‘Lambs of God’.
Lingo Pictures’ Lambs of God was the big winner at yesterday’s AACTA Industry Luncheon, taking home seven of a potential nine awards, while Rodd Rathjen’s debut feature Buoyancy was named Best Indie Film.
Sweeping the afternoon, Lambs of God’s various accolades included Best Direction in a Television Drama or Comedy for Jeffery Walker; Best Cinematography in Television for Don McAlpine; Best Original Score in Television for Bryony Marks (one of two awards for the composer during the event); Best Production Design in Television for Chris Kennedy; Best Costume Design in Television for Xanthe Heubel; Best Sound Sound in Television for Nick Emond, Stephen Smith, Paul Devescovi and Mia Stewart; and Best Hair and Makeup for Zeljka Stanin, Paul Pattison, Cheryl Williams and Anita Howell-Lowe.
The Foxtel mini-series was beaten only out for Best Screenplay in Television, which went to Niki Aken and Matthew Cormack for The Hunting, and Best Editing, which went to Alistair Reid for his work on The Cry.
Some 32 awards were presented at the event, which celebrated craft and technical achievement and was hosted by Matt Okine and Mel Buttle.
Rathjen’s Buoyancy beat out other contenders Acute Misfortune, Emu Runner, Book Week and Sequin in a Blue Room in the indie film category, which honours the best feature made for under $2 million. Produced by Causeway Films’ Sam Jennings and Kristina Ceyton with Rita Walsh, Buoyancy details the story of a 14-year old Cambodian boy (Sarm Heng) who heads to Thailand search of a better life, only to find himself trafficked and enslaved on a fishing trawler.
Australia’s official submission for Best International Feature Film, the AACTA Award joins a number of accolades for the film, including Best Youth Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Among the other film winners was David Michôd’s The King, which took home four awards, including Best Cinematography for Adam Arkapaw; Best Costume Design for Jane Petrie; and Best Production Design for Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton. Joel Edgerton, who also co-wrote and c0-produced the film, received Best Supporting Actor.
The Nightingale took home two prizes, with Nikki Barrett recognised for Best Casting and Magnolia Maymuru named Best Supporting Actress for her debut performance.
Magnolia Maymuru won Best Supporting Actress for her debut role in ‘The Nightingale’. (Photo: Brendon Thorne).Judy and Punch was awarded Best Original Score, Hotel Mumbai Best Editing and Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan Best Sound.
Among the other television award winners were Ludo Studio’s Bluey, which won Best Children’s Program, while Best Direction in Non-Fiction Television went to Destination Flavour China.
In documentary, 2040 earned Best Original Score in a Documentary (Marks’ second award), 100 Days to Victory Best Sound in a Documentary, The Final Quarter Best Editing in a Documentary and and Magical Land of Oz Best Cinematography in a Documentary.
Best Short Film was awarded to The Egg, Best Short Animation to Pinchpot and Best Short Documentary to Home Front – Facing Australia’s Climate Emergency.
“We are delighted to be able to honour practitioners across all screen industry sectors and genres and this afternoon’s Awards luncheon was a true showcase of the breadth of talent within our industry, both in front and behind the camera,” said AFI | AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella.
The remainder of this year’s Award winners will be announced at the AACTA Awards Ceremony on Wednesday evening.
