Press release from AACTA
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) today announced the first nominees for the 2nd AACTA Awards – Australia’s highest screen accolades.
Nominees were announced for the categories of Best Feature Length Documentary, Best Short Animation and Best Short Fiction Film.
The Academy also revealed 23 Feature Films in Competition for the 2nd AACTA Awards.
The second Awards season of the Australian Academy follows AACTA’s launch in August last year, and the highly successful inaugural AACTA Awards, which were held in January 2012.
The 2nd AACTA Awards will be held in Sydney early in 2013.
The AACTA Awards are supported by the NSW Government, through Destination NSW, and are a key creative industries event on the NSW Events Calendar.
The AACTA Awards are a continuum of the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, which have been awarding screen excellence in Australia since 1958.
NOMINEES FOR THE AACTA AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
- A Common Purpose. Mitzi Goldman
- The Curse Of The Gothic Symphony. Veronica Fury
- Dr Sarmast's Music School. Beth Frey
- Storm Surfers 3D. Ellenor Cox, Marcus Gillezeau
This year’s nominated feature documentaries are characterised by real life drama and high passion, both within Australia and beyond. These range from a dramatic and unjust murder trial in Apartheid South Africa (A Common Purpose), to a new music school in war-torn Afghanistan (Dr Sarmast’s Music School), and from world famous surfers risking life and limb on a search for giant waves (Storm Surfers 3D), to an orchestra battling a ‘curse’ in order to climb the ‘Everest of classical music’ – tackling British composer Havergal Brian’s notorious First Symphony (The Curse Of The Gothic Symphony).
Damian Trewhella, AFI | AACTA CEO, said that this year’s nominated Feature Length Documentaries were of outstanding quality and diversity.
“These four films broaden and deepen our understanding of the world, and increase our empathy for others, while also delighting and entertaining. In doing so, they have each achieved what the best documentaries all strive for.”