Bong Joon-ho at the awards (Photo credit: Charley Gallay, Getty Images for AACTA).
If the consensus views of the 200 members of AACTA’s International chapter are a bellwether of the Academy Awards, it could be a memorable night for Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s black comedy/thriller Parasite, Quentin Tarantino, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.
Parasite beat Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Todd Phillips’ The Joker, David Michôd’s The King and Taraninto’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood to win best film at the AACTA International Awards presented in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Tarantino was named best director while Taiki Waititi’s Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit took the screenplay prize.
The best lead actor and actress gongs went to Marriage Story’s Adam Driver and Little Women’s Saoirse Ronan.
Brad Pitt was judged best supporting actor for Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Margot Robbie best supporting actress for her performance as Kayla Pospisil, an associate producer at Fox News, in Bombshell.
The other nominees for supporting actress were Nicole Kidman for Bombshell, Toni Collette for Knives Out and Florence Pugh for Little Women.
Accepting the award, the Korean director said he was inspired by such Australian filmmakers as Peter Weir, George Miller, Phillip Noyce, Jane Campion (technically a Kiwi) and Jennifer Kent.
Tarantino related a story about actor Rick Dalton, the character played in his movie by Leonardo DiCaprio. Dalton went to Australia in 1974 to play the title role in Dingo Dan of an American truckie who roams the country as an amateur detective with his pet dingo after solving the death of his partner.
The syndicated show ran for three seasons and featured guest actors including Jack Thompson, Tony Bonner and Wendy Hughes.
In her taped acceptance speech Robbie said: “I’m really, really grateful and truly I was just honoured to be nominated alone, especially alongside people I adore like Nicole, or admire like Toni or who just blew me away by their performance this year like Florence.
“I’m always so proud to represent the Aussies in this industry, so to be recognised by my home country, by the Australian Academy, is really special.”
Last year Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA collected the awards for best film and best direction.
Jason Dundas hosted the ceremony at the Mondrian Los Angeles attended by luminaries including Adam Driver, Ronan, Tarantino, Bong Joon-ho and producers David Heyman and Shannon McIntosh.
The presenters were Josh Thomas, directors Niki Caro and Phillip Noyce and producer Bill Mechanic.
Parasite, which also collected the AACTA Award for best Asian film, is the highest-grossing Korean film of all time in the US, raking in $US23.9 million, and has amassed $US130 million worldwide. Released in Australia by Madman Entertainment, the film has grossed more than $2 million.
The awards will be covered in an episode of The Watchlist which airs on Fox One next Saturday at 7.30pm AEDT with an encore the following day at 6.00pm AEDT on Arena.
Quentin Tarantino (Photo credit: Charley Gallay, Getty Images for AACTA)
WINNERS AND NOMINEES
AACTA International Award for Best Film
• THE IRISHMAN
• JOKER
• THE KING
• ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
• PARASITE
AACTA International Award for Best Direction
• 1917 – Sam Mendes
• THE IRISHMAN – Martin Scorsese
• JOKER – Todd Phillips
• ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD – Quentin Tarantino
• PARASITE – Bong Joon Ho
AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay
• THE IRISHMAN – Steven Zaillian
• JOJO RABBIT – Taika Waititi
• JOKER – Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
• ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD – Quentin Tarantino
• PARASITE – Bong Joon ho, Jin Won Han
AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actor
• Christian Bale – FORD V FERRARI
• Antonio Banderas – PAIN AND GLORY
• Robert De Niro – THE IRISHMAN
• Adam Driver – MARRIAGE STORY
• Joaquin Phoenix – JOKER
AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress
• Awkwafina – THE FAREWELL
• Scarlett Johansson – MARRIAGE STORY
• Saoirse Ronan – LITTLE WOMEN
• Charlize Theron – BOMBSHELL
• Renée Zellweger – JUDY
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor
• John Lithgow – BOMBSHELL
• Al Pacino – THE IRISHMAN
• Joe Pesci – THE IRISHMAN
• Brad Pitt – ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
• Song Kang-Ho – PARASITE
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress
• Toni Collette – KNIVES OUT
• Nicole Kidman – BOMBSHELL
• Florence Pugh – LITTLE WOMEN
• Margot Robbie – BOMBSHELL
• Margot Robbie – ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD