VFX work performed by Australian facilities on The LEGO Movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and X-Men: Days of Future Past will be eligible for an AACTA award.
AFI | AACTA ’s new award for best visual effects or animation will recognise outstanding work performed in Australia across feature film, television and documentary, regardless of the origin of the production.
That replaces the AACTA award for best visual effects, which was restricted to Australian productions and was last won by the creative team on The Great Gatsby.
AFI | AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella told IF the criteria has been broadened following consultation with post houses and the Visual Effects Society (VES).
Trewhella pointed out that the larger proportion of work undertaken by Australian VFX houses is frequently on global productions so the new award will recognise their achievements on both Australian and international productions.
VFX houses are invited to submit their best work, with entries closing at 5pm on November 24.
Practitioners will then showcase their wares at a “bake-off” in Sydney on December 4 which will be attended by VES members and reps of the post houses.
Attendees will cast their votes to come up with a list of nominees and AACTA will assemble a jury of VFX experts to determine the winner.
Trewhella expects that as many as 10 projects will be eligible, including I, Frankenstein, ANZAC Girls and Walking with Dinosaurs 3D.
The awards luncheon presented by Deluxe will be held at The Star on January 27, with the awards ceremony on January 29 at The Star, telecast at 8.30 pm on Network Ten. There will be an encore screening on Foxtel’s Arena channel. Tickets for the awards go on sale in November.