PRESS RELEASE
When Australian film and television is awarded recognition it’s usually the actors or directors in the limelight but last week's Australian Screen Editors Guild (ASE) Awards – aka ‘The Ellies, put screen editors firmly front and centre stage.
Screen editors are the industry professionals behind the scenes and in 2014 their list of credits was impressive. Winners came from across the depth and breadth of Australia’s best documentaries, television drama, short and feature films, music videos and commercials.
‘The Ellies’ hosted by actor and director Leah Purcell and held at the Paddington RSL in Sydney are in their ninth year of recognising excellence in screen editing.
“Screen editing is often called the ‘invisible art’ of cinema,” Leah Purcell said.
“What’s left out is just as important as what ends up in the final cut. Even a seasoned editor may not be able to recognise a brilliant feat of editing without a sense of what was left behind on the cutting room floor.
“Having the experience and judgement to make these decisions with enormous consequences is what sets great editors apart.”
The film categories showcased the excellence of screen editors and their ability to get editing decisions right. The Audio Network Award for Best Editing in a Documentary Feature was won by Denise Haslem ASE for her work on the award winning Sophia Turkiewicz’s film Once My Mother. The Avid Award for Best Editing in a feature film was won by Bryan Mason for the groundbreaking and award winning, 52 Tuesdays.
All winners were amongst strong competition from nominees with ABC and SBS featuring prominently throughout the television award categories. Nicholas Holmes ASE won the Blue Post Award for Best Editing in a Television Drama for the ABC TV’s Redfern Now: Where the Heart Is. The Two Dogs TV Award for Best Editing in a Documentary Series went to Casper Mazzotti for the ABC’s Kakadu (Episode 4).
Screen editor Melanie Annan was awarded the Adobe Award for Best Editing in a Documentary Program for the SBS’s Cronulla Riots – The Day That Shocked the Nation while Marcos Moro won the Videocraft Award for Best Editing in a Television Factual for the SBS documentary Taking on the Chocolate Frog (Episode 1).
Nominees came from across the commercial networks and Pay TV too with screen editors’ work in the top of the field, including from the Network Ten’s Puberty Blues and Bondi Vet and the Foxtel commissioned Outback Coroner and prison drama Wentworth.
Special guest for the ninth annual awards was Australian feature film and documentary director Gillian Armstrong whose screen editor Nicholas Beauman ASE was honoured with lifetime membership of the Guild.
The ASE Award for Best Editing, Open Content went to Jessica Mutascio’s work for the Canon ‘Shine’ campaign which featured Channel 9’s Today host Lisa Wilkinson photographing breast cancer survivor Marina MacDonald.
The Digistor Award for Best Editing in a Commercial was awarded to the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited (RACQ) promotion Rescue Me.
Australian Screen Editors Guild president Dany Cooper ASE, told a capacity crowd the Guild was growing in strength and numbers.
“We ‘make our own future’,” she said. “Our power lies in our ability to communicate with each other. The more we share and discuss, the more unified we can be. The more we actively support one another, the stronger we will be.”
For more information on the awards and on the ASE or to find out more about membership, head to http://www.screeneditors.com.au/
WINNERS
ASE AWARD FOR BEST EDITING, OPEN CONTENT
• Melanie Annan – Low Life
• Peter Barton – Levis ‘A Billion Stories’
• Brad Hurt – Flickerfest 2014 Festival & Tour Trailers
• Jessica Mutascio – Canon
Winner: Jessica Mutascio – Canon
SHINE AUSTRALIA AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A SHORT FILM
• Patrick McCabe – Rabbit
• Adrian Rostirolla – I am Emmanuel
• Gwendalina Sputore – Godel Incomplete
• Derryn Watts – The Landing
Winner: Gwendalina Sputore – Godel Incomplete
AUTODESK AUSTRALIA AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A MUSIC VIDEO
• Danielle Boesenberg – Guineafowl ‘Little Death’
• Brad Hurt – Stonefield ‘Love you Deserve’
• Simon Harvey Smith – The Amity Affliction ‘Pittsburgh’
• Scott Walmsley – Belle Roscoe ‘Let Me Cut In’
Winner: Scott Walmsley – Belle Roscoe ‘Let Me Cut In’
DIGISTOR AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A COMMERCIAL
• Ryan Cauchi, Steadfast – ‘Brisbane Roar’
• Marty Gilchrist, Tennis AUSTRALIA – ‘Get Caught Up – Teddy’
• Sue Schweikert ASE, RACQ – ‘Rescue Me’
• David Whittaker – Schweppes ‘Food Fight’
Winner: Sue Schweikert ASE, RACQ – ‘Rescue Me’
VIDEOCRAFT AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A TELEVISION FACTUAL
• Marcos Moro – Taking On the Chocolate Frog – Ep 1
• Dave Redman – Bondi Vet – Series 5 Ep 22
• Matthew Walker – Taking On the Chocolate Frog – Ep 3
Winner: Marcos Moro – Taking On the Chocolate Frog – Episode 1
CUTTING EDGE AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A TELEVISION COMEDY
• Julie-Anne De Ruvo – Please Like Me – Season 2 – Ep 2
• Steven Robinson ASE – It’s a Date – Ep 4
• Paul Swain – The Moodys – Ep 1
Winner: Paul Swain – The Moodys – Episode 1
BLUE POST AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
• Nicholas Beauman ASE – Carlotta
• Dany Cooper ASE – Puberty Blues – Season 2 Ep 9
• Nicholas Holmes ASE – Redfern Now: Where the Heart Is
• Ben Joss – Wentworth – Series 2 Ep11
Winner: Nicholas Holmes ASE – Redfern Now: Where the Heart Is
TWO DOGS TV AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A DOCUMENTARY SERIES
• Orly Danon – Outback Coroner – Ep 1 – Witham
• Casper Mazzotti – Kakadu – Ep 4
• Philippa Rowlands ASE – Redesign my Brain Ep 1 – Make me Smarter
• David Scarborough – Hannah Gadsbys Oz – Ep 1
Winner: Casper Mazzotti – Kakadu – Episode 4
ADOBE AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM
• Melanie Annan – Cronulla Riots – The Day That Shocked the Nation
• Andrew Arestides ASE – The Vasectomist
• David Banbury – My Long Neck
• Bryan Mason – I Want to Dance better at Parties
Winner: Melanie Annan – Cronulla Riots – The Day That Shocked the Nation
AUDIO NETWORK AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
• David Banbury & Elendil Archer – Sons and Mothers
• Karryn De Cinque – Tender
• Denise Haslem ASE – Once My Mother
• Bill Russo ASE – Love Marriage in Kabul
Winner: Denise Haslem ASE – Once My Mother
AVID AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A FEATURE FILM
• Martin Connor – The Railway Man
• Christian Gazal – The Little Death
• Bryan Mason – 52 Tuesdays
• Matt Villa ASE – Predestination
Winner: Bryan Mason – 52 Tuesdays