Oscar winning producer Bruna Papandrea is set to recieve this year's Orry Kelly International Award at the Australians in Film Awards in Los Angeles.
On October 25, Australians in Film will host its annual AiF Awards and Benefit Gala at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles.
Actor, Elizabeth Debicki, has taken out the Breakthrough Talent of 2015 Award.
Presenter Carrie Bickmore will be master of ceremonies at this year’s awards, which celebrates the achievements of Australians working in Hollywood and also recognises the contribution of individuals to the Australian film industry.
The Orry Kelly International Award is given to an Australian who has paved the way for other Australians in the entertainment industry and who has provided much support, mentoring and inspiration to others.
Papandrea's credits include Milk, Wild and Gone Girl.
Previous Orry Kelly honorees have included director Baz Luhrmann, film executive Greg Coote and filmmaking collective, Blue Tongue Films.
Papandrea’s career started in Australia where she produced the award-winning film, Better Than Sex.
Subsequently she went on to work at Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack’s production company Mirage and then Michael London’s Groundswell Productions in Los Angeles. She then produced the box office hit Warm Bodies through her own company, Make Movies. Papandrea is currently founder/partner at Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon.
Australian in Film chair, Tracey Vieira, said Papandrea was the perfect recipient for this year’s Virgin Australia Orry Kelly International Award.
"Her international career has been extraordinary, and it continues at great speed, with an HBO series starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman about to go into production, and an output deal with ABC studios recently signed,” she said.
“Bruna has always been a very vocal supporter of Australia and of Australians in the industry. She is always open to helping emerging talent and AiF is thrilled to honor her with this award.”
“I left Australia in 2000 after producing my first film Better than Sex. No matter where I have lived, or how my career has changed, I remain the proudest Australian you’ll ever meet.” said Papandrea “It is my home, my heart, my inspiration, which is why it is a tremendous honor to receive this award”
The Virgin Australia Orry -Kelly International Award is named after costume designer Orry-Kelly, one of the first Australians to succeed in Hollywood, who went on to win three Academy Awards for Les Girls (1957), Some Like It Hot (1959) and An American In Paris (1951).
Debicki is one of the breakthrough award winners.
After making her debut in Stephan Elliot’s A Few Best Men, Debicki went on to impress audiences and critics alike with her performance in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.
This year, she starred in Guy Ritchie’s Man from U.N.C.L.E alongside Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. Debicki will next be seen in Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, with Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender, and in Everest with Jake Gyllenhaal, Kiera Knightly and Jason Clarke.
Australians in Film president, Simonne Overend, said Debicki had catapulted onto the world screen with stand-out performances over the past couple of years.
"This year she has scored coveted roles in some great films, working with such talented directors as Guy Ritchie and Justin Kurzel," she said.
"She is a great ambassador for the Australian film industry and we are thrilled to be honoring her,” says Simonne Overend, President of Australians in Film.
"I feel so honored to be the recipient of the breakthrough award for 2015.” Debicki said. “Australians in Film are a wonderful organization and they have been so influential in their support to Australian artists and our artistic community both at home and internationally"
Chairman and chief executive of Pandemonium Films, Bill Mechanic, will be the recipient of this year’s Ausfilm International Award, which honors an individual’s contribution to the Australian film industry.
Through Pandemonium, Mechanic has produced the Oscar-nominated Coraline, Terence Malick’s The New World, and Walter Salles’s Dark Water.
Mechanic was Chairman and chief executive of Fox Filmed Entertainment for seven years and during his time there, the studio produced such hits as Castaway, Titanic, Independence Day, There’s Something About Mary, Braveheart and Boys Don’t Cry.
Ausfilm chief executive, Debra Richards, said Bill Mechanic had consistently recognised the outstanding talent to come out of Australia.
“From his time at Fox where he greenlit films such as Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet, to his current slate of movies, three of which have either been filmed or are about to commence filming in Australia (The Moon and the Sun, starring Pierce Brosnan and William Hurt, Paul Currie’s 2:22, and Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge) Bill Mechanic has always been a great supporter of Australian talent in front of and behind the camera,” she said.
Mechanic said it all started as a film student falling in love with a great period of Australian films.
"So, when the opportunity came to produce The Moon and the Sun in Australia, I knew I could get the artistry and the creative sensibility I was after with Australian crews and artists," he said.
"Three movies in a row in the span of less than two years is incredible, which is why I’m the one who should be giving thanks, for the incredible support from Australian organisations such as Ausfilm.”
The Fourth Annual AiF Awards and Benefit Gala Dinner is aimed at supporting the organization's mission to usher Australian filmmakers into the international market and to provide educational programs for AiF members.