After months of speculation, plans for the L’Oréal Paris 2007 AFI Awards, to be held in Melbourne on 5 and 6 December, are now confirmed. The Australian Film Institute and the producer of the AFI Awards, Paul Dainty of Dainty Consolidated Entertainment, have today announced the full plans for the AFI Awards season this year, which is now in full swing.
Details include:
* L’Oréal Paris AFI Australian Screenings
17 August to 16 September 2007
The L’Oréal Paris 2007 AFI Australian Screenings will present all 15 feature films in this year’s AFI Awards competition, in addition to the 12 non-feature films nominated for Best Documentary, Best Short Fiction Film and Best Short Animation.
Gala Opening Nights
Sydney, Friday 17 August, Cinema Paris, Entertainment Quarter
Melbourne, Monday 20 August, Palace Cinema Como
Hobart, Wednesday 22 August, State Cinema
Brisbane, Friday 24 August, Palace Centro Cinemas
Canberra, Monday 27 August, Australian War Memorial
Adelaide , Wednesday 29 August, Palace Eastend Cinemas
Perth, Friday 31 August, Palace Cinema Paradiso
* L’Oréal Paris AFI Awards Nominations announcement
Wednesday 24 October 2007
Nominations in all categories including feature film, non-feature film and television will be formally announced on Wednesday 24 October in Sydney.
* L’Oréal Paris AFI Industry Awards
Wednesday 5 December 2007
Melbourne Exhibition Centre
Now in its third year, the Industry Awards turns the spotlight on the people we don’t see on screen, including our cinematographers, editors, production designers, sound and costume designers. It has quickly developed into a must-attend night of fabulous industry celebration and essential end-of-year networking.
* L’Oréal Paris AFI Awards Dinner
Thursday 6 December 2007
Melbourne Exhibition Centre
Lights, camera…action! The AFI Awards Dinner will be broadcast nationally on the Nine Network and will again be hosted by Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, two major co-hosts (to be announced!) and a cavalcade of screen stars, industry heavyweights and top music performances. It will once again be Australian screen culture’s night of nights!
Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Film Institute, James Hewison said of this year’s awards season: ‘We’ve now started the journey towards the L’Oréal Paris 2007 AFI Awards in December. It commences with nearly a month of celebration of Australian screen culture via the L’Oréal Paris AFI Australian Screenings during August and September, then our members’ votes are tallied and we head to Sydney for the nominations announcement in October; with of course the highly anticipated results revealed over two fabulous, celebratory nights in December in Melbourne at the L’Oréal Paris AFI Awards. We are once again delighted and extremely grateful for the ongoing support of our naming rights and principal sponsor L’Oréal Paris and the support of the Victorian Government.’
Managing Director of L’Oréal Australia, Mark Tucker said of their sponsorship: ‘L’Oréal Paris has an ongoing partnership with the world of film, and 2007 marks our tenth anniversary as a partner of the Cannes Film Festival. The L’Oréal Paris AFI Awards provide us with the opportunity to celebrate this partnership on the local stage and again affirm the strong and glamorous alliance between cinema and beauty.’
There are 15 feature films entered into the L’Oréal Paris 2007 AFI Awards and this year’s entries include a rich and highly diverse line-up of Australian productions. They are The Bet, Burke & Wills, Clubland, Dr Plonk, The Final Winter, Gone, The Home Song Stories, Irresistible, Like Minds, Lucky Miles, Noise, Razzle Dazzle, Rogue, Romulus, My Father and
West. Each of these films will be on show at the L’Oréal Paris AFI Australian Screenings. Opening Nights will be held in each capital city and feature a premiere screening of Rolf de Heer’s Dr Plonk, a tribute to the black and white comedies of the silent era.
Dr Plonk stars Nigel Lunghi, Paul Blackwell and Magda Szubanski in a riotous comedy about the end of the world.
Victorian Major Events Chairman, Sir Rod Eddington, said that the ongoing success of the AFI Awards and associated thriving film industry showed that Victoria was going from strength to strength in terms of its pulling power for major events.
‘The AFI Awards is an important example of Melbourne’s capacity to host world class events and plays a key part in our impressive and increasingly diverse major events calendar,’ Sir Eddington said.
2007 marks the 49th AFI Awards and the awards ceremony will be hosted for the second year in a row by Australian film icon and AFI supporter Geoffrey Rush. ‘I’m thrilled to be back (as host)…I’m thrilled that we are back on primetime television…this is an important event where we can showcase and celebrate the year’s achievement in film…and as we head for the fiftieth
anniversary next year, the creative team is moving the show even closer towards having its own unique identity…laughs and glamour and local celluloid is a tricky mix but we’re working on it!…’
Executive Producer of the L’Oréal Paris 2007 AFI Awards Paul Dainty said ‘We are just so proud to be part of the L’Oréal Paris 2007 AFI Awards. There is no question that these awards are our film and television industries’ premier and most glamorous awards. Our goal is to share the prestige, celebration and excitement of the AFI Awards with the largest possible
television audience, while ensuring the experience for our live audience is absolutely first class.’
The L’Oréal Paris 2007 AFI Awards will be broadcast nationally on the Nine Network at 9.30pm on Thursday 6 December, and will feature the half hour L’Oréal Paris Red Carpet Arrivals, directly followed by the awards ceremony.
Also in its third year will be the News Limited AFI Readers’ Choice Award whereby the Australian public will be able to participate in the AFI Awards by SMS and online voting for their favourite actor or actress from a feature film or television program.
The AFI will be hosting ‘State of the Nation’ Forums in each Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
James Hewison, AFI CEO and AFI Award winning filmmaker Rolf de Heer will lead the panel discussion with filmmakers and industry representatives on the subject: ‘Upstream or Downstream: Currents in Australian Cinema’
The Australian Film Institute presents the AFI Awards each year to recognise and celebrate excellence in Australian film and television production. Now in their 49th year, the AFI Awards are the Australian Film and Television industries’ longest running and most prestigious awards.
The AFI is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between general public and the film industry.
[release from NIX Co.]