The full list of winners:
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST CASTING PRESENTED BY CASTING NETWORKS
THE NIGHTINGALE Nikki Barrett – Causeway Films, Made Up Stories
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
LAMBS OF GOD Zeljka Stanin, Paul Pattison, Cheryl Williams, Anita Howell-Lowe – Lingo
Pictures (Foxtel – Showcase)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
THE FRONT BAR Adrian Brown, Richard Molloy, Mick Molloy, Greg Sitch, Adam Rowe – Front
Bar Enterprises (Seven Network)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SPORTS COVERAGE
TEST CRICKET – LIVE ON FOX – Foxtel – Fox Sports
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE KING Adam Arkapaw – Plan B Entertainment, Porchlight Films, A Yoki Inc, Blue-Tongue
Films
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A DOCUMENTARY
MAGICAL LAND OF OZ (Episode 1 – Oceans) Paul Bell, Dan Proud, Jon Shaw – Northern
Pictures, Oxford Scientific Films (ABC)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN TELEVISION
LAMBS OF GOD (Episode 1 – The Devil Into Paradise) Don McAlpine – Lingo Pictures (Foxtel –
Showcase)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST EDITING
HOTEL MUMBAI Peter McNulty, Anthony Maras – Hotel Mumbai Double Guess Productions
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN TELEVISION
THE CRY (Episode 2) Alastair Reid – Synchronicity Films in association with December Media
(ABC)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A DOCUMENTARY
THE FINAL QUARTER Sally Fryer – Shark Island Productions
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
JUDY & PUNCH François Tétaz – Vice Media LLC, Blue-Tongue Films, Pariah Productions
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCORE IN A DOCUMENTARY
2040 Bryony Marks – GoodThing Productions
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCORE IN TELEVISION
LAMBS OF GOD (Episode 1 – The Devil Into Paradise) Bryony Marks – Lingo Pictures (Foxtel –
Showcase)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SOUND
DANGER CLOSE: THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN Liam Egan, Craig Walmsley, Alicia Slusarski,
Robert Sullivan, Tony Murtagh, Les Fiddess – Red Dune Films, Deeper Water Films
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SOUND IN TELEVISION
LAMBS OF GOD (Episode 1 – The Devil Into Paradise) Stephen R. Smith, Nick Emond, Paul
Devescovi, Mia Stewart – Lingo Pictures (Foxtel – Showcase)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SOUND IN A DOCUMENTARY
100 DAYS TO VICTORY (Episode 1 – The Spring Offensive) Ric Curtin, Xoe Baird, Laurie
Chlanda, Adrian Tucker – Electric Pictures (Foxtel – History)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN A TELEVISION DRAMA OR COMEDY
LAMBS OF GOD (Episode 1 – The Devil Into Paradise) Jeffrey Walker – Lingo Pictures (Foxtel –
Showcase)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY IN TELEVISION
THE HUNTING (Episode 3 – #shittyboys) Niki Aken, Matthew Cormack – Closer Productions
(SBS)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN NONFICTION TELEVISION
DESTINATION FLAVOUR CHINA (Episode 1 – Beijing) Olivia Hoopmann – SBS (SBS)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN
THE KING Jane Petrie – Plan B Entertainment, Porchlight Films, A Yoki Inc, Blue-Tongue Films
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN TELEVISION
LAMBS OF GOD (Episode 1 – The Devil Into Paradise) Xanthe Heubel – Lingo Pictures (Foxtel –
Showcase)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
THE KING Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – Plan B Entertainment, Porchlight Films, A Yoki Inc,
Blue-Tongue Films
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN IN TELEVISION
LAMBS OF GOD (Episode 1 – The Devil Into Paradise) Chris Kennedy – Lingo Pictures (Foxtel –
Showcase)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
HOME FRONT – FACING AUSTRALIA’S CLIMATE EMERGENCY Luke Taylor
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SHORT ANIMATION
PINCHPOT Greg Holfeld
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
THE EGG Jane Cho, Ilana Lazar – Good Egg Creative
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Joel Edgerton THE KING – Plan B Entertainment, Porchlight Films, A Yoki Inc, Blue-Tongue
Films
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Magnolia Maymuru THE NIGHTINGALE – Causeway Films, Made Up Stories
AACTA SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AWARD FOR BEST MALE PRESENTER
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Andrew Winter SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA & LOVE IT OR LIST IT AUSTRALIA – Beyond
Productions (Foxtel – Lifestyle)
AACTA SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AWARD FOR BEST FEMALE PRESENTER
Yvonne Sampson – LEAGUE LIFE, FOX LEAGUE GAME DAY HOSTING – Fox Sports
Australia (Foxtel – Fox Sports)
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT
WENGIE
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST INDIE FILM PRESENTED BY EVENT CINEMAS
BUOYANCY Rodd Rathjen, Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton, Rita Walsh – Causeway Films
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST VISUAL EFFECTS OR ANIMATION
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME Janek Sirrs, Cyndi Ochs, Brendan Seals, Andrew Zink –
Luma Pictures
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
BLUEY Joe Brumm, Charlie Aspinwall, Daley Pearson, Sam Moor – Ludo Studio (ABC Kids)