‘Lion’, one of eight films nominated for feature film production at this year’s SPA Awards. (Photo: Mark Rogers).
Competition for Screen Producers Australia’s best feature film award looks fierce this year with eight titles including Ali’s Wedding, Don’t Tell, Lion and The Butterfly Tree among the finalists.
The other short-listed contenders are Australia Day, Dance Academy: The Movie, Hounds of Love and Jasper Jones.
Recognising excellence in 13 categories across film, TV and interactive productions, the awards will be presented at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre on November 16 during the Screen Forever conference.
In the running for best telemovie or miniseries are Hoges, House of Bond, Hyde & Seek, Seven Types of Ambiguity and Top of the Lake: China Girl.
“The awards acknowledge the creation of outstanding screen content across all our genres as well as the contribution of our production businesses and the people behind them,” said SPA CEO Matt Deaner.
“I congratulate all the finalists whose work has promoted and strengthened the Australian screen industry. We look forward to celebrating our industry’s collective achievements in November.”
The full list of finalists in the production awards:
Animated series production
Fanshaw & Crudnut, Blue Rocket
Prisoner Zero, Planet 55 Studios
The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill, Flying Bark Productions
Winston Steinburger & Sir Dudley Ding Dong, Sticky Pictures
Children’s series production
My Year 12 Life, Princess Pictures
Nowhere Boys: Two Moons Rising, Matchbox Pictures
Oh Yuck!, Flying Bark Productions
Random and Whacky Series 1, Ambience Entertainment
Trip for Biscuits, Robot Panther
You’re Skitting Me Series 3, CJZ
Comedy series production
Get Krack!n, Katering Productions
Mad As Hell Series 7, ITV Studios Australia
No Activity Series 2, Jungle
Please Like Me Series 4, Guesswork Television
Rosehaven Series 1, Guesswork Television
The Family Law Series 2, Matchbox Pictures
Drama series production
Cleverman Season 2, Goalpost
Doctor Doctor Season 1, Essential Media
Glitch Season 2, Matchbox Pictures
Janet King – Playing Advantage, Screentime
The Wrong Girl Series 1, Playmaker
Wentworth Series 5, FremantleMedia Australia
Light entertainment series production
Anh’s Brush With Fame Series 2, Screentime
Bondi Rescue Season 12, CJZ
Family Feud, FremantleMedia
Grand Designs Australia, FremantleMedia Australia
Gruen Series 8, CJZ
The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Series 3, Guesswork
Online series production
Bruce, Guilty
Doodles, Ludo Studios
Little Acorns, PocketTV
Starting From Now, Common Language Films
The Other Guy, Aquarius Films
This is Desmondo Ray!, Sense & Centsability
Reality series production
Great Australian Bake Off, FremantleMedia Australia
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Australia, ITV Studios Australia
Real Housewives of Sydney, Matchbox Pictures
The Voice Australia Season 6, ITV Studios Australia
The X Factor Australia, FremantleMedia Australia
Telemovie or miniseries production
Hoges, FremantleMedia Australia
House of Bond, CJZ
Hyde & Seek, Matchbox Pictures
Seven Types of Ambiguity, Matchbox Pictures
Top of the Lake: China Girl, See-Saw Films
Series documentary production
Chef’s Table: France, Michael Hilliard
Court Justice: Sydney, CJZ
Occupation: Native, Brindle Films
Tales By Light, Untitled Film Works
The Queen & Zak Grieve, In Films
The Surgery Ship, Media Stockade
Single documentary production
PACmen, Scribble Films
Spookers, Madman Production Company
The Go-Betweens: Right Here, Essential Media and Entertainment
The Opposition, Media Stockade
The Song Keepers, Brindle Films
Westwind: Djalu’s Legacy, Madman Production Company
Feature film production
Ali’s Wedding, Matchbox Pictures
Australia Day, Hoodlum
Dance Academy: The Movie, Werner Film Productions
Don’t Tell, Tojohage Productions
Hounds Of Love, Factor 30 Films
Jasper Jones, Bunya Productions and Porchlight Films
Lion, See-Saw Films
The Butterfly Tree, Midwinter Films
Short film production
Brown Lips, Noble Savage Pictures
Deep Storage, Happening Films
In a Cane Field, Cosmia Films
Lake Terror, Brewcasa Creative
Mrs McCutcheon, Buffalo Media
Interactive production
Atlas Obscura VR, Start VR
Dream Channel VR, Cobbstar Productions
Inside Manus, Hoodlum