home Song Stories)
The Production Book IF Award for Best Production Design
• Melinda Doring (The Home Song Stories)
The Zig Zag Lane IF Award for Best Sound
• Craig Carter, John Wilkinson, James Harvey & Andrew Neil (The Home Song Stories)
Other Awards
• Winner, NSW Premiers Literary Prize- Best Screenplay 2007
• Winner, FIPRESCI Award, Best Asia Pacific Film, Brisbane IFF 2007
• Winner, AWGIE Awards, Best Feature Screenplay 2007
• Winner, Halekulani Golden Orchid Award Best Feature, Hawaii International Film Festival 2007
Festival Screenings
• Berlin International Film Festival 2007
• In Competition, Adelaide Film Festival 2007
• Sydney Film Festival 2007
• Melbourne International Film Festival 2007
• Brisbane International Film Festival 2007
• Edinburgh International Film Festival 2007
• Toronto International Film Festival 2007
• Vancouver International Film Festival 2007
• Hawaii International Film Festival 2007
• In competition, International Eurasia Film Festival, Antalya 2007
• In competition, 25th Torino Film Festival, 2007
[release from Limelight PR